Communication

As I've written before... Volunteers are the life blood of your church. Much of your ministry success rests on the time and talent of those most committed to your church. With Christmas approaching, it seems like a good time to list some ways to bless your volunteers. Making certain they understand the value you place on them.

Providing take-aways, or giveaways, for first time guests to your church is a great way to get thought-provoking Gospel materials into the hands of people who are looking for answers to spiritual questions. I recently visited a church in a different town that inspired me to research this idea of church "swag."

For years, churches and non-profits have been looking for ways to raise funds to pay for needed buildings, projects, and missions. While many organizations still use traditional forms of fund raising, tech-savvy young givers are looking for other options. They want the technology they use daily, to connect with the ways they can make a difference. Enter crowdfunding...

Personal requests for special prayers are not uncommon for churches, but with larger congregations, it can be difficult to reach out and make sure that all members prayer requests are heard. To save you time in tracking down church goers who may be looking for a private prayer, and to make it easier for them to do so, you can employ some modern technology that will help ensure that everyone’s prayers are being met.

If you were leading the typical church 20 years ago and wanted to share something, a single announcement would cover it. And if you...

Over the past 20 years my wife and I have been part of a number of small groups. In hindsight they were quite eclectic. Young families, youth leaders, 40 years seperating the oldest and youngest. We've done book studies, bible studies, free for all discussions and more. Despite the craziness there are several things that each group somehow embodied. These make or break items often made the difference between groups that lasted and ones we killed (sometimes long after we should have).

Church mergers are occurring in an unprecedented way today across North America. These mergers are more mission-driven and future-focused as opposed to the failed mergers of the past that were more survival-driven and focused on preserving the past. Mergers that have a multisite outcome report a higher success rate and satisfaction factor than mergers that unite into one location. Every merger involves a lead church and a joining church. The merging of churches is a delicate dance where one leads and the other follows. Should two churches consider merging?

As your younger parishioners begin to approach puberty, you may notice that their interest in Sunday school, mass and even church activities begins to waver. This is a normal rite of passage, as they begin on those final steps towards adulthood, and discovering who they want to be when they get there.