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Spring cleaning for effective church communications
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunitySpring. It's finally here! For most of the country, the winter seemed to linger. But now that warmer temperatures have started to blow in, spring fever starts to bite. After the winter, everything seems to need cleaning, doesn't it? I know my truck is in need of a polish. But how about your church communications?
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4 steps to empowering your staff to manage their budgets
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityDoes your team complain about filling out purchase requests? Do they wonder why you told them they couldn't rent that huge inflatable or buy that new software? If so, it's probably time to pull back the curtain and show them the budget. If you want ministry leaders who will take ownership of their departments and be excellent stewards of their resources, then give them responsibility to manage their budget.
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Building a case that attracts transformational philanthropy
Craig Shelley Association ManagementDonors are narrowing their focus and increasing the size of their individual gifts to concentrate and increase the impact of their philanthropic investments. For those organizations attracting these investments, the impact is transformational.
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Indiana religious freedom law: Businesses should err on side of inclusion
Ryan Clark Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementRecently, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the new Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a law that supporters attest is meant to protect the religious freedoms of entities — including individuals and businesses. Many believe the controversial law opens the door for statewide discrimination against the lesbian and gay communities on the basis of religious freedom.
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Your last-minute Easter communication checklist
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityTick. Tick. Tick. The days are passing quickly as we approach one of the largest days on the Christian calendar. Many of you are prepared for Easter, while other church communicators are scrambling to make sure people will attend church next week.
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How church administration builds relationships
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityChurch administration tends to have a reputation for being all about tasks, planning and procedures. However, administration really is about developing, maintaining and safeguarding relationships. When you have a heart for ministry and a talent for administration, it's easy for others to only see the "policy and procedure" side.
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The difference between likable and sharable social media posts
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunitySocial media allows us to read/watch/see something and then 1) scroll past 2) like it or 3) share it. As a church, which is the best? The answer is obviously the last.
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How those ‘boring’ policy and procedure documents support ministry
Deborah Ike Religious CommunityPart of the church administrator role often includes being the custodian of church policies and procedures. From how to handle benevolence requests to the proper usage of church facilities, you have a wide range of policies to manage. If you've ever advocated for the development of a new policy or even simply the updating of existing policies, you may have received pushback from your ministry colleagues.
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Charitable planning: How to donate and get tax breaks for giving
David B. Mandell, JD, MBA, and Carole Foos, CPA Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe will to give is strong in many people. As a society, we cherish the right to give to the charitable institutions of our choice. This will to give is what we refer to as "charitable intent." We want to give. Often, the biggest hurdles to giving are that we do not know how to give or we assume that our family will suffer as a result of our giving. Our goal here in this article, is to show you a few ways to make such gifts in a tax-savvy manner.
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3 reasons you need a spring break
Mark MacDonald Religious CommunityIt's difficult to take a break when running full speed on a treadmill. That's the thought I had at the gym this morning. We've convinced ourselves that we can't possibly rest when we're in a fast-paced ministry world. It's a lie.
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