10 Things Church Leaders Can Do Now to Survive the Economy

Since the economic collapse in 2008, a shift has been taking place in the American consciousness- from a culture of buying and spending, unlimited credit card debt and hefty mortgages to precisely the opposite of this mindset. Today, a culture of debt elimination has emerged, especially toward credit card debt-but, all debt, too-to a commitment to save more, even downsizing one's lifestyle and the square-footage in personal housing. From a cultural mindset characterized by "more and bigger" today's "New Normal," as it has been called is a mindset characterized by "less and smaller."Church leadership should "tighten-its-belt" as well on spending, debt service, salary increases, etc., and be perceived by members as doing so without resistance or complaint by leaders. In the next decade, churches and church leaders perceived to be addressing the human needs, as well as the spiritual, local, global or "green" needs of planet earth, will find people willing to support it. Those churches and leaders who possess an apocalyptic view of the future that focuses on escaping the challenges faced by humans and the planet will be increasingly marginalized and accelerate their own numerical and financial decline.2. As a matter of practice, make sure you say "Thank You" for member support at least three-times as often as you say things like, "We need your help." Send quarterly "thank you" letters to members that are addressed to them personally (ie., "Dear Bob and Mary..."), along with their statement of giving for that quarter. Make sure the letter highlights a specific ministry/mission accomplishment for the previous quarter (ie., faith conversions, new members, a facility that just went "green" or was painted, updated, or the number of households served by the church's food pantry, a mission team report, etc.). People give to people and to projects they deem worthy in serving the cause of Christianity. Put a "face" on these letters so that members are reminded that their generosity is making a difference in someone's life.3. Make use of "generosity testimonies" throughout the year, not just a budget promotion time. Listen for those stories from members who are facing hard times but remaining faithful in their giving and finding God's presence and provision to be adequate. Enlist them to share their story.

3 Ways to Improve Your Church Bulletins

If your church has been around for a while and you are reading this article, chances are your church bulletin needs a bit of an updating. Bringing new life to your church bulletin can benefit your church in many ways. Follow these tips below to make some quick, but good improvements to your bulletin.1. Keep it Fresh The simplest, yet most important part of bulletins is to keep them fresh. Bulletins should always have exciting new content such as news, events, facts and so on about the church that members would be highly interested in. The more relevant and useful your bulletin the better it will do.A good idea would be to publish a new church bulletin before the beginning of each month so members can prepare for upcoming events. This gives you a bit of extra time to hand out the bulletins and it gives the members time to read up and plan ahead. Always be sure to collect old bulletins before you put out the new ones and make sure everyone knows that each month new content will be in the bulletin.Like a blog, people expect to see something new and useful each time they read it.2. Get Feedback The quickest way to make accurate improvements is to go directly to the members of your church and ask for feedback. An easy way to do this would be to hand out a survey, do an online survey or ask members individually.