How to Increase Your Church’s Giving and Feel Good About It!
When I was in the Duke Fuqua School of Business, one of the things that was driven deep in my psyche was the criticality of sustainability. It would do every church leader well to consider sustainability factors when approaching executing their church vision. The Bible states, “Where there is no vision the people perish,” but we also know where there are no provisions the vision perishes.
How to Get What You Want and Not Lose What You Have: Church Growth Retention
When most people think about marketing, they think about it in a very narrow way. They tend to think about it simply as advertising, but marketing is much more than advertising and promotion, though they are included. Marketing is more about research and development, learning how to define your target market and develop the proper messaging to reach them in a persuasive manner.
How to Market Your Church
When most people think about marketing, they think about it in a very narrow way. They tend to think about it simply as advertising, but marketing is much more than advertising and promotion, though they are included. Marketing is more about research and development, learning how to define your target market and develop the proper messaging to reach them in a persuasive manner.
How to Position Your Church Staff for Greater Effectiveness
The execution of ministry can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have adequate or the right help. When I was a student for a semester at Harvard Divinity School, I wrote an article, “How to Develop an Inner City Church Staff,” and this article was complimented and sought after by many pastors.
How to Have an Effective 21st Century Kingdom Children’s Ministry
In the African-American church, worship tends to focus upon the adults. Children are either forced to sit quietly in service or gathered in a dedicated space and babysat. However, this is a waste of discipleship time and a practice that increases the probability that people will leave your church for churches that have structured children’s programs during the worship time.
How to Have an Effective 21st Century Kingdom Youth Ministry
In Dr. Carson’s original research, he discovered that most young people leave the church either physically or emotionally between the ages of 12-14. Erick Erickson, in his psycho-social stages of development states that this is the age in which youth are asking the most important questions of their life, “Who am I?, Where Am I going?, What is my purpose or significance? Where do I belong?” Unfortunately, the church has been too busy answering these questions for adults, who never got their questions answered as youth and are still trying to find themselves.
African-American Church Growth Model
While 8,000 to 10,000 churches are closing annually, which means 667 to 833 churches are closing a month or 154 to 192 churches are closing a week or 22 to 27 churches are closing a day. Many African-American churches remain stronger than our white sister mainline churches. Why? Because of the place of religion in the lives of black people, the black church is seen as more vibrant. Spirituality and religious activities are core components of black life, which is the reason why you don’t find a high percentage of black atheists.
How to Increase Your Membership and Giving Through Social Media and Technology
We are called to do 21st century church in the age of the technological revolution, which has shifted the ways the world operates and people think. Technology absolutely runs the world, and every individual utilizes technology – at home, in the workplace, and in education. The challenge is that statistics reveal that growing churches have integrated technology into the fabric of their churches.
How to Establish Your 501(c)3
When it comes to establishing your church ministry from the ground, it can be a very rigorous experience that involves a lot of frustrations because you don’t know exactly what to do. When you begin a church ministry, much like a for-profit business, you must register the business with the state and federal government. As a church organization, you qualify as a non-profit organization that provides tax exemptions; thus, you must register your church as a non-profit organization, called a 501(c)3, with the Internal Revenue Service. To not pay taxes and to not to have a 501(c)3 is illegal and can result in very costly fees for illegal activities. Many pastors have been fined, and their ministries jeopardized due to the violations of the 501(c)3 Internal Revenue Laws.
How to Establish Your Church’s Financial System
One of the most important areas in church growth and administration is the area of financial sustainability. If a church cannot manage its finances, it will not be able to sustain its ministry programs and initiatives. Churches must have sound and effective systems of financial management that allow them to generate, track, and grow their financial position. If a church’s financial systems are not sound, when the pastor decides to build or invest, the church will be unable to secure financing due to its financial management systems. This seminar is designed to assist churches in establishing sound financial management systems or enhancing existing financial management systems.
Clergy Taxes and Benefits
As clergy with over 30 years of experience and having talked with clergy all over the country, I have discovered that many clergy are not taking advantage of their personal tax exemptions. Many clergy are paying too much in taxes because they do not fully understand the IRS Codes that provide certain deductions. Many clergy, based upon their giving and their work, are allowed to deduct certain expenses. Billionaires and millionaires take advantage of tax benefits every year, while clergy do not.