Following are some more great articles I recently read and recommend to help your church succeed in fulfilling it’s mission. Enjoy.
What Do We Do With Church Announcements by Gary Molander
When I was a creative arts pastor, we’d have this ongoing weekly discussion about service announcements. We’d talk about the best delivery method, the best location in the service, and the best people for the job. During that time, I admit that I had quite the adversarial relationship with church announcements. They felt, to me, a bit like an exploratory colonoscopy. I knew how important the procedure was, but I’d rather not endure it. And while that’s too much information about me, you get the idea. Love. Hate. I did both. You’re probably like me. In my latter years, I’ve discovered that the foundational issue has nothing to do with the best delivery method, the best location, or the best people. The foundational answer has to do with David. Read More…
The Epic-Fail of Church Announcements by Adam Stadtmiller
Picture this scene. You’re in your pew. The worship is amazing, almost transcendent. The song ends in a moment of awe-filled silence. It’s just you and God. And then—train wreck; you are catapulted from a state of ethereal wonder to an awkward announcement about the church cookie bake-off or a video that never seems to have the sound start until seven seconds after it begins. Nothing in the history of Christendom, save perhaps the Second Crusade, rivals the ineffectiveness of the church’s ability to accomplish an intended purpose more than the medium of in-service announcements. Read More…
Sunday Morning Announcements by Wayne Hedlund
Remember our friend, Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strips and cartoons? You probably do, and you probably remember how realistic the sound of the school teacher was during those old fashioned episodes . . . “Wah, wa, wha, wha, wah, waah, wa, wah, whaa, wha, whah, wah.” Wow. Just quoting it reminds me of Jr. High History Class all over again. Question. Is that what your congregation hears during the Sunday Morning Announcements? I hope not. The announcements usually get a bum rap. Just for kicks, check off how many of the following are true at your church. Read More…
Preventing Slips & Falls In Your Place Of Worship by Church Mutual
Slips and falls occur regularly at worship centers across the country and follow the national trend of adults over the age of 65 accounting for the majority of those injured or killed. Preventing slips and falls is a serious issue for all worship centers and a concern that should be addressed for employees, members and guests of all ages and abilities. Read More…
3 Steps To A Godly Church Tech Attitude by Phil Schneider
If I’ve learned anything about being a “church techie,” it’s that the biggest tech-related problem in the Church just might be the tech guys’ attitudes. We see Church from behind the curtain, and sometimes that means that we look at our worship services, our graphics, our (insert your tech-related pet peeve here) with a bit of cynicism that the average congregant doesn’t have. Read More…
A New Kind of Gospel Tract by Brian Alexander
I dislike the traditional Church tract. I have never been a fan of handing out tracts, fake million dollar bills or funny little mind games as a statement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, these little papers, booklets, etc have made me less motivated to actually witness to strangers because the way that these tracts have been poorly thought out. Would somebody really want to listen to you explain the gospel on a fake dollar bill? The answer, more often than not is, “No” – they could care less! However, I have recently discovered a new type of tract called The Story from Spread Truth Ministries. Read More…
Getting People from Point A to Point B by Tony Morgan
A few months ago, I was the visitor. Being on leadership at a church myself, I wasn’t seeking regular attendance there. I was simply attending an event they hosted so my 3 year old could have a new, fun summer experience. Unfortunately, an obvious lack of organization made the event awkward and uncomfortable. I didn’t know where to take him in the building. It was chaotic and…I didn’t feel welcomed. Read More…
Church Tech for Mortals by Eric Dye
(Note: You have to subscribe to the ChurchMag newsletter to get this e-book. It’s easy to unsubscribe afterwards if you don’t want the newsletter, but the e-book is worth getting.)
The goal of ChurchMag is to resource the Church through the most effective technology available. Many churches are already understaffed, especially when it comes to developing a well-conceived I.T. strategy. As a result, some may feel uncertain about what technology options are available, or nervous about investing money in products that may not prove useful. We’ve compiled this guide as a resource for the mortals among us who don’t have an exhaustive knowledge of the market. If you find yourself answering questions about Church Tech on a regular basis, we hope that this will serve as a valuable resource for you and your team. This book contains an overview of a variety of related topics across four themes: web, hardware, software, and networking. The appendix includes a list of recommendations found in the text to serve as a quick reference guide. Enjoy. Read More…