Abuse, adultery, fire, flooding, murder, and theft – churches are not exempt from common crises.  Nor are churches protected from scrutiny by local, regional, and even national media. How do churches handle crises that put them at risk? How should church leadership communicate with its members, authorities, and secular media? Is there a plan in [...]

Sooner or later it happens to us all – we get recruited to sit on – or even chair – a committee.  And too often, we get stuck following an antiquated and unproductive meeting system that breeds frustration and burnout. No wonder churches are simply not as productive as they could be. Leadership guru Hugh [...]

Monthly newsletters and Sunday bulletins (printed and electronic) are a staple of congregational life – and it’s important that they be informative, substantive and eye-catching if we are going to effectively communicate. But the truth is, says Frederick Gonnerman, most of them are sub-par. However, there is hope. Consultant, speaker, and author Frederick Gonnerman, who [...]

The ethical shortcomings we hear about in the news every day are, unfortunately, not absent from the Church. Whether it be financial, sexual, or some other scandal, not only are they common, but there are ways to handle them that can minimize the pain. Susan Nienaber is a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute and [...]

Every week North American churches are the beneficiaries about one-third of all charitable giving, taking in nearly twice as much as the next closest charity. But when people die and donate their estates to charity, churches rank fourth. What gives? Why don’t churches receive more? Doesn’t the Church need it? The plain truth, says church [...]

Sure, things are tight and times are tough but stewardship pro Kristine Miller is optimistic about what you and your church can do for God. That’s why we’ve put together this Master Class on stewardship basics – to refresh the veterans and inspire those new to the subject. In an age of scarcity, we need [...]

It’s a decision every church will probably face: When and how do we close the doors? Like our lives, individual congregations seem to have distinct cycles and were never intended to last forever. For example, the churches St. Paul started two millennia ago are all closed and we can hardly fault Paul as a lousy [...]