Because of dependence on the Whack-a-Mole management strategy, many churches seldom look past their current situation. Unlike ancient sailors who took periodic “soundings” to determine how close they were to shore, many churches take few, if any steps, to determine if they are headed for rocky waters. Unfortunately, a rising number of them do not […]
Operating without a formal, written accounting and management policy manual In addition to a budget, a formal management document is a must to help insure that the church makes appropriate and effective short-term decisions. Written policies and procedure documents assist churches in the administration of activities by helping to set forth in clear, unmistakable terms […]
Operating without an annual budget In fairness, there are very few churches that do not have some form of budget. The key words in this caption are “operating without”. The main point here is that even though most churches do have some type of budget written on paper, far too many operate as if they […]
Avoidance means to succeed in keeping away from something dangerous or undesirable. Conversely, the opposite of avoid is to confront. In church administration, the only way to avoid dangerous situations is to proactively confront, or face down, certain ideas, attitudes and practices within the church. In doing so, an administrator’s life as a church leader […]
In our litigious society, it seems like people file lawsuits for just about anything, but since when did copyrights and licenses become so sensitive? The old days are gone; the truth is, operating a Church becomes more and more complex every day. So what are a few things an administrator can do to protect their […]
I have a friend who has reminded me to be thankful for annoying things such as the red light I am stopped at, because I am privileged enough to live in a country that has roads, and orderly ones at that. This same attitude can be applied to taxes—thankfulness for them and for the ability […]
You need more than faith in God to keep you and your people safe from attacks in your facilities!! Recently, several high-profile incidents have raised awareness of the threat posed by individuals against churches, schools, and similar organizations. Dr. George Tiller, a controversial physician in Kansas, was shot to death in the lobby of Reformation Lutheran […]
Related to the last post on IRS & Cell Phones, I read the actual IRS Notice 2009-46. The IRS is considering three possible approaches, and they will allow public comment through September 4, 2009. Go here to see the details. What approach would you suggest?
Churches and schools often have annual meetings or retreats that employees must attend. A source of irritation for employees can be the issue of pay — or no pay — for time spent attending meetings and training sessions. Tell employees they have to attend a meeting or training program, and the employees may raise questions […]
At our most recent monthly breakfast for church business administrators, Lawrence Swicegood offered great info on Crisis Management. He runs Clarion Call Marketing. Very insightful! Everything from how to be prepared even before a crisis erupts, how to handle and how to do a "post mortem." Topics, in outline form: Everyone is Affected by a Crisis […]