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Staff Communication
As a pastor, I had a situation where a church member confided in one of my staff members about a particular matter (they are friends). Because of the way it was shared, my staff member never conveyed the information to me. I ended up making some church-related decisions and taking some actions which I never would have taken had I known what the staff member knew. Am I wrong to be concerned that my staff member felt more loyalty to the church member than to me as the pastor? How should I address this to this particular staff member, and how should I communicate with my overall staff about what I expect regarding this type of scenario? Read the responses.
Application: The Key to Transformational Communication
Rev. Tony Cooke
At one time, there were two great orators in ancient Greece: Cicero and Demosthenes. It is said that when Cicero finished a speech, people would say, “He speaks so well.” However, when Demosthenes had concluded an oration, the people would say, “Let us march!” One of these men spoke beautifully and listeners were impressed with his oratorical skills. The other moved men to take action. Read the article.
Personality Disorders in the Church
An Audio Interview Series with Dr. Dale Doty
Did you ever feel you could use some help in dealing with really difficult people? Everyone has little quirks and idiosyncrasies, but some personality issues become highly disturbing and disruptive. In "Personality Disorders in the Church," Dr. Dale Doty (a seasoned professional counselor) and Tony Cooke discuss such issues as narcissism, passive aggression, dependency disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial disorder, etc. If you care about people, want to better understand and help others (and in some cases, protect yourself), this is extremely vital material. Download in MP3 format or order the 2-Part CD series.
Articles in ItalianSelected articles from our web-site are now available in Italian. Special thanks to Enza Gibson for her work in translating. Click here to see this new section.
Sabbatical Policy
By Pastor Dave Williams
Does your church have a Sabbatical Policy for your pastor? If not, take time to read the vital insights shared in this article by Pastor Dave Williams. Read the article.
Also, join Pastor Dave at “Church Planter’s School” (Tony will be one of the speakers) June 7-11 in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Fixing the #1 Reason of Why People Leave Your Church
By David Huskey
I was amazed that 66% of people will leave a church because of an offense. When I pastored, I would be further amazed at why some people would leave the church. People would leave for silly reasons; misperceive what someone would say or an action that was taken. When you asked them, they would not tell you the truth, or they dumped on you everything they think you did wrong and most of them said it with an attitude. I believe, we can help change the percentages of people that leave because they are offended. Read the article.
Income Tax Return Filing Requirements for Churches and Ministries
by Mark Helland, CPA
The dreaded annual tax season is now upon all Americans and as everyone is busy gathering up W-2’s, 1099’s and tax deduction receipts, it is easy to forget that your church or ministry may have filing requirements as well. In fact, the whole subject of filing income tax returns can be confusing for those who operate IRS recognized tax-exempt/non-profit organizations, also known as 501(c)(3) organizations. Part of this confusion stems from the fact that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently changed the rules in this area... Read the article.
Helping the World Find Your Church on the Internet
By Dean Berg
Do you know that there is a way to maximize your presence on the Internet so that it becomes a very useful tool for reaching new people who have not visited your church yet? Today there is someone looking for a church in your city. The chance of them beginning their search on the internet is a very high 80%. Read the article.
Read all of our quotes by visiting our Quotes Page.
MISSIONS
"Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love." - Roland Allen
FLATTERY
“Flattery is like wine, which exhilarates a man for a moment, but usually ends by going to his head and making him act foolishly.”
- Helen Rowland
HURRY
“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.”
- Mother Teresa
THOUGHT
“Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary.”
- Blaise Pascal
DESTINY
“I felt as if I were walking with Destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial. . . . I thought I knew a good deal about it all, and I was sure I should not fail. Therefore, although impatient for the morning, I slept soundly and had no need for cheering dreams. Facts are better than dreams.”
- Winston Churchill