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April 30, 2013 8:00 AM
I spent my college summers working as a camp counselor at my church. It was a day camp, and a rather large one—we had kids who were there every single week for the entire summer. My twentysomething co-counselors and I...
April 29, 2013 3:49 PM
A 24-year-old man went on a stabbing spree during the closing moments of a Catholic parish's morning mass Sunday in Albuquerque, N.M., NBC News reports. The suspect leapt over pews and lunged at people. Four people went to the hospital...
April 23, 2013 8:00 AM
Last month, Frank Sommerville, CPA, JD, visited Christianity Today and spent time with our team. Frank is one of our Editorial Advisors and he spent time with us discussing some of the top risks churches face each day. A...
April 16, 2013 4:47 PM
Two weeks ago, Christian blogger Matthew Paul Turner posted this video of an Easter morning mishap in which the on-stage "tomb" at a church caught on fire while the singer continued his Easter solo. While this video brought out laughter...
April 15, 2013 3:43 PM
Today at the Boston Marathon, two bombs exploded near the finish line, the mile that was devoted to the victims of Newton, Connecticut. The bombs exploded near the viewing stand, and reports of casualties are still coming in. We...
February 27, 2013 9:16 AM
A high-profile case involving the rape of a 13-year-old girl inside a Tulsa, Oklahoma, megachurch and other charges of abuse provides a sobering reminder about the steps churches must take to prevent sexual abuse—and a reminder for leaders to...
February 5, 2013 12:10 PM
Last month, church security expert Carl Chinn updated his statistics on violent incidents at churches and faith-based organizations. He began tracking this information in 1999 by learning of incidents reported by news agencies, which he then independently researches and...
December 27, 2012 8:00 AM
The church office is a busy place, as shown in this year’s ten most popular articles on ManagingYourChurch.com. These ten alone demonstrate that many church leaders are working hard to count contributions, show employees their appreciation, conduct board meetings,...
December 20, 2012 8:00 AM
As Christmas approaches, many churches are directing their attention toward local, national, and international outreach efforts. Christianity Today and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company recently conducted the joint national Outlook for Outreach study, collecting responses from 1,486 church leaders and volunteers...
December 11, 2012 8:00 AM
Where would Americans be if churches didn’t make outreach a priority? Many would feel the pain of unmet needs for basics such as food and clothing, not to mention a slow-down in disaster recovery efforts. For many hardest hit by...
November 5, 2012 8:00 AM
This is the second of two posts on responding to Hurricane Sandy and similar disasters. You can read Part 1 (covering church closure response, shelters, preparing relief workers, and more) here. As of November 1, estimates of the total...
November 2, 2012 8:00 AM
According to New Jersey news source NJ.com, residents of Rockaway, New Jersey “might have wanted to close their eyes as they passed First Presbyterian Church Tuesday. “Hurricane Sandy ripped the steeple off the roof, flipped it and stuck it...
October 18, 2012 8:00 AM
How would your congregation react if they knew a convicted sex offender was worshipping among them each Sunday morning? This controversial question is something congregations across the country are currently asking themselves. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Experts recommend...
September 27, 2012 8:00 AM
Q: I am a children’s pastor. We have replaced all of our cribs, in light of the new regulations banning certain ones from being used, sold, or donated in this country. We have a missionary we support in South...
September 25, 2012 8:00 AM
Now more than ever before, church leaders must recognize the importance of risk management as an inherent part of organizational oversight and leadership. But what does proper risk management look like, and whose responsibility is it? Many boards assume that...
August 23, 2012 8:00 AM
When church leaders learn a sex offender is in their midst, their response typically is one of the following three: Do nothing. They just don’t know what to do. Total exclusion. They choose a blanket policy prohibiting a registered offender...
August 9, 2012 8:00 AM
A shooting at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee this past Sunday morning reminds us that dangerous people can, and sometimes do, walk into places of worship in the U.S. Six people were killed and three injured after a suspect...
August 7, 2012 8:00 AM
Sex offenders are feared and despised in today’s world. They are seen as monsters who, at any moment, might pounce upon their unsuspecting prey, especially children. The general perception is that sex offenders are more dangerous than other criminals....
July 12, 2012 3:13 PM
Joe Paterno and other key Penn State officials knew about sex abuse allegations as early as 1998, but actively hushed concerns in fear of repercussions, according to a special investigative team’s report released today. The sweeping independent report notes that...
July 12, 2012 8:00 AM
Set Free Christian Fellowship in Medford, Oregon, recently received a letter from its insurance provider that outlines requirements for allowing known sex offenders to attend the church. Stipulations include fully disclosing the identity of sex offenders to the 100-member congregation,...
May 29, 2012 8:00 AM
For a church that feels compelled or called to do its part to address hunger in its community, establishing a food pantry might be an effective way to make a difference. Before launching a food pantry ministry though, here are...
May 15, 2012 2:41 PM
Today's post is a little different than the norm because we have some good news to share. ManagingYourChurch.com received a top honor Friday from the Evangelical Press Association during the organization's 2012 conference. The site received the Award of Excellence--the...
April 23, 2012 8:00 AM
Around lunchtime on a Friday, a man entered a Boston-area church and soon left with the church secretary’s purse, according to a local news station. The man claimed he needed money to support his five children. After the secretary...
April 17, 2012 8:00 AM
Allegations of child molestation at Penn State University stunned the nation last fall. Even as the investigation continues, church leaders can learn from the tough lessons of this case, including recognizing abuse, the duties to report suspected cases of abuse,...
April 10, 2012 8:00 AM
April is Child Abuse Prevention month. Church should be the safest place on earth, where kids can learn and grow in their faith. Sadly, many children have experienced abuse—physical, emotional, and sexual—at the hands of people they trusted at...
March 26, 2012 11:22 AM
A man armed with a shotgun entered worship services Sunday at a church in South Carolina. Quick—and courageous—action by attenders helped prevent a shooting. The Huffington Post reports churchgoers watched through the church's windows as the 38-year-old assailant approached the...
January 31, 2012 3:09 PM
When a church allows outside groups to use its space, it invites opportunity and risk in too. By sharing your space, you introduce new people to your facility—people who might not otherwise come through your doors. At the same...
December 13, 2011 8:00 AM
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m a sucker for lists. And the end of a calendar year always brings opportunities to reflect on the top stories and headlines from the year that was. So it’s...
November 10, 2011 8:00 AM
A church in Centralia, Washington, lost nearly $7,000 from its weekly collections recently when a staff member accidentally left the bag containing the collected funds on top of her car and headed to the bank. Fortunately, a man driving...
October 25, 2011 8:00 AM
Many churches create child abuse protection plans to keep kids safe from abuse. Older adults, especially those who are housebound and unable to fully care for themselves, deserve similar protection, too. Seniors who have family members or caretakers that...
October 6, 2011 8:00 AM
New federal regulations for cribs could lead to substantial penalties and civil lawsuits that may implicate not only your church, but also your church board. It's important your church understands these new regulations and follows them closely to avoid creating...
September 27, 2011 8:00 AM
Football season is underway, and many churches are hosting flag football and touch football events for their youth ministries. In full-contact football, players wear extensive padding and safety equipment. Virtually no protective gear is used for flag or touch...
September 15, 2011 8:00 AM
A church-sponsored hayride turned dangerous in July when a trailer carrying a Seattle area youth group flipped on a steep hill. According to a local news source, the trailer jackknifed on a packed gravel road, seriously injuring three adult...
August 22, 2011 8:00 AM
The feature article this week on ChurchLawAndTax.com, a sister site of ours, looks at the delicate balance between ministry and safety. In "Dealing with Dangerous People," we go deeper into how church staff and lay leaders should approach an...
July 26, 2011 8:00 AM
Sometimes our best ministry activities attract the wrong people. Church summer camp, for instance, is often the highlight of a church’s summer ministry. Sadly, sex offenders know this too. According to John McLaughlin, an officer with the police department...
June 28, 2011 8:00 AM
A church business manager told me that two times in the past couple years his church was vandalized. He was grateful the church’s insurance covered most of the cost, but for the most recent case, his church won’t be...
June 9, 2011 8:00 AM
David Middlebrook, editorial advisor for ChurchLawAndTax.com and ChurchSafety.com’s “Ask the Expert,” has developed an easy way to understand and develop a risk management plan. Each letter of the word “risk” stands for a step in the process: R –...
June 8, 2011 2:19 PM
During the past week, the states of Texas and Arizona faced rapidly spreading wildfires. In Arizona, firefighters now battle the state’s third-largest wildfire ever after attempts to contain it this past weekend failed, according to the Associated Press. The unpredictability...
May 10, 2011 8:00 AM
A church bus driver in southern Illinois was arrested and charged last week with sexually abusing a child. According to the local newspaper, "the arrest came after a Wayne County Grand Jury returned an indictment against him." The driver,...
April 25, 2011 8:00 AM
Editor's Note: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. As the month draws to a close, here's a piece from Marian Liautaud regarding the need for churches to take the lead on child abuse prevention for the good of...
April 7, 2011 8:00 AM
Editor's Note: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. For churches, one of the first measures that can make a difference for their children and youth is the proper screening and selection of the paid staff and volunteers who...
March 22, 2011 8:00 AM
The current issue of Leadership Journal revisits the fatal shooting of Pastor Fred Winters as he preached one Sunday morning at First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois. The piece recounts—in chilling detail—his final moments on March 8, 2009, as...
March 1, 2011 8:00 AM
In 2010, the state of Georgia enacted a law prohibiting a person with a concealed weapons permit to carry a concealed weapon into a place of worship. A lawsuit was filed challenging the constitutionality of the law. Hear what the...
November 25, 2010 8:00 AM
If your church is planning a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, don't let bad food spoil a good time—learn how to safely prepare and store foods by reading the article "Simple Tips for Food Safety at Church Potlucks" and the...
October 18, 2010 8:00 AM
Our friends at the National Association for Church Business Administration have designated Thursday, October 21, as "National Church Administration Day." As NACBA explains it on its website: "The idea behind National Church Administration Day is for seasoned church leaders...
August 31, 2010 8:00 AM
ChurchSafety.com provides expert guidance and risk management information on a broad range of safety topics. We’ve compiled the Top 10 most-downloaded resources from ChurchSafety.com during the past year. Find out what other church leaders have read and used to...
August 26, 2010 8:00 AM
I love milestones. And I'm a sucker for top 10 lists (thank you very much, David Letterman). Since today is August 26, it means the TheYourChurchBlog.com turns 1. Naturally, I went back and looked at our 10 most popular posts...
August 24, 2010 8:00 AM
Like a triple espresso on an empty stomach, some news stories make my hands shake. In our paper yesterday, I read about a Boy Scout camp director recently arrested for possession of child pornography. The FBI raided the camp...
August 10, 2010 8:00 AM
Bring out the food, and the fellowship is close behind. Church dinners offer an excellent opportunity to bring the community together. Poor food preparation can spoil a good time, though, so use the following precautions before your next church...
June 30, 2010 8:00 AM
Editor's Note: A man hired to handle odd jobs at an Oklahoma City church was arrested last week and charged with raping a church employee. The man's background included two prior convictions for burglary, and two prior violations of protective...
June 29, 2010 8:00 AM
Editor's Note: This article provides a helpful overview. For a complete understanding of copyright law for churches, check out the fully updated and redesigned Essential Guide to Copyright Law for Churches by Richard Hammar, which is now available to...
June 11, 2010 12:00 PM
Editor's Note: With floods hitting a campground in Arkansas today, killing at least 20 people and leaving dozens of others missing, we're pointing to two resources that church leaders can use to prepare for upcoming camps this summer. The...
May 27, 2010 8:00 AM
My last year of college, I had the privilege of overseeing 20-plus weekly outreach ministries to the greater Chicago area. Our programs included a sports ministry, refugee outreach, hospital visitation, tutoring, street evangelism, and soup kitchen ministry. I witnessed...
May 20, 2010 8:00 AM
Whenever churches open their doors to the public they expose themselves to both opportunity and risk. A well-run event maximizes the opportunity and takes precautions against the risk. Use these simple tips from ChurchSafety.com the next time your church...
May 13, 2010 8:00 AM
Before you launch your next fundraising effort, be sure to consider some aspects that may be putting your church and your members at risk. Use the simple tips below as a checklist for your next fundraiser. Physical Safety Outside...
May 6, 2010 9:00 AM
Follow Richard on YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/richardrhammar For more information on keeping the youth in your church safe, visit the "Youth" section of ChurchSafety.com. You'll find topics on High Risk Student Activities, Safe Mentoring Relationships, and more....
May 4, 2010 8:00 AM
The buzz surrounding electronic giving options continues to grow as online donation capabilities improve and text-messaging campaigns take hold. The American Red Cross, for instance, says it raised $35 million within 48 hours of the January earthquake in Haiti,...
April 27, 2010 8:00 AM
An eye-opening national headline emerged last week, providing a timely sneak peek into our upcoming issue of Your Church magazine. The inspector general for the Securities and Exchange Commission--the organization tasked with enforcing the laws and regulations that govern...
April 22, 2010 8:00 AM
Going "green" is a popular expression in today's eco-minded culture. Ministries are not exempt from environmental responsibility. In fact, green practices can be a testament to good stewardship and an outreach opportunity. Under Construction Go with the flow. Incorporate...
April 14, 2010 8:00 AM
(Editor’s Note: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We're digging deeper into the issue of "Reporting Child Abuse" with Richard Hammar during a special one-hour live webinar on April 14. Don’t miss out on this important learning opportunity for...
April 13, 2010 8:30 AM
(Editor’s note: Since this post first published, Christianity Today International completed "Sex Offenders in the Church," a comprehensive research project exploring the attitudes and beliefs among church leaders regarding integrating sex offenders into the faith community.) Question posted through "Ask...
March 11, 2010 8:00 AM
My lawyer said, "Just follow my lead and answer the questions he asks, and everything will be okay." I clung to his advice as I entered the smartly decorated boardroom lined with towering bookshelves. The first thing I noticed...
December 10, 2009 10:00 AM
Because our team produces Reducing the Risk, a comprehensive training program that churches use with staff and volunteers to minimize the risks of child abuse in their ministries, we pay a great deal of attention to the issue of sex...
November 12, 2009 3:50 PM
Copper remains a popular target for thieves because of the metal’s potential re-sale value. Thieves steal anything containing copper in order to turn a quick profit. Air conditioning units, gutters, electrical wiring, pipes—all of these items are ripe for...
November 4, 2009 9:40 AM
For many years, I've closely reviewed litigation involving churches to identify patterns that pastors and leaders can use to assess their own risks and potential vulnerabilities. In 2008, the following five types of cases brought churches to court more...
November 2, 2009 8:30 AM
As a ministry leader, you may be wondering what you can do to keep your congregation healthy. Here are some important steps you can take to reduce the spread of the flu within your own faith community. Read through...
October 5, 2009 3:10 PM
Last week’s Washington Post article, “Sense of Sanctuary Lost as Church Attacks Spike,” underscores the unfortunate attention that church shootings now draw from national media and those outside of ministry. The Post’s piece recounts several recent, high-profile shooting incidents, including...
September 30, 2009 2:28 PM
A church in Louisville, Kentucky, generated local and national media attention earlier this month, not because it allowed a convicted sex offender to attend its services, but because the church pastor decided to hire and ordain one. WHAS-TV, a...
