Church planting is an intentional process of establishing a new center for worship where a congregation can grow and thrive. Though this work is inspired and filled with hope and lots of energy, it is also an extremely challenging process. Because of this, church planting networks become an increasingly important source of support and resources for aspiring church planters.
With Easter just around the corner, graphics, media, and marketing intel just might come in handy as you finish up your church's Easter service planning. Here are three valuable resources that might help:
Does your church or ministry have online and mobile giving? If so, are you aware that it is likely you are being overcharged through a handful of hidden fees? Not awesome. Hopefully, this is not the case for you, but the unfortunate reality is that many churches are paying extremely high percentages on every giving transaction, and they don’t even know it.
For a holiday that is known for leprechauns, wearing green, and drinking to excess, I like to take time out to pause and celebrate this patron saint of Ireland, who has an incredible testimony, and whose Breastplate moves me deeply. St. Patrick overcame huge obstacles and trauma in his life to listen to God's call and act--bringing the Christian faith to a whole nation and building a heritage that long outlasted his personal efforts.
Church fundraising is a necessary part of running the business of a church. While not always the favorite pastime of pastors and church leaders, raising money to fund ministry programs, care for church facilities, retain and train new staff, and leading congregations requires cold hard cash and lots of it. Pastors don’t like to talk about money--but let’s face it, raising money is an essential and necessary part of church business.
Video conferencing is a great, mostly free tool that is available to church leaders to help make ministry meetings convenient and productive. Virtual meetings provide a great service to teams working at a distance or those who would like to avoid commuting and take advantage of being able to meet from any location with ease.
Pastors lead busy professional lives, and their responsibilities are as pressing and varied as those of a company CEO. Pastors set the direction for the church and oversee staff activities. They minister to attendees, prepare sermons, conduct weddings and funerals, and participate in many community activities. Most do it with little or no dedicated administrative resources. But, like a company executive, a pastor can be even more effective with the right support. A virtual assistant can be the ideal solution.
Whether your role in your church is that of a pastor, Sunday School teacher, social media coordinator, or any other position involving communication, you are in a competition for people's attention.