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For hundreds of thousands of churches, the tradition stood the test of time. The majority of churches passed the offering plate (or some type of receptacle) during a designated time of the worship service typically called “the offertory.” There is no doubt that the number of churches passing the offering plate has decreased dramatically in…
The post Is Passing the Offering Plate Dead? 7 Thoughts appeared first on Church Answers.
The metaphor has changed. For most of my ministry, we often referred to the up and down of pastoral ministry as a roller coaster. It made sense. One day the pastor will celebrate five new believers in Christ. The next day the pastor is met by a long-term church member who is leaving the church…
The post Pastoral Whiplash Syndrome: Five Causes appeared first on Church Answers.
The median attendance of a church in 2023 is 60, down from 65 in 2020. That’s the bad news. But giving is up. That is the good news. Giving in congregation jumped significantly, from a median of about $120,000 in 2020 to $170,000 in 2023. That is an increase of 42% over the past three…
The post Four Reasons Why Church Giving Is Up While Attendance Is Down appeared first on Church Answers.
If you examine the job descriptions in searches for pastors, associate pastors, and church staff (as we have), you will find (as we did) an absence of expressed interest in character and a profusion of terms connected to skills. Job descriptions, even for senior pastors, have devolved into a can-do list. That is because we…
The post Are You Asking the Character Question about Your Staff? appeared first on Church Answers.
Every church needs a good set of bylaws. Put simply, the bylaws are written legal documents establishing the governance of a church. Church polity and ecclesiology will have an impact on the contents of bylaws. The size and structure of a church will also affect bylaws. For example, multi-site churches will differ from single-site churches….
The post The Big Warning Signs Your Church Bylaws Are Working Against You and Not for You appeared first on Church Answers.
When I started pastoring more than 40 years ago, most of us called to pastoral ministry wanted to get started on the task quickly. Right or wrong, we typically leapt into ministry as soon as we could. Now, young leaders preparing for ministry are much more inclined to look for an “entry-level” position before stepping…
The post 8 Reasons Potential Pastors Would Rather Begin Ministry with an Internship or Assistant Pastorate appeared first on Church Answers.
The call from the pastor was not that unusual. Indeed, it was a part of a pattern we’ve observed at Church Answers. “Hey Thom,” the pastor asked, “Are you seeing anything about church giving declining? We thought it was a temporary pause at our church, but giving is consistently down about five percent.” While we…
The post Five Cautions about Church Budgets for the Next Twelve Months appeared first on Church Answers.
There is always a danger in basing an article on numbers. They can seem to be ultimate or penultimate goals when they should be neither. Numbers, however, like a thermometer, can be a rough gauge of our current health. In that regard, looking at churches’ data can be a good exercise. Though the data is…
The post Comparing Your Church’s Current Data to 2019 appeared first on Church Answers.
Trust is eroding in various sectors of our society, including education, government, and even religious institutions. As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility not only to possess good character and integrity but also to dedicate our time and efforts toward instilling and promoting these values both individually and corporately as image bearers of God. …
The post 4 Keys to Creating A Culture of Trust appeared first on Church Answers.
AI. Robotics. Work-from-anywhere. The disappearing middle manager. The stress of blue-collar and service workers. Gigs and side gigs. The headlines state the obvious. Work is changing. The pandemic accelerated the change. Workers are adjusting. Companies are adjusting. The marketplace is adjusting. I am concerned, however, that most churches are not adjusting. The most common question…
The post The Future of Work in Church: Ten Realities You Might Not Know appeared first on Church Answers.