Attn. Pastors: How is Your Worship Team “Really” Doing

by The Churchlady

If you are a  Pastor of a church and the members tell you that the best thing about the service is your preaching,  take the time to read  this article written by Jason Hatley, then join his blog, he has some great tips:

 

By Jason Hatley

When is the last time you got on the balcony?

No – not the balcony at your church building or even the hotel from your last vacation.

It’s Jason Hatley here (Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church) with a quick (but important) leadership principle that every pastor and worship leader needs to practice… Getting on the Balcony.

Getting on the balcony simply means taking some time on a regular basis to rise above the hectic pace of your everyday work to see how your worship ministry is really doing.

You see… it’s impossible to know how things are really going in your worship ministry when you’re in the daily grind. It’s like being on the floor during a packed out concert. You can look around and see some things, but you don’t have a good perspective on the whole arena.

So, when you “get on the balcony” you are leaving the busyness of the floor seats for a little while to get a bird’s eye perspective on your ministry. And here’s what happens…

#1 – You find that some areas of your team are not doing as well as you initially thought.

It’s true . . . whenever we take regular time (I’m talking about once a month) to back up and objectively ask, “How are things really going right now?” we’ll often find that some areas of our team that we thought were very strong, actually have a few holes in them and need our attention.

For example, if stewardship and tithing is a value of your worship team members like it is here at The Journey, it’s easy to hope that everyone is honoring God with their finances. But when you get on the balcony and take an objective viewpoint, you may find that fewer members of your team are giving than you had originally thought.

Getting on the balcony lets you know that you still have some work to do on that area.

#2 – You find that some areas of your team are actually stronger than you thought.

If there has been an area that you’ve been really working on with your team (say… everyone on your team being in a small group Bible study), then after a month of putting heat on that value, it’s important to step back and ask, “Are we doing better in this area?”

You will likely find that this area has improved and so now you can turn your attention to another area of growth.

#3 – You find time to dream new dreams for your team.

If your team feels stagnant, like you haven’t tried anything new for God in awhile, chances are you haven’t gotten on the balcony much lately.

You see, when you regularly remove yourself from the daily race to spend some time examining your team, you find you also have time to dream and plan. Some of our most creative worship expressions here at The Journey have come out of some personal balcony time where I put down my to-do list for an hour and went to work on my ministry rather than in my ministry.

If you feel like you’re in a rut right now, you need some balcony time!

Let me share with you a secret to Worship Ministry that I learned many years ago . . .

. . . Your worship ministry is a constant work in progress. (I bet you already knew that – ha!).

No matter how long you lead, there will always be an area that needs your attention. Something that was fine-tuned last month will need a tune-up next month.

As leaders we are constantly on the look-out for areas of our team that need direction or correction. And that’s why it’s so important to get on the balcony once a month and ask,“How are things ‘really’ going?”

The problem is . . . very few pastors or worship leaders EVER take time to do this! Caught in the endless race of the day-to-day, the never take time to pull back and examine their team and dream new dreams for it.

John Maxwell writes in his book Thinking for a Change, “The greatest enemy of good thinking is busyness.”

In over 10 years of ministry at The Journey and over 6 years of coaching worship leaders I’ve found that the key to getting from where you are now to where you want to be is to create monthly balcony time.

In my coaching networks, that is one of the #1 benefits that worship leaders experience… a reason to get on the balcony every month.

Listen to what Mackenzie Pinto from First United Methodist Church writes (she just finished my last coaching network):

“The Coaching Network gave me a chance to evaluate my current systems, or lack of systems, and make the necessary changes to become as effective as possible. The thoughts, ideas, and questions posed throughout the Network kept me constantly thinking about my ministry.”

That’s the power of Getting on the Balcony.

So let me ask you a few questions to help you get started . . .

  • Do you have a system for creating balcony time every month?
  • Or better yet . . . what if you had a system to evaluate your worship ministry every month with me and a group of other worship leaders who are all committed to seeing God’s very best in our churches?
  • What if you had a way to unplug from the hectic pace of ministry every month and get laser-focused on how to bring health to the most important areas of your team and overcome the BIG challenges that you’re facing right now?
  • What if you had a coach / mentor / friend to walk beside you, answer your questions, share feedback, pray for you and help you implement the changes that you know are needed for you to serve your church at the highest level without burning out over the next year?

That’s exactly what my coaching network is all about. And I would be honored if you would prayerfully considering joining.

But — you need to prayerfully consider soon, because the network is getting underway now.

If you want to join with this focused group of Worship Leaders, get on the balcony, and go to work on your worship ministry, then all you need to do is go towww.worshipleaderinsights.com/coaching, complete the online application (it only takes about 7 minutes) and return it to me ASAP.

I hope you’ll allow me to get on the balcony with you!

Your partner in ministry,

Jason

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Attn Pastors: 4 Warnings Signs Your Leadership May be in Danger of a Fall

by The Churchlady

By: Lisa Whittle

As long as we follow leaders, we will follow leaders who fall.

This, like eyesight that eventually fails, is a reality of humanity.

The truth is, though, our tendency is to see our failures, shortcomings, and lack of achievements as experiences that create *holes inside of us…some of our biggest holes come from our greatest successes.

It is not that we are bad people.  It is just that it is not in the nature of humans to handle power well.

{I know of what I write.  I have lived with a strong leader.  I have also watched him fall.  Nothing about it was easy.  All of it affected other people.}

One of my silent motivators for writing my new book,{w}hole, was to help people see humanity in those we elevate.  People who take stages are not perfect.  At the same time, as leaders, we are not recused of being purposeful about our integrity.

Here, I offer a preventative word to leaders (ministry leaders, in particular), proposing 4 symptoms to look for that suggest when your leadership may be headed in a dangerous direction.  Please know that even as I write this, I sit among you, taking my own inventory.

1. When you find yourself less willing to serve when there is no audience.

Having a level of influence over a tribe of people is a great honor.  But giving speeches, signing books, or preaching from the stage of a church is not enough.  Private service is not only Biblical (Matthew 6), but it is beneficial.  Doing things that may never become known is something that fuels our integrity, brings us fulfillment, and helps buoy within us the character it takes to lead people well.

 

2. When you constantly pull the they are jealous orout to get me card.

Because leaders stand in the light, we are often targets of those who envy our platform, which sometimes leads to vocal opposition.  Yet this is not the case with all people who may not be our fans.  A leader that constantly defaults to a mindset of they are just jealous or they are out to get me when they experience any type of push back or differing opinion sits in a risky place.

3. When you try to manipulate respect.

Leaders who do not take the time to care for their tribe will not have lasting influence with them.  While it is important to have faithful, trustworthy tribe members in our corner, demanding respect by creating a stringent system the tribe must follow will never benefit anyone, including the leader who seeks to put it in place.  This type of rule by intimidation suggests insecurity, fear, or an unwillingness to do the work to become the kind of leader that people are naturally drawn to follow.

4. When you constantly put yourself in situations that feed your ego.

The way we seek accountability shows our true character.  When our accountability structure is composed of people who bend things in our favor, it is of zero benefit to us and is set up to feed our need for approval.  Surrounding ourselves with truth-tellers who have nothing to gain or lose from us is vitally important, just as is being willing to travel in circles that help us keep it real.

While not an exhaustive list, the honest evaluation of where we are, as leaders, with these things may well prevent us from buckling from the weight of expectation, accolade, and our own pride.  It is not that prevention preserves us from the very human aspects of leadership.  But coupled with our consistent seeking of our all-powerful Source, Jesus, it can be our check so we may balance it well.

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Congressman John Lewis says: It’s a Shame to Deny Same Sex Marriage Benefits

by The Churchlady

More than 40 years after fighting for the rights of African Americans, Congressman John Lewis is still fighting, now for survivor benefits of same sex marriages.  You go John:

By: christine.maiduc@latimes.com

Reporting from Washington— By the time Ron Wallen and Tom Carrollo married in 2008, they had already lived most of their “good times and bad” as a same-sex couple. They’d been together for 55 years, and Carrollo had just been diagnosed with lymphoma. When Carrollo died in March, Wallen received another devastating blow: Unable to collect survivor’s benefits from his partner’s Social Security, Wallen’s monthly income dropped from $3,050 to $900, he said — not enough to cover the mortgage on the couple’s home. “Tom and I have played by the rules as we pursued our version of the American dream. … We served our country, we paid our taxes, we volunteered in our community,” Wallen told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. “This is unjust.” Interactive: Track gay marriage rights in the U.S. Wallen’s sense of injustice was one of the major themes in a hearing on repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that bars same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits. The repeal bill, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), would allow the estimated 50,000 to 80,000 same-sex couples who have wed in the District of Columbia or any of the six states where such marriage is legal to enjoy benefits under family leave laws, Social Security and federal tax codes. Repeal proponents say individual states should decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage. But in Wednesday’s hearing, they focused on the issue as a matter of civil rights. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who was invited to testify, compared it to his childhood during segregation in the South. “My entire childhood, I followed signs that said, ‘white restrooms, colored restrooms, white water fountains, colored water fountains,’ ” Lewis said. “We look back on that time now in disbelief, and one day we will look back on this period with that same sense of disbelief. … All across this nation, same-sex couples are denied the very rights that you and I enjoy.”

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Top Ten List of Mega Churches in America

by The Churchlady

No. 1: Lakewood Church
Houston, Texas

Pastor: Joel Osteen
Average weekly attendance: 43,500
Annual budget: $70 million

No. 2: Second Baptist Church of Houston
Houston, Texas

Pastor: Edwin Young
Average weekly attendance: 24,000
Annual budget: $53 million

No. 3: North Point Community Church
Alpharetta, Ga.

Pastor: Andy Stanley
Average weekly attendance: 23,000
Annual budget: $38.5 million

megachurch willow creek photoNo. 4: Willow Creek Community Church
Chicago, Ill.

Pastor: Bill Hybels
Average weekly attendance: 22,500
Annual budget: $36.2 million

No. 5 : LifeChurch.tv
Edmond, Okla.

Pastor: Craig Groeschel
Average weekly attendance: 21,000
Annual budget: $32 million

No. 6: West Angeles Church of God in Christ
Los Angeles, Calif.

Pastor: Charles Blake Sr.
Average weekly attendance: 20,000
Annual budget: $15 million

No. 7: Fellowship Church
Grapevine, Texas

Pastor: Ed Young Jr.
Average weekly attendance: 20,000
Annual budget: $51 million

No. 8: Saddleback Valley Community Church
Lake Forest, Calif.

Pastor: Rick Warren
Average weekly attendance: 19,400
Annual budget: $36 million

No. 9: Calvary Chapel
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Pastor: Robert Coy
Average weekly attendance: 17,000 people
Annual contributions: $40.3 million in tithes and offerings (2008)

No. 10: The Potter’s House
Dallas, Texas

Pastor: T.D. Jakes
Average weekly attendance: 17,000 people
Annual budget: declined to release figure

Click here to read detailed narratives on each church in detail

Source: Forbes Magazine

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Ministry Resources: What do we do if a member wants to take back their contribution?

by The Churchlady

 

A church member donates $2,000 to her church during the first six months of the year. She then becomes upset with the pastor and begins attending another church. She contacts the business administrator of her former church and demands a refund of all the contributions she made earlier in the year. How should the administrator respond?
Start by testing your knowledge. Then read on for a summary of this topic.

1.Donors generally have the right to demand a refund of contributions they make to a church, if they do so within the same year as the contribution.
True or False

2.While a church may not be legally required to refund donors’ contributions in most cases, it is a good practice to do so.
True or False

3.A donor makes undesignated contributions to the church throughout the year amounting to $5,000. She becomes upset with the church leadership, and begins attending another church. She asks to have her contributions for that year refunded so she can donate them to the church she presently is attending. The church is not legally required to comply with this request.
True or False
4.A church creates a building fund to finance the construction of a new building. Over a 3-year period it receives contributions of $100,000 that are designated for this fund. The church can identify every donor who made a contribution to the fund, and the amount of each contribution. The church decides to abandon the building program. It should ask donors to the fund if they want their contributions returned, or if they want to redesignate them for another purpose.
True or False

5.Matt donated $5,000 to a church project last year, and deducted this amount on his tax return. This year, the church abandons the project, and Matt asks that his contribution be returned. If the church complies with this request, it should inform Matt that he will need to file an amended tax return for the previous year so that the deduction he claimed can be eliminated.
True or False

Sometimes donors ask for a refund of specified contributions. For example, John donates $10,000 to the church building fund, and the church board votes to abandon the building project later that year. John asks the church business administrator to refund his $10,000. Or, a family quits attending Church A midway through the year, and begins attending Church B. The family asks the church business administrator of Church A for a refund of all of their contributions. How should these requests be handled?
Answering these kinds of questions begins with an understanding of the fact that a charitable contribution is a gift, and, like any gift, is an irrevocable transfer of a donor’s entire interest in the donated cash or property. Since the donor’s entire interest in the donated property is transferred, it generally is impossible for the donor to recover the donated property. As we will see, there are a few exceptions to this general rule.

undesignated contributions

Most charitable contributions are undesignated, meaning that the donor does not specify how the contribution is to be spent. An example would be a church member’s weekly contributions to a church’s general fund. Undesignated contributions are unconditional gifts. A church has absolutely no legal obligation to return undesignated contributions to a donor under any circumstances.

designated contributions

Often a donor will make a “designated” contribution to a church. That is, the donor designates how the contribution is to be spent. For example, a donor contributes a check in the amount of $1,000 and specifies that it be used for missions, or the building fund, or some other specific project. Many courts have ruled that such designated contributions are held by the church “in trust” for the designated purpose. So long as the church honors the designation, or plans to do so in the foreseeable future, it has no legal obligation to return a donor’s designated contribution.

What if a donor contributes money to a church’s building fund and the church later abandons its plans to construct a new facility?

Such contributions are conditioned on the church pursuing its building program. If it abandons the program the contribution is revocable at the option of the donor. Should the church refund designated contributions to donors under these circumstances?

There are a number of possibilities, including the following:
• Donors can be identified. If donors can be identified, they should be asked if they want their contributions returned or retained by the church and used for some other purpose. Ideally, donors should communicate their decision in writing to avoid any misunderstandings. Churches must provide donors with this option in order to avoid violating their legal duty to use “trust funds” only for the purposes specified.
A church should send a letter to donors who request a refund of a prior designated contribution informing them that (1) there may be tax consequences, (2) they may want to consider filing an amended tax return to remove any deduction claimed during any of the three previous years as a result of their designated contribution, and (3) they should discuss the options with their tax advisor.
• Donors cannot be identified. A church may not be able to identify all donors who contributed to the building fund. This is often true of donors who contributed small amounts, or donors who made anonymous cash offerings to the building fund. In some cases, designated contributions were made many years before the church abandoned its building plans, and there are no records that identify donors. Under these circumstances the church has a variety of options.

One option would be to address the matter in a meeting of church members. Inform the membership of the amount of designated contributions in the church building fund that cannot be associated with individual donors, and ask the church members to take an official action with regard to the disposition of the building fund. In most cases, the church membership will authorize the transfer of the funds to the general fund. Note that this procedure is appropriate only for that portion of the building fund that cannot be traced to specific donors. If donors can be identified, then use the procedure described above.

Another option is to ask a court for authorization to transfer the building fund to another church fund. Over 40 states have adopted the Uniform Management of Institutional Funds Act, and this Act permits churches to ask a civil court for authorization to remove a restriction on charitable contributions to “endowment” funds in some situations. The Act provides:
If written consent of the donor cannot be obtained by reason of his death, disability, unavailability, or impossibility of identification, the governing board may apply in the name of the institution to the [appropriate] court for release of a restriction imposed by the applicable gift instrument on the use or investment of an institutional fund …. If the court finds that the restriction is obsolete, inappropriate, or impracticable, it may by order release the restriction in whole or in part.

Other options are available. Churches should consult with an attorney when deciding how to dispose of designated funds if the specified purpose has been abandoned or is no longer feasible.
Some courts have ruled that a donor has no legal “standing” to enforce a designated gift to charity. The reason for this rule is simple—a charitable contribution is a gift, and a gift is a transfer of all of a donor’s “dominion and control” over the donated property. Allowing a donor to enforce a designated gift is not legally possible because the donor has no remaining interest in the gift. This is true even if the gift was “designated.” The fact remains that a designated gift is held by a church or charity “in trust” for the specified purpose. The trust may be expressed in a written trust instrument, but usually no instrument exists and the trust is implied. While the donor may not be able to enforce such a “trust,” this does not mean that a church or charity can ignore it. Some courts have ruled that the state attorney general can enforce a trust created by a designated gift, and so can any other person with a “special interest” in the trust. While this does not ordinarily include donors, their families or heirs, or even beneficiaries of the gift or trust, it may include “fiduciaries” (such as a trustee of a written trust).
• Some donors can be identified, and some cannot. In most cases, some of the building fund can be traced to specific donors, but some of it cannot. Both of the procedures summarized above would have to be used.

Churches that solicit funds for designated projects face difficult choices when they abandon the project and are left with the task of disposing of funds donated for that project. These problems can be avoided if the church simply includes a statement similar to the following when soliciting funds for a specific project: “By contributing to this project, donors acknowledge that the church has the authority to apply contributions designated for this project to another, related purpose in the event that the project is canceled.” Such a statement should be printed on special offering envelopes used for the project, or on any other materials so long as they provide adequate notice to donors of the policy and reflect donors’ consent to it.

Quiz answers: 1) F  2) F  3) T  4) T  5) T

 

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By: Richard R. Hammar

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Church Scandals has Pastors Housing Allowances on Thin Ice

by The Churchlady

When pastoral scandals hit the mainstream news, often the first item cited as evidence that a minister is misusing his or her position is the housing allowance tax break that allows pastors to deduct housing expenses from their income. Sometimes the pastor in question will claim his entire salary as housing allowance. For others, its the sheer size of the allowance that raises suspicion.

At the request of Senator Charles Grassley, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) will lead the independent commission to investigate and offer recommendations to lawmakers on a list of eight issues related to ministry ethics and finances. Housing allowances are near the top of the list.

A 2009 lawsuit filed in California by the Freedom from Religion Foundation argued the housing allowance tax benefit violates the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. A government request to dismiss the case was rejected in 2010, allowing it to proceed to trial. Experts like Richard R. Hammar, an attorney and senior editor of the Church Law & Tax Report, are concerned that its outcome may spell the demise of the benefit.

Source: The Charisma online

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Healthy ministers, healthy churches

by The Churchlady


SAN FRANCISCO (ABP)—“You cannot go to church,” Christian philosopher Elton Trueblood once said. “You are the church wherever you go.” That is especially true if you are the pastor.

Experts insist ministers and the churches they serve have a responsibility to give attention to issues of wellness, wholeness and self-care.

While many people with high-demand occupations view Sunday worship as a haven from day-to-day pressures, ministers are on call 24/7. Clergy rank high in job satisfaction, because most don’t enter the field expecting to get rich but are motivated by wanting to make a difference in people’s lives. At the same time, clergy rank among the highest rates of obesity, depression, high blood pressure and adult-onset diabetes when compared to other professions.

For that reason, congregational experts say it is extremely important—but often neglected—that ministers and congregations take seriously ministerial wellness and self-care.

“Healthy clergy make for healthy parishes,” Pamela Lee Cranston says in a clergy-wellness handbook for the Episcopal Church. “Unfortunately, unhealthy work patterns practiced by clergy in congregations have resulted in burnout, if not actual physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological breakdowns.”

The Episcopal Church is among American denominations advocating a holistic understanding of work for clergy and taking a closer look at issues of “wellness” related to ministry.

Cranston says clergy face several unique career challenges. One is “dual relationships.” The reality of clergy vocation is that, whether they would like to or even if they should, ministers never can completely “de-role” with members of the congregation.

Another is ambiguity about expectations. In secular fields, employment usually is evaluated by “performance.” The vocation of ministry, however, is not defined as just another job, but rather in relational terms of “being” and “doing” in ways not always measurable by a bottom line.

Closely related is the dual nature of the relationship between minister and congregation.

“The reality of today’s church is that the working pastoral relationship between clergy and congregations is both contractual and covenantal,” Cranston writes. “It is both a job and a vocation, although not in equal measure. Covenant assumes the best aspects in a pastoral relationship, while contracts protect both the clergy and congregation from the worst.”

Studies suggest 75 percent of the stress in clergy life is related to unclear and improper sense of boundaries related to work. According to the Alban Institute, to work more than 50 hours per week is considered “dangerous,” but many ministers are expected to do this consistently.

Roy Oswald of the Alban Institute says one in five clergy score high on the burnout scale. “With stress, too much change or novelty forces people to overuse their adjustment capacities and after a while they become physically or emotionally ill,” he said. Furthermore, he adds, burnout occurs “when people over use their listening and caring capacities.”

Research also links clergy burnout to family problems, poor communication with congregations, financial responsibility and clergy sexual abuse.

“Clergy are not called simply to be ‘institutional CEOs and business managers’ but are in the ‘health and wholeness business,’” Cranston says. “The healthier and more whole clergy are the more likely parishioners and congregations will become healthier too.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America profiled its typical ministers as a 51-year-old male with symptoms of depression, high blood pressure and overweight with heightened risk of

heart disease and other illnesses. He works 60 to 70 hours a week in a sedentary job lacking physical exercise and reports considerable work-related stress. He is married with three children. One expresses interest in following their father into full-time ministry. The pastor, however, expresses little enthusiasm for encouraging a child to do so.

The ELCA promotes a “Wholeness Wheel” model for balancing the interconnected aspects of individual wellness:

• Physical well-being. “While we are not all born perfectly healthy and no one makes it through life without injury or illness, with tending and nurturing we can live well even with disabilities, injuries or illness. Those with good health can lose it as a result of unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors. Keeping the wholeness wheel in perspective means optimizing our physical health through good nutrition, physical activity and avoiding risks to our health.”

• Emotional well-being. “Being emotionally well means feeling the full range of emotions and expressing those emotions appropriately. Not feeling emotion is a sign of stress or depression, just as having emotions that you cannot control may be the sign of emotional distress. Physical health problems can affect our emotions, and emotional problems affect our physical health.”

• Social well-being. “We were created to be social persons by God with instructions to help and love each other. We are nourished by the love and intimacy of our family and friends. Isolation is a significant risk for depression and premature death. Whether we are introverted or extroverted, regular social contact is essential for health. Being healthy means having healthy relationships with family, friends, co-workers and others. Studies have shown that volunteering in service to others actually lengthens life.”

• Intellectual well-being. “Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is feared by all who have seen or heard about the personal frustration or social disruption it causes. While we cannot be certain that we will never experience dementia or something similar, using our minds keeps them alert and active. … We can stretch our minds by experiencing new things—music, art, hobbies or travel. Pushing ourselves at work by seeking out new responsibilities and pursuing lifelong learning keeps us healthy and growing.”

• Vocational well-being. “Having a sense of purpose is important in living a healthy life. We all want to feel that we are using the gifts God has given us to make this world a better place. We need to be aware of what those gifts are and make good use of education and training to hone our skills. We need to always be seeking for opportunities to make a difference. If not through our occupation, then perhaps through volunteering in the community, nurturing our family, or actively participating in church.”

• Spiritual well-being. “Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength impacts everything we do and everything we are. … Nurturing your relationship with God through daily prayer or devotion is the first step. Knowing that God is always present and has given us the gift of grace through the death of Jesus Christ allows us to stumble along the way and keeps us from getting lost.”

Source: The Baptist Standard
By: Bob Allen, Associated Press

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Simple Tips to Create a Church Office You Can Trust

by The Churchlady

Churches are entrusted with a wealth of private information about individuals in its congregation. They expect you to keep it private. With these simple tips, you can be well on your way to becoming a church office your congregation trusts.
Information Best Practices

Limit access to paper records. Paper records are an obvious privacy risk. Store them securely and limit access only to those who need it.

Secure electronic records. Today’s churches store a significant amount of information electronically. Be sure to secure electronic information included in emails, financial records and employee evaluations.

What’s yours is yours. While the temptation is there, make it a practice not to share login names and passwords. Establish a tiered system of access based on who is logging into the system.

When in doubt, leave it out. Private information is easily shared in everyday conversations. Even something as harmless as explaining why a particular person missed a scheduled nursery assignment can convey details that should not have been shared with others.

It’s hip to know HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gives patients more control over how health information is shared. Be sure you understand the rules before disclosing private health information through prayer lists and bulletin updates.

Build a Record Retention Policy

Obey the law. Build your retention policy on solid ground. Start by reviewing state or federal requirements for document retention.

Establish an expiration date. Develop a system for identifying documents that no longer need to be retained. When the expiration date comes around, take a second look before destroying it.

Destroy records properly. The church office is no place to cut corners on document destruction. Be sure to properly destroy hard files and have a plan for dealing with expired electronic information.

Source: Churchsafety.com

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Simple Tips for Understanding Copyright Laws

by The Churchlady

Ministry leaders strive to set an example though their actions at every opportunity.  Obeying copyright law should not be the exception.  Music ministries and church websites are just a few of the areas where you are at risk for violations. We can help you set a good example with our simple tips for understanding copyright law.

About Copyright Law

  • Ignorance is not bliss. Violating copyright law—whether its done intentionally or not—takes honest wages away from the author. Being unaware of the law is no excuse and violations can be costly.
  • Understand the law. Copyright laws affect much more than printed materials.  Reproduction of intellectual material in any form without permission is a violation.  These violations include displaying song lyrics visually, replaying TV clips and movies publicly, and copying software to other computers.

How to Obey the Law

  • Follow the rules. Contact the publisher for permission to reproduce materials or purchase the rights to do so.  Do not edit the material and do not share your legally-acquired materials with another party for their use.
  • Consider a blanket license. Purchase a blanket license to get access to an entire repertoire of works.  Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) is a valuable resource for ministry music.  The Motion Picture Licensing Corporation provides blanket licensing for films.
  • Adopt music and software policies. Establish clear policies regarding the proper use of music and software. Post the policies publicly and confront any violations on the spot.
  • Spread the word. Be a witness for doing the right thing.  At every opportunity spread the word about copyright violations and challenge others to obey the law.

Source: Churchsafety.com

Category : Gospel music, Resources
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Five Reasons Churches Go to Court

by The Churchlady

No church enjoys going to court. Legal disputes are messy, and sometimes unavoidable. However, your church can create proactive procedures to avoid common reasons why churches most often go to court, and to resolve legal conflict. Creating—and enforcing—the effective policies and procedures will show a court that your church is doing everything possible to keep your people safe, a strong defense should your church ever be brought to court. Gaining knowledge in the five areas below will also prepare you for interacting with a lawyer if your church receives a court summons or needs to issue a lawsuit. After you read through the summaries on the top five reasons churches end up in court, download the corresponding resource, Avoiding Church Lawsuits, to learn more about dealing with these issues.
Personal Injury. Churches may be liable for personal injury on or off church property. If a church cannot prove they provided ample supervision over a church activity (on or off church property), they may be held responsible if injuries occurred. Church legal expert, Richard Hammar, explains that churches must be careful when hosting events on and off church property, and when an outside group is using the premises. Hammar says, “All too often a church inadvertently retains ‘control’ over its facilities even when they are being used by an outside group—with control comes responsibility.”
Church Property Disputes. Churches can avoid church property disputes by adopting appropriate nondoctrinal language in deeds, trusts, local church bylaws, or denominational bylaws. Churches can also accomplish private resolution using a variety of means, including deeds, trusts, and more. Each of these options is summarized in Avoiding Church Lawsuits.
Insurance Coverage Disputes. Churches can avoid insurance coverage disputes by regularly reviewing their insurance policy, so there’s no confusion about what kind of coverage the church has purchased.
Zoning. Zoning laws keep many churches from building on certain property, even expanding on property they already own. There are some legal remedies for churches who want to fight zoning laws.
Child Sexual Abuse. Many churches don’t realize the threat of sexual abuse of a minor in their church, but if a church is not actively screening their volunteers they could be held responsible. Church attorney Richard Hammar emphasizes, “Victims of molestation who have sued a church often allege that the church was negligent in not adequately screening applicants or for not providing adequate supervision.” Learn more about the number one reason most churches end up in court in Avoiding Church Lawsuits.

Source: Churchsafety.com

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Amazing Moms of the Bible

by The Churchlady

you have spent your adult life trying to live up to the mothering standard set in the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs (and I know some women do), you might as well just go ahead and take up permanent residence in the I-can’t-quite-measure-up lane. I have a sneaking suspicion that that woman was either a composite sketch of several stellar women, a wishful hope, or a case of one woman mistakenly believing her own press kit.

The intro to that chapter of Proverbs states that these are “the sayings of King Lemuel — an oracle that his mother taught him.” Webster defines this sort of oracle as “a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions.” I would amend that to say that this was likely a mother hoping none of the girls her son was currently dating would ever measure up to her “oracle.” Regardless, we are left with the impression that this sort of mother is the Approved Standard Version — family centered, good business woman, great cook, generous, prepared, discreet, praiseworthy, wise, and beautiful. If she was indeed a real woman — all things to all people and extraordinarily perfect — then I’m just glad we didn’t have a chance to meet. She could never have considered me as part of her Potential Friend Pool.

This is precisely why I am so glad that the Bible gives us pictures of other kinds of mothers — the ones who cause us to nod our head to affirm the phrase, “If you can’t be a good example then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” I have come up with examples of a few of both types in the following list. There are many other moms in God’s Word, but these are a sampling of the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre.

EVE
The Original Mother — more specifically, of Cain, Abel, and Seth (and several unnamed others)

I guess if we are to commence in chronological order we would have to begin with Eve, the mother of us all. And she was the woman who made THE monumental, mind-blowing, affects-everybody forever mistake. So she probably deserves the bad rap she gets. But it wasn’t like there were any other women around to make it instead of her, right? Maybe she was the first to partake of the fruit just because she was the only one who could remember where it was in the garden (women just know where stuff is). You have to feel a little bit of sympathy for the girl who didn’t have a mother to ask about how things were for her back in the day. When the kids had a temperature or were teething she just had to figure it out on her own, but, then again, nobody could look at her and tell her that she was doing it all wrong. And sure, she got us into epidurals, but she had the mother of all heartache, too. Her sons were involved in the first homicide (without Nintendo and violence on TV to blame it on). She was the first mom to have to bury her child.

SARAH
Mother of Isaac

This is the mom who gives hope to everyone who waited a little late to get started on the Mommy Track. Not that she didn’t try; her womb was just on a different biological clock. God made a promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. This led Sarah to the logical conclusion that she would be the mother of many nations. When that wasn’t happening in a timely manner, Sarah decided to do her own “thang,” so to speak. She gave her handmaiden Hagar as her maternal stunt double. This resulted in a child but not the child. When the messenger of the Lord told Abraham that it really would be Sarah that was going to deliver the promised baby, Sarah overheard, laughed, and promptly got in trouble for it. But if you were her age you would laugh, too, just thinking about how the breast-feeding would be easy now that she could just lay Isaac on her lap to do it. Sarah is a sister who could laugh at her late start with motherhood knowing that good things come to those who wait.

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Source: CBN | Anita Renfroe

Category : Black Church News, Resources
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Pimps in the Pulpit: Warning Messages

by The Churchlady

Special thanks and shout out to my friend Melvin Jones for this Warning Message about being pimped from the pulpit:

“But Melvin! But Melvin!” you say. “How do I know if my pastor is pimping me??”

I’m glad you ask, young man. It’s been almost four years since I put the list out and perhaps is should be given to a new set of sheeple so they too can at least attempt to escape the jaws of the wolves both Peter and Paul warned are walking about, devouring whom they may. Again, a tip of the hat to Keith Tolbert in Atlanta.

And given the spike in Drive By Commenters and their use of most of the more common Knee Jerk Reactions, it is perhaps time to repost “You Might Be getting Pimped If” article.

While they aren’t fool proof, there are certain indicators that make it very likely you are being pimped. If you have the nerve, consider the following:

1. If you are waiting at the bus stop on the way to church on Sunday morning and your pastor drives by blasting “Money Comin’” in his Rolls-Royce Phantom . . . you might be gettin’ pimped!

2. If it’s easier to get in to see the President of the United States than it is to see your pastor…you might be gettin’ pimped!

3. If the pastor’s armor bearers have better weapons and communications equipment than the Secret Service…you might be gettin’ pimped!

4. If your pastor is on a first name basis with more celebrities than he is with people in the congregation…you might be gettin’ pimped!

5. If your pastor spends more in restaurants than you spend for groceries for your family of four…you might be gettin’ pimped!

6. If your pastor’s garage has more floor space and is better heated than your apartment…you might be gettin’ pimped!

7. If your pastor’s house can be seen from space with the naked eye…you might be gettin’ pimped!

8. If you pastor owns more property than Donald Trump…you might be gettin’ pimped!

9. If your pastor’s “ministry” has him constantly shuttling between Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Lake Tahoe in the “ministry’s” business jet…you might be gettin’ pimped!

10. If your pastor’s address book reads more like the “Who’s Who” of the local political party…you might be gettin’ pimped!

11. If one of your pastor’s cars cost more than your house…you might be gettin’ pimped!

12. If your pastor owns more cars than there are days of the week…you might be gettin’ pimped!

13. If one of your pastor’s suits costs more than the total your family spends on clothing for the year…you might be gettin’ pimped!

14. If your pastor has given his children cars that you have only dreamed of…you might be gettin’ pimped!

15. If your love offering equals your car note and your breakthrough still hasn’t come . . . you might be gettin’ pimped!

16. If you suddenly get the feeling that you’ve heard your bishop’s sermon preached somewhere else before . . . you might be gettin’ pimped!

17. If your pastor’s love offering is larger than the gross national product of the average third world country…you might be gettin’ pimped!

18. And finally, if the sermons spends more time covering the Law of Prosperity than the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus…you might be gettin’ pimped

Source: Pulpit Pimps BlogPosted by Melvin Jones

Category : Church Lady Chronicles, Resources
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Church Media Ministry: God bless their patience

by The Churchlady

Week after week we watch members of our church media ministry team videotape the worship service as well as watch the fancy video taped christian news announcements, God be to Glory to the people who serve on these ministries. After viewing this video my respect for these saints goes to a higher level, check it out:

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How to Find a Church

by The Churchlady

African Americans interested in finding a church often undergo major obsticals in determining what would be a good fit for them and their families. While many persons join the church for right reason, Christian witness and service, many for the wrong reasons including: networking opportunities, social status, dating service, political advantages and cause your Moma told you so.
Whatever the case may be, finding the right church can be a daunting task in the 21st century as there a so many more options by which one can get a “Word” today including:
1. Brick and Mortar versus Internet Church
2. Traditional versus Contemporary
3. Affirming versus Non Affirming
4. Denominational versus Non Denominational
5. Television
6. On “Demand and please don’t forget,
7. Your Mama’s CD’s or DVD’s she has stockpiled at her home

While I will be the first to say that if you are looking for a perfect church, you are not going to find it. While I am sure that we will all agree, Jesus is the head of churches, but, human beings run the day to day operations and being human makes us prone to failure and often times sin. Thus, one should never start the journey of finding a church with the expectation that the church will be without flaws. Understanding and accepting this reality will help keep you open minded as you begin this journey.

In this article, I offer a few basic Do’s and Don’ts that will help those that are seeking a (as we say in the baptist church) church home, with their journey:

1. If the church you are visiting has more than one worship service, do visit all the services before walking down the aisle.
Many Baptist Churches have designed their worship services to fit particular personality types: For instance, 8:00 service is usually geared towards a more conservative reserved audience and 11:00 is for the more contemporary.

Now if you are visiting a Mega Church take a bag lunch honey cause you will be there for 3 or more services, and, if the pastor has churches all across town, you might want to rent a jet, cause you are going to need one just to keep up with him as he/tries to get to all the church’s franchises.

Do note that Mega Churches usually reserve their last service for what we call the “Worshipers”. Now if you are not into doing the Double Dutch Praise (see video below) you might want to not go to the final service of a mega church. Sometimes the pastor will preach and sometimes he may just let the worship experience take over. (Many times, he/she is just so dag on tired that they just can’t get another shout out so one often hears,”The Spirit is in this place, come on holly spirit have your way!) The Saints don’t mind cause they are the worshipping crowd, while they love the pastor they love the worship experience and music even more. So, if you are a more reserved person, stay away from the last worship service of the day cause you might just get this:

All I have to say about that is “pray for all God’s children yall,” lets move on down this list.

2. Don’t join a Baptist Church on a Special Day:
Special Days are always when the best or guest choir sings, the pastor brings a fresh sermon and the ushers are on their best behavior. Always visit the same chruch the next week to get the real deal! Special Days in the baptist church are the ones that your Moma use to make you go to when you were a child, Christmas, Easter, New Years’ and the big one of them all, Mothers Day. Now if you are an adult and happen to go to church with your Moma on Mothers day and you don’t have a church home, when the pastor opens the door to the church and your Moma gives you that look, do break the rule and go ahead and join, cause you only got one Moma and you don’t want to dissapoint her on Mothers Day!

3. Check the Ushers attitude:
Chances are that if the ushers are mean and rude then the spirits in the church are mean and rude as well. If you are not greeted in a hospitable manner, visit, give an offering and move on.

4. Do Set an appointment to meet with the Pastor:
Pastors are very busy people and chances are they are not going to have the time to meet with you personally, however, you should at least receive a telephone call from his office advising you of the person you should meet with to discuss membership into the church. If you don’t get a return call, this should be indicative of how you might expect to be serviced.
And Finally,

5. As you visit these great houses of worship, do leave an offering and please don’t pass the offering plate by!

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