Two questions here: 1) Do you write a blog? If you do, could you please post it to this forum. I've enjoyed reading other pastor's blogs over this last year. It's been helfpul in gainging insight to different ways of preaching, doing ministry and in general what's out there. 2)If you don't have a blog, is there a blog you read on a regular basis that you really like? Could you please post it here as well and share? Thanks. by the way, here's mine www.spiritualmusclehead.blogspot.com

Hello everyone! I am looking for any advice and information about starting up support groups for parents. I have a wonderful lady in my church (who is our parish nurse) that has been really excited to start a parent group in our community. We have had a lot of expressed interest in this with other local parents.I am helping her get some contacts and some ideas on how to start it, how to organize meetings, what to discuss...anything! I would love to hear back from anyone that is part of a group like this and let me know how your group works....Looking forward to hearing from you :) melissa

I graduated from Calvin two and a half years ago. At Calvin I was a part of the worship teams for LOFT and chapel (piano and organ). At those services we regularly used the organ as an "orchestral" instrument to supplement the rhythm instruments of the praise band. I am now the director of music at my church in New Jersey. Ordinarily, we just use the organ on the "traditional hymns" and the praise band on the "contemporary songs". (I really hate that lingo, by the way. But that's a conversation for another post). I am trying to convince the worship coordinator and praise band coordinator to...

We're running the Alpha Course at our church now as I have in my past two churches where I've served. I'm curious about the spiritual fruit that has been harvested as a result of your experience with this program.

I have not come across many churches in the CRC creating original multi-media material. Maybe I just haven't come in contact with churches doing it yet. Is there anyone involved in creating videos and graphics for their churches (or even for other ministries outside our churches)? I would love to hear what you do and begin the conversation. Our church recently purchased the Adobe Creative Suite which has allowed us to really expand artistically and I love seeing what other churches are doing. After reading through some of the threads, I saw a suggestion to create a location on the web for...

What software (besides Powerpoint) do you use in your church to project songs, liturgy, and notes? It's been a while for me, but I have used SongShow Plus and I don't remember the other.

Wondering how you all train your potential tech team members. Sound, projection, lighting etc. Do you have someone in your church who is proficient in each department to teach others or are volunteers handed the keys and told to make it up as they go? I'm interested in making sure that our incoming techies have a good understanding before they are put incharge, are there any good resources out there for training in these areas? Doug

There is some discussion in our church about projecting the words to songs or scripture verses on the large overhead screen above the pulpit. There are some who say this helps engage the congregation, and other who feel that it's intrusive, distracting, and disconnects us from our hymnals and bibles. How does your congregation use projection technology, and how has that helped or hindered your worship experience?

Our Cadet club has been shrinking for the last several years. We have terrific co-ordinator who truly loves the ministry and the boys, but it seems like each year there are less and less boys who attend. I am wondering what other CRCs have done to promote their Cadet clubs and increase their membership. Is this a denomination wide problem, or is it just our goup? I wonder if a name change would help....??? Any ideas would be great! Yours in Christ, Grace

It is mid-November, and your church is experiencing a significant shortfall to its budget. How can you make the urgency clear to the congregation, and also point out membership obligations?

This summer our church (Kitchener, Ontario Canada) ran an evening VBS. Do any other churches out there do this? What are the keys to it being successful? We want to try it again in 2011, but we want to get wise to better ways of doing things.