Church Executive May / June 2015 by Power Trade Media

MAY/JUNE â&#x20AC;˘ 2015

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May /June 2015

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

The CE Interview

By Rez Gopez-Sindac

Mark Mellen was 26 years old and a homeless drug addict when God called him out of misery into a life of purpose. Today, he has served on the leadership staff at two of the country’s fastest-growing churches. And in January 2014, he joined the team at Elevate Life Church. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he says.

FEATURES

3 KEYS TO A SEAMLESS PASTORAL SUCCESSION

NEW! FINANCE & LENDING TRENDS

Each change of leadership is unique. Yet, the most successful succession plans follow a similar model of preparation, partnership and provision. By Joy Roberts

A TALE OF TWO CHURCH CAFÉS

Today, churches are offering a lot more than a cup of joe in a Styrofoam cup. With beverages and atmospheres that rival secular franchises, their champions have learned a lot in the process. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh

NEVER AGAIN

CONTINUING EDUCATION

WHO HAS TIME FOR ONLINE CONTINUING EDUCATION?

Appropriate boundaries for a healthy relationship with children By Patricia L. Neal

(Surprise! It’s not who you think.) By Shawn Hussey, Ph.D.

BUSY CHURCH LEADER? 20

5 critical questions to ask your (potential) agent By Deb Rushenberg

CREATING A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY

Negotiating compensation without emotion By Rev. Dr. William H. Foster, Jr.

INSURANCE ESSENTIALS

When a church moves, will its people follow? By Rachael D. Rowland, M.P.A.

Phase 4: Commitment By Paul Gage

Hail Mary or holy moly: There’s got to be a better way to fund ministry By Joel Mikell & Derek Hazelet

FINANCES & ADMINISTRATION FOR CHURCH LEADERS

NEW! CHURCH FACILITIES: BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

CREATIVE & PROVEN STRATEGIES

Church audits: know the 4 V’s By Tammy Bunting

NEW! INTELLIGENT CHURCH GIVING

Case study: Saddleback Church By Marty Gregor

Social media risk — a spot check for the church? By Peter A. Persuitti

An introduction to church facility stewardship By Tim Cool

CHURCH ACCOUNTING BASICS

PASTOR-FRIENDLY VIDEO

SAFETY STRATEGIES

SERIES NEW! DIGITAL-ONLY SERIES: CHURCH FACILITY STEWARDSHIP

Religious institution financing truths — regardless of the lending climate By Dan Mikes

Proof that adding mobile giving won’t increase your church’s budget By Derek Gillette

5 tips for choosing a distance-based seminary program By John Dyer

CHURCH EXECUTIVES FIND QUALITY, CONVENIENCE IN ONLINE EDUCATION PROGRAMS 19 By Cooper Nelson

CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE (ChMS) FORUM

ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO BUILDING DISCIPLES

USING ChMS TOOLS TO ENGAGE VISITORS: 5 STEPS

INVISIBLE TECHNOLOGY, TANGIBLE FELLOWSHIP

By Michael Jordan

DESIGNING WORSHIP AREAS

Effective student spaces: 3 tried-and-true design elements By Curtiss H. Doss, AIA

By Mark Kitts

PASTOR-FRIENDLY SOUND SYSTEMS

Understanding loudspeaker systems — what’s right for your church? By Rik Kirby & Daniel Keller

ENGAGING SPACES Your youth space: 4 simple strategies to get it right By Allison Parrott with Paul Lodholz, AIA, LEED AP 4

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

By Sam Batterman

DEPARTMENTS From the Editor

6 churchexecutive.com

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FROM THE EDITOR

Finance and facilities

churchexecutive.com Volume 14, No. 3 4742 N. 24th St., Ste. 340 Phoenix, AZ 85016 • 800.541.2670 Judi Victor CEO jvfly@churchexecutive.com

In this issue, three brand-new series focus on these top-of-mind church leader concerns. Each year, Church Executive conducts a survey that asks our readers what topics are most important and beneficial to them as senior and executive pastors and business administrators. We use this valuable information to help determine our editorial content for the upcoming year. Not surprisingly, finance and facilities rank among their most sought-after topics. In response to this demand, this issue includes the debut installments of three new, in-depth series: Intelligent Church Giving answers the call for content that speaks to funding ministry and church expansion. It takes a unique, forwardthinking approach: how to use business intelligence and creativity to affect capital gifting in the church — an approach the forprofit sector has embraced and honed, but churches have been slower to adopt. In the first-ever installment on page 13 (“Hail mary or holy moly: There’s got to be a better way to fund ministry”), authors Joel Mikell and Derek Hazelet present a few of the biggest challenges ministry leaders face today — an overall decline in charitable giving and the increased cost of ministry, to name a few. “It’s time to consider how data and technology can help,” they write. “Even if you’re skeptical, let’s consider several ways every church could benefit.” Finance & Lending Trends — Written by seasoned religious institution financing expert Dan Mikes, this series delves into the unique climate of lending and finance for churches and religious organizations. In the first installment (“Religious institution financing truths — regardless of the lending climate”), Mikes contends that the onus to have commercial borrowing expertise isn’t on pastors, but on their banks and lenders. To that end, he surveys the landscape of religious lending, spotlighting the distinct differences between commercial lenders and specialized, experienced lenders to the

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

Publisher Steve Kane, ext. 207 steve@churchexecutive.com Editor In Chief RaeAnn Slaybaugh, ext. 202 rslaybaugh@churchexecutive.com Contributing Editor Rez Gopez-Sindac 602.405.5317 rgopez-sindac@churchexecutive.com

religious marketplace. He also offers practical pre-construction financing strategies, from ensuring financing is firmly in place, to the importance of budgeting for all possible construction costs. Church Facilities: Building & Construction — A new campus or building represents a monumental (and often unfamiliar) undertaking for many church leaders. Even so, having effective, engaging worship facilities ranks among the most sought-after topics among our readers. To that end, this new series — written by church construction expert Rachael D. Rowland , M.P.A. — offers nuts-and-bolts strategies (no pun intended) to help church leaders be good stewards of their financial and human resources during a construction undertaking. For the first installment, Rowland starts with a quintessential question every church “on the move” should ask itself, first: When we move, will our people follow? If the answer is anything short of an emphatic, informed “Yes!”, then you’ll want to read her article on page 38. In it, she tells the story of Word of Life, a Mississippi church that made a concerted, organized effort to get the congregation to move with them when they built their new campus 20 minutes away.

Contributing Editor Robert Erven Brown Art Director Stephen Gamble, ext. 133 sgamble@churchexecutive.com Account Executive Jeanette Long, ext. 122 jlong@churchexecutive.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL Stephen Briggs Associate Pastor of Administration First Baptist Church | Hendersonville, NC Denise Craig Chief Financial Officer Abba’s House | Hixson, TN Mike Klockenbrink Chief of Staff Lakeside Church | Folsom, CA Dan Mikes Executive Vice President Bank of the West | San Ramon, CA John C. Mrazek III Executive Pastor Pathways Church | Denver, CO Sam S. Rainer III Senior Pastor First Baptist Church | Murray, KY Mark Simmons Business Manager Christ Community Church | Milpitas, CA

All the best to you and your ministry,

Eric Spacek Senior Manager GuideOne Insurance | West Des Moines, IA Accountant Fred Valdez A publication of:

CLA LET’S CHAT: Email: rslaybaugh@churchexecutive.com Facebook: ChurchExecutiveMagazine Twitter: @churchexecutive.com

Church Executive™ (Copyright 2015), Volume 14, Issue 3. Church Executive is published bi-monthly by Power Trade Media LLC, a subsidiary of Friendship Publications Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription Rates: United States and Mexico $39 (USD) one year, Canada $42 (USD) one year (GST) included, all other countries $75 one year, single issue United States $5 (USD), all other countries $6 (USD). Reprints: All articles in Church Executive are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. For reprints of 100 or more, contact Judi Victor at (602) 265-7600 ext. 125. Copyright 2015 by Power Trade Media, LLC. No advertisement or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed as an endorsement, and no warranty is made or implied by Power Trade Media, LLC. Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but no warranty is made or implied, and Power Trade Media, LLC is not responsible for errors or omissions.

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THE CE INTERVIEW

Executive Pastor | Elevate Life Church | Jacksonville, FL

By Rez Gopez-Sindac

Mark Mellen was 26 years old and a homeless drug addict when God called him out of misery into a life of purpose. After finishing college with a degree in finance, he went to Bethel Seminary and graduated with a master’s of arts in theological studies. The best learnings, however, came from ministry experiences and mentorship from church leaders who, Mellen says, “took a shot on me.” At different times, from 2008 to 2013, Mellen served on staff at Substance Church (MN) and Church of the Highlands (AL) — two of the country’s fastest-growing churches — where he took leadership roles in the launch of satellite locations, leadership development, church growth and discipleship. In January 2014, Mellen moved his family to Florida to join the team at Elevate Life Church. As the executive pastor, he serves alongside lead pastor Tim Staier, supporting him and the rest of the staff so they can live out their calling. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” he says.

What are you passionate about as executive pastor of Elevate Life Church? I get excited about helping others live out their callings. I feel this role empowers me to do this. I get excited about helping my pastors execute the vision they have for our church. I get to help develop our staff and release them to fulfill God’s call on their lives. I get to help the people in our church discover what God has created them to do and equip them for ministry. What attracts people to Elevate? Pastor Tim is an amazing communicator and has a unique ability to share profound biblical truths in a relevant way. The Sunday morning experience is about reaching those far from God and helping them experience Christ. We have created a culture of invitation so that everyone feels comfortable inviting those in their personal circles. We work all week to create an environment that removes distractions and allows people to encounter Jesus. 8

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

churchexecutive.com

THE CE INTERVIEW

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May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

THE CE INTERVIEW

How important is your relationship with Pastor Tim to your church’s health? Pastor Tim is not only my pastor, but also one of my closest friends in the world. We spend a lot of time together throughout the week talking through church stuff, life stuff, and just hanging out as friends. Our relationship is absolutely important to the health of the church. The time we spend together allows me to constantly learn the heart and vision of Pastor Tim and Kristal. My job is to execute their vision. If we’re not on the same page, it will cause chaos and confusion in the staff and in the church. Alignment of vision creates alignment on the team, which is essential for an efficient and effective team achieving increasingly better results now and in the future. What projects or efforts have you led since coming on board as Elevate’s executive pastor? Staff Values Answering questions like: • Who are we as a staff? • How do we behave? • What do we reward? • Writing down and managing our behavioral and cultural values for staff is critical to creating a strong healthy staff culture. No Limits • No Limits is our campaign to buy land and build our first building. Our goal was $1 million. Within a year, we raised $1.2 million. • Buying Land • We bought 25 acres of land in the heart of Oakleaf for $1 million. 10

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

Multiple Services • We went from two weekend services to five, including two video services. Launch of New Campus • The Fleming Island location launched with 571 in attendance and is averaging 400 on weekends. Any lessons learned? Culture is everything. We take staff culture and how we behave as a team seriously. This has allowed our small staff to accomplish some amazing things. We believe a healthy staff culture leads to low turnover, low politics and high morale. We base our reviews on our eight values, and we value attitude over aptitude. Tell us more about the No Limits campaign. This has been an amazing move of God! Just a year ago, we announced the launch of our No Limits campaign to build Elevate Life Church’s first permanent facility. The high school where we were meeting had laid down the gauntlet: make significant steps toward your long-term location or be forced out. We knew there were no viable options to lease or purchase existing space in our community. With the school’s deadline of June 30th looming and only one option left, the people of Elevate Life Church stepped up. I saw the poorest family in our church scrape together every valuable they could find and sell it to help build a place for us to call home. I saw more than one family liquidate their entire retirement savings to churchexecutive.com

THE CE INTERVIEW

invest in something they believed was even more important than their own financial security. It was the greatest movement of sacrificial generosity I have ever personally witnessed. When all was done, the people of our church had given $450,000 — half our annual budget — in one day, and a total of $1.2 million in cash, plus pledges. Their response allowed us to purchase 25 acres of prime property in the heart of our community for just $990,000 — almost half the market value. This has bought us some much-needed time with the school. As the year went on, we felt God calling us to launch our first satellite campus. So, in the middle of our campaign, the people of Elevate Life rallied behind another audacious goal to launch a new location with two services. On Feb. 8, 2015, our Fleming Island campus launched with 571 in attendance. A month and a half later, we finished out our No Limits campaign. The people of Elevate life not only started well, but they finished with an extreme level of generosity. We hope to break ground this fall on an 800-seat auditorium. What challenges are inherent in the type of venues your church uses? Our cafetorium is the worst. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. We use pipe and drape and mobile walls heavily. Our setup takes six hours from start to finish. churchexecutive.com

How involved are you in leadership development at Elevate? I am heavily involved in our leadership development. We have a hirewithin culture and use our Elevate Leadership Academy (ELA) program to raise up, train and develop future staff. ELA is a leadership program that helps enhance people’s leadership skills in ways that are both applicable in the for-profit and nonprofit environments. All the while giving them a hands-on look at what full-time ministry is like. This allows them to grow in their leadership while finding out if full-time ministry is for them. What do you need to be more effective in this role? I need to clearly understand my pastor’s vision and goals, which is why my relationship with them is so important. I need a team that is humble, teachable and willing to work hard to make the vision a reality. I need mentors in my life that have been here before. How do you see your role evolving in the next few years? Right now, we have a small staff, and I play a few key roles. I would see my role become more specialized into staff development, strategic planning, initiative execution, and making my pastor’s vision a reality.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT ELEVATE LIFE CHURCH Year started: 2010 Lead pastor: Tim Staier Number of locations: 2 Denomination: ARC Combined weekly attendance: 1,600 2015 budget: $1.4 million May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

CHURCH FACILITY STEWARDSHIP

An introduction to church facility stewardship By Tim Cool I’m a firm believer that everything on earth belongs to God. Our money. Our houses. Our cars. The word of God. Our families. The people we encounter — and the facilities in which we worship. God has entrusted us with the stewarding of all these items. For me, stewardship is less about what we give and more about taking care of what we have been given — of all that’s entrusted to us. So, how do we define “entrusted”? According to dictionary.com, it can be defined as follows: ENTRUST: to charge or invest with a trust or responsibility; to commit (something) in trust to; confide, as for care, use, or performance What does “entrusted” mean to you? To me, it means that when something (or someone) is entrusted to me, I’m responsible for it. It’s my duty to watch over it, and to care for it. It sounds a lot like stewardship. If you’ve grown up in the Church or been involved in it for any period of time, you’ve heard the term “stewardship.” In almost every case, it probably referenced finances or raising money. Indeed, financial stewardship is a critical element of our spiritual lives, as well as the lives of our ministries. But let me introduce you to a term that might not be so familiar: facility stewardship. To explain what I mean by this term, let’s break it down into its two root words: FACILITY / FACILITIES — something designed, built or installed to serve a specific function affording a convenience or service. STEWARDSHIP — the act of being a steward; a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Clearly, stewardship isn’t just about money and finances; it also refers to the care of and oversight for something belonging to someone else. It’s very similar to “entrusted.” Do you see the similarities? Via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even the government uses and embraces the word “stewardship.” A section on its website defines “environmental stewardship” as the responsibility for environmental quality shared by all those whose actions affect the environment. How the term applies to our church facilities Do we really believe that God has entrusted our facilities to us, thus making us the stewards of their care and oversight? I’ve witnessed churches and ministries spending millions of dollars in the construction and renovation of their facilities — but then fail to maintain (i.e., steward) them. The churches waved the banner of stewardship when raising money to build the facilities, but then neglected their care, management and maintenance.

To this end, another word that has become germane with this topic is life cycle. In general, a life cycle describes the various phases / stages in the life of a product, organization, software and any built environment, including our church facilities. One component of all life cycles is the “sustain” or “sustainability” element, which merely refers to the ability to last or continue for a long time. A look at the real cost of ownership In the case of facilities, when a regression analysis of a typical facility is conducted — factoring in the original cost of construction / development, financing costs (cost of money), and the ongoing operational costs over a 40-year period — the sustaining costs will consume between 70 percent and 85 percent of the total cost of ownership. Even so, facility stewardship isn’t just for existing facilities; it actually has its origin at the planning and building facets of a facility initiative. Intentional facility stewardship starts at the point of dreaming a facility, then planning it and building it. In many instances, the time, energy and intentionality invested in these “precursor” activities will set the tone — if not the costs — of the long-term life cycle stewardship initiatives. Poorly designed and poorly built facilities generally cost more to operate, thus increasing the life cycle cost. As you consider your facilities, are you being the best steward of these assets? In the months to come, we’ll explore several aspects of facility stewardship in this “Church Facility Stewardship” Series and eBook. It’s our goal to help you church be intentional (read: efficient, effective) stewards of what God has entrusted to you. Tim Cool is founder of Cool solutions Group, and has assisted nearly 400 U.S. churches (equating to more than 4 million square feet) with their facility needs. He has collaborated with churches in the areas of facility needs analysis, design coordination, pre-construction and construction management, as well as life cycle planning / facility management. Cool solutions Group is also the developer of eSPACE software products, including Event Scheduler, Work Order Management and HVAC integration.

Cool has written three books: Successful Master Planning: More Than Pretty Pictures; Why Church Buildings Matter: The Story of Your Space; and Church Locality, which is co-written by Jim Tomberlin, as well as a manual series entitled “Intentional Church.”

HELPIN

COM ERS BE G LEAD

. WA R D S ER STE E BETT

Download the Church Facility Stewardship Series eBook for a detailed look at the real cost of ownership: a step-by-step regression analysis of a typical facility. You’ll also find links to a variety of helpful whitepapers and other related resources.

ip ity Stewardsh Church Facil Presented by: Group Cool Solutions

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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CHURCH ACCOUNTING BASICS

Church audits: know the 4 V’s By Tammy Bunting Depending on your role at the church, you’ll hear the word “audit” and come to one of two conclusions:

If you’re the finance manager, you understand the need for the substantiation of the integrity of the data — even though an audit can add to your already busy workload. If you’re the pastor, it comes down to one word: “Why?” The financials are written in what appears to be a foreign language, and they don’t seem to help as you try to make good, missioncritical decisions, anyway. So, why pay a CPA to audit the church financials? At this point, I run the risk of losing your attention. Seriously, who wants to talk about audits? The definition alone — “conducting an official financial examination” — sounds like a doctor’s diagnosis. But, bear with me. In the interest of getting straight to the takeaways, let me introduce a memory aid. Instead of the ABC’s, let’s focus on the 4 V’s of church audits: 1. Value When trying to determine the importance of the things we do, it comes down to a question of value. What’s the value added in having an audit? What will be our return on this investment? Maybe we’ve been asked to provide audited statements to our bank, but it’s important that we understand the true value of having the audit completed. For example: • An audit provides assurance that funds received and expended are in accordance with the donor’s restrictions or the church’s mission. • It provides a level of assurance to lenders that there aren’t any substantial misstatements of funds. • It can protect the persons handling the funds from any accusations of misappropriation or fraud. A common thread is assurance and protection — the value, defined. Matthew 25:21: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. 2. Vigilance Preparing for an audit is a little like doing laundry when you have kids: As soon as everything is folded and put away, you find another mile-high pile of dirty clothes. And you certainly can’t leave all the dirty clothes until the last minute or someone will walk out of the house with damp jeans. So, how do we prepare for the audit all year long? After all — like that laundry — it’s easier to keep things organized than to get them organized. To that end, here are five things to keep current (and accurate) year-round: 1) C reate your internal controls. Document and follow them … every time! 2) R econcile donated funds. Prove that all funds are being used as stipulated by the donors. churchexecutive.com

3) Segregate duties. Make sure more than one person is involved in the handling of money. 4) Set accounting controls. Make sure your system is user-friendly and accessible. Banks are reconciled every month! 5) H ave adequate insurance coverage. 3. Verification When the auditors come knocking at your door, don’t panic. You’re ready for them. Their job is to verify what you’ve been preparing all year. Before the formal audit begins, the audit firm will send out confirmation forms to banks and insurance companies. The confirmations provide them with an independent verification of bank balances and the coverage levels of your insurance policies. Once the confirmations are delivered to the audit firm from the institutions, the auditors will be ready to get started. The purpose is to be sure that all monies have been distributed and allocated accurately and as approved. To that end, here’s a quick list of key areas they will review and verify. • Cash and cash equivalents • Gifts, both restricted and unrestricted • Disbursements and any outstanding payables • Fixed assets Ultimately, the goal of the audit is so that the auditor can express an opinion on two primary aspects: 1) that the financial statements are fairly presented, and 2) that they are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). 4. Vision A common misconception is that auditors prepare and produce the financial statements, and we (the “auditees”) get the job of decoding the results. In actuality, the only part of the audited financials that belong to the auditors is the “opinion” — the rest is yours. The Statement of Activities must be presented in a way that speaks to the mission of the church, and not just as a collection of numbers. Make sure your church’s summary of the activities is presented in such a way that it tells the reader you’re fulfilling your mission and growing the church. An audit brings assurance to the data integrity; but the value-add is evident in the summation of the church’s activities, plus the validation that the church’s visionary goals are being accomplished. Tammy Bunting is the Director of Not-for-Profit Services at AcctTwo www.accttwo.com , which provides cloud-based financial management software and outsourced accounting for churches. AcctTwo’s solutions help churches automate processes, increase accuracy, and provide a complete financial picture. May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Intelligent Church Giving

Hail Mary or holy moly There’s got to be a better way to fund ministry By Joel Mikell & Derek Hazelet

Most senior pastors or executive leaders approach church giving by looking for a Hail Mary or settling for a holy moly. We depend on someone to save us at the last minute — or, we accept managed decline. But what if there were a better way?

Thankfully, there is. Many church leaders have realized that data and technology provide new ways of thinking about how they can overcome their increasing financial challenges. New challenges require a better way to fund ministry. Today’s ministry leaders face a new series of challenges when it comes to church giving. If we want to identify a better way to fund ministry, let’s agree on a few things: Church giving is declining while overall charitable giving is increasing. According to a recent report by the Atlas of Giving, overall charitable giving increased by 4.6 percent in 2014, but church giving declined by 1.6 percent. There is a remarkable change in behavior when it comes to church giving. Attitudes and giving patterns aren’t the same as they once were. Tithing is not the norm. The conditions of how people give, why people give, and when people give is changing. The cost of ministry is increasing … and so are the needs! Ministry needs are constantly increasing, especially in a growing church. Church leaders rarely feel like they have all the resources they need. Many church leaders are uncertain about how to solve the problem. While leaders might be aware of the challenges, no one trained them on how to overcome them. It can be difficult to discern what the right next step should be. However, leaders can either bemoan the reality, or they can commit to taking action.

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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How do you cut through the clutter of all the giving opportunities and ensure you fully fund your ministry plan? Rather than preaching louder or working harder, data and technology provide a more intelligent way to cultivate generosity. Church leaders can benefit from a more intelligent way of increasing generosity. If you believe this is true, then you need to reach toward data and technology to help you make disciples and grow churches. Even if you’re not ready to agree that data and technology can help, let’s consider several ways every church could benefit: #1: You’ll make smarter, more informed decisions. You have more information and data on your church members than ever before. But, are you using it to make data-driven decisions that validate or challenge your intuitions? Taking the time to analyze your data and the behavioral patterns of your church members can make a significant difference in the impact of your ministry. For example, your church might be considering a capital campaign for a new facility. By taking the time to analyze your data, you might find that you can overcome the challenges you’re facing by adding another service, rather than going into debt to build a new facility. When you take time to analyze the data and information, you can make smarter, more informed decisions rather than relying on your gut. #2: You’ll break through the noise and clutter. Inspiring people to give is just half the equation. You must help them follow through. Technology gives you the ability to communicate and follow up with givers like never before. Segmentation and personalization allow you to connect with each church member in a way that fits their native consumption habits and giving history. Technology allows you to guide every church member in the grace of giving, whether it’s a first-time giver or a financial leader. churchexecutive.com

#3: You’ll define a holistic process that uniquely allows you to enhance your disciple-making strategies. You have access to information that can be leveraged to help people grow in generosity. Sometimes that means challenging them and providing accountability just as Paul did in several of his letters to the early church. Intelligent giving strategies allow you to maximize the information you have to lead each individual church member toward being more generous. Take the first step toward a better way The days of waiting until the end of the year to “work it all out,” or hoping for the best, won’t be enough to engage the people in your church and move them toward extravagant generosity. Why is it OK for Target and Amazon to know more about our members than we do? And why wouldn’t we want to use every available resource to advance and fund Kingdom work? Funding your ministry can be easier. Rather than praying for a hail mary, technology allows you to confidently lead your church members in generosity in more effective ways. Instead of being so overwhelmed by the increasing financial challenges that all you can say is “Holy Moly!”, data provides a new way of thinking for how you can overcome them. The steps toward intelligent giving strategies are simple, but they require discipline. Are you ready to leverage your data and technology to do it in a smarter way? Joel Mikell is president and principal at RSI Stewardship. He has helped church leaders raise more than $500 million for Kingdom projects and has had the privilege of working with some of the most well-known churches and church leaders across the country. Follow him on Twitter @joelmikell, or find him on Facebook. Derek Hazelet is senior vice president at RSI Stewardship. His unique combination of business and local church experience fuels his passion to see churches and organizations realize their full potential through the ministry of stewardship. Reach him by email, and find him on Twitter @dhazelet or LinkedIn.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Focus on: online education With all the will in the world — but very little time to spare — how can busy church leaders pursue continuing education?

In a word: online. As a church executive, how many of these common perceptions of your role are accurate? • You’re working long hours. • When you’re not at the church, you’re “on call” around the clock. And yet, we bet the following are also true: • You were called to this role. • As such, you’re always interested in becoming a better leader and pastor. • You’re a lifelong learner — and you’re definitely engaged in the work of the church. While an advanced degree and your packed schedule might not seem like a marriage made in heaven, it’s definitely attainable. In the next several pages, continuing education experts will show you: Why online study isn’t just for young people. (In fact, they’re outnumbered!) As Corban University’s Shawn Hussey, Ph.D., explains on page 15, online education isn’t the exception to the rule anymore. “The ‘nontraditional student’ is now the predominate consumer of educational services,” he points out. “Simply put, adult students outnumber the 18- to 22-year-old crowd.” Which online study / concentration options uniquely suited to you. The list goes on and on: Accounting, Marketing, Organizational Leadership, Management, Psychology, Counseling, M.Div. — as long as you have an Internet connection, your study options are virtually unlimited. In the following pages, you’ll learn a lot more about the myriad options available to you.

Tips for choosing a distance-based seminary program. You’re looking for options that are affordable, realistic and relevant to your role. All that can be difficult to assess from afar (read: online). To help clear a path through the jungle, on page 16, John Dyer of Dallas Theological Seminary maps out a simple, five-step selection guide. How pastors are making continuing education work, all while growing their churches. One New York-based pastor used what he learned in pursuit of his MBA to grow his church. What began with 19 congregants meeting in a hotel room has become a church of 800 meeting in a 12,000-square-foot building. Best of all, it was achieved while the pastor was working 50 hours per week. Learn more about his story on page 17. How to get the education you want without leaving the church — or the family — you love. Online instruction involves counseling, tutors, PowerPoint presentations, video walk-thrus, student-to-student interaction, satellite study and a whole lot more. “Adult learners don’t get that sense that this is distance learning,” explains Anna Faith Smith, assistant dean of the College of Theology at Grand Canyon University. “We’ve designed our programs so that pastors don’t have to pull up stakes and leave their churches or move their families, but can pursue an education where they are.” If you’re considering continuing education, we hope this targeted series will help. We welcome your input on this and every “Continuing Education” Series installment. — The Editors

Calvary Baptist Church — Tupelo, MS (Photo courtesy of MNB Architects) 16

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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CONTINUING EDUCATION

Who has time for online continuing education? (Surprise! It’s not who you think.) By Shawn Hussey, Ph.D.

“WHO HAS TIME FOR THIS?” It’s the frequent cry of anyone considering furthering his or her education. Today, there’s little doubt we’re being asked to do more and more with less and less time. Many of us operate in a state of perpetual time poverty, which makes fitting in a 45-minute dentist appointment feel like Houdini. Further complicating the situation, we’re inundated by information from scores of sources throughout the day. This is true not only in the business world — where I came from — but also in ministry. What’s more, church leaders are asked to be available at all hours, by all means. So, again, who has time to complete additional college education? Well, despite the diatribe above …

YOU DO! Since the mid-1990s, there has been growing recognition that Academia needs to provide quality educational opportunities for leaders with busy lives. Most of us have no interest in reliving our Raman noodles-eating school years. (a.k.a., being full-time, on-campus students) Thankfully, Academia has answered the call with non-traditional programs, the most current of which is the online format. Contrary to what you might think, this isn’t a small market anymore. According to the Christensen Institute, the “nontraditional student” is now the predominate consumer of educational services. Simply put, adult students outnumber the 18- to 22-year-old crowd. And busy leaders like you are invited to join this exciting trend. At our university, we have created several nontraditional opportunities for busy pastors and other professionals to further their education. In the School of Professional Studies alone, we offer Business degrees with concentrations in Accounting, Marketing, Leadership and Management. We also have a Psychology program that offers concentrations in Counseling and Family Studies. These Professional Studies programs were created for busy professionals either seeking to complete their first college degree or seeking to augment their current skill set. In the Business and MBA programs, church executives and other nonprofit ministry executives often enroll to further develop their skills. In turn, they can better serve their people by effectively managing the business side of their churches or para-church ministries. Best of all, this is done completely online with a healthy mix of full-time professors and instructors practicing their trade within the workforce. IS ONLINE AS GOOD AS IN-PERSON? I get asked this question a lot. It has been my consistent experience that online education is not only equivalent, but often times more challenging and rigorous. churchexecutive.com

“But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.” — Isaiah 32:8 NIV WHY IS THAT? First, because students can’t camp out in the back of the classroom and hide from the professor. In an online environment, engagement is required of every student. This means that even the quietest student will be heard within the class discussion, and even the most opinionated will be tempered in and among the other student perspectives. In turn, this makes for a well-balanced discussion, taking into consideration the multiple viewpoints and experiences of the students within that particular course. That’s why I truly enjoy teaching in these environments; often, I feel as if I learn just as much as the students do. Also —and most importantly — every topic, within every class, is examined through the lens of a biblical worldview. While we seek to inform our students on the technical matters of the subject, we want them to understand where that information fits within the marvelously constructed order created by God. So, if time is the critical factor in you taking the next step in your educational endeavors, I want to encourage you to examine an online program — especially a biblically centered one. In many ways, it’s the best of both worlds. Shawn Hussey, Ph.D., serves as Chair of Business and Organizational Leadership, Adult Degree Studies Program at Corban University http://adp.corban.edu in Salem, OR.

MASTERING TIME • “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men (and women). Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks. — Phillips Brooks • “God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” — A. W. Tozer • “We always contrive to find time for that which we deem most important.” — J. Oswald Sanders • “Being busy is not a sin. Jesus was busy. Paul was busy. Peter was busy. Nothing of significance is achieved without effort and hard work and weariness.” — Max Lucado • “ Time is temporal. I am eternal. I will not be mastered by an inferior! I will — by God’s grace — run my schedule according to His will, not let my schedule run me.” — David Sanford

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Busy church leader? “HOW CAN I GET THE DEPTH I NEED WITHOUT LEAVING THE PEOPLE I LOVE?” This was the question Cynthia Johnson, an energetic woman in her late 40s, asked me recently at a coffee shop in Nashville. She had a job she loved — running a battered women’s shelter nearby — but she began to feel the need for deeper training and equipping. You, too, might have men and women on your staff with natural ministry ability and a love for God’s people. But maybe you sense that seminary training would equip them with the depth they’ll need for a lifetime of faithful ministry. You wonder: How do I develop my best leaders without losing them to a seminary in another state? Online and distance programs can be a great option — but how can you choose a good program that’s affordable, realistic and actually helpful? Here are the five criteria I’ve found are most important to students: #1: A focus on Scripture You hired your best people because they have proven godly character and understand the “how-to” of ministry. What they need is to be saturated in Scripture and given a perspective on the Church that will help them avoid the mistakes of the past. This means you need to look for degrees that devote a significant portion of the class time to Bible and theology. One helpful tool is Seminary Comparison [www.seminarycomparison.com], which lets you see how various programs compare to one another. For example, our own distance-based, two-year ministry degrees offer more hours in Bible and theology than many on-campus, three-year M.Div. programs at other seminaries. #2: A mix of online and face-to-face learning Online classes are a great way to learn, and they offer far more faculty-to-student and student-to-student interaction than you might think. Even so, pursuing a degree entirely online, without ever being near another warm body, can be tiring — especially if it takes more than a few years. I recommend looking for a seminary that offers weeklong intensives and hybrid degree programs that give your people flexibility to mix online and oncampus classes. At a recent “SuperWeek” in Dallas, students echoed this sentiment: “Meeting people from around the country facing the same challenges was so encouraging and challenging.” Ben Stuart 18

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

tips for choosing a distance-based seminary program By John Dyer

#3: The ability to learn on the job Many students find it helpful to be in programs in which a significant portion of the coursework is devoted to evaluating their current ministry roles. Theory courses are important and helpful, but some seminary degrees also have internship (or field education) options where mentors and other church leaders work with a professor to hone skills specific to the student’s job. Our seminary, for example, allows students to earn up to 12 credit hours in a Ministry Residency Internship that enables them to learn the skills they need for their role and expand into new areas for the future. #4: Counting the cost Almost every day, we hear about the rising cost of education and the crushing weight of student loan debt. These problems can be multiplied for seminary students whose future earning potential is generally lower than other graduate degrees. This means you need to help your staff find an affordable seminary with scholarship opportunities — not just for fulltime, on-campus students but also for distance and online students. Again, SeminaryComparison.com compares the hourly rates of most seminaries and offers links to scholarship opportunities at each school. #5: Investing the time Finally, make no mistake: Seminary is a big upfront investment. It’s costly, both in terms of dollars and time. But, like any really good investment, it can pay back huge dividends. Ben Stuart leads Breakaway, a ministry to more than 10,000 college students near Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. It took him more than five years — and a mixture of online and face-to-face courses — to finish his degree at our seminary. Now, he says: “What gets me out of bed in the morning is that I love to teach, I love the Bible, and I love college students. I chose DTS because they treasure the Word of God, and [every class helped me] articulate the Scriptures in a way college students can grasp.” By God’s grace, Ben’s investment is now impacting an entire generation. John Dyer is Executive Director of Communications and Educational Technology at Dallas Theological Seminary www.dts.edu

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Church executives find quality, convenience in online education programs By Cooper Nelson

When Barrington Goldson founded Calvary Tabernacle in Hempstead, NY, nearly 25 years ago, there were 19 congregants worshipping in a motel room. Now, Calvary hosts nearly 800 members in a 12,000-square-foot building every Sunday and supports two K-8 charter schools and 27 churches in five countries. Getting from Point A to Point B required Goldson to further his education. So, in 2011, he enrolled in an online MBA degree program at Phoenix-based Grand Canyon University to learn to meet the demands of his growing church.

A busy pastor, Goldson finished his program in a year, cramming homework into the early mornings and late evenings of his 50-plus-hour work weeks. “Pastors need advanced degrees in ministry or other competencies to extend their church’s work,” says Goldson, Calvary’s bishop and senior pastor. “I pastor 20 hours a week, and the rest is running the church. That doesn’t leave much time to study.” To this end, Goldson says, the flexibility of what was offered fit well with what he needed. Most pastors work between 55 and 75 hours each week, according to a study by Barna Group. Moreover, their responsibilities extend beyond preaching: Today’s pastors handle church finances, daily operations and other obligations such as funerals, Bible studies and baptisms. As such, online degree programs are ideal for adult learners looking to pursue advanced degrees while fulfilling daily work or leadership responsibilities. While many seminaries and other universities require students to leave their parishes for extended periods to attend classes on campus, online learning opportunities bring academics into students’ homes or offices. At Grand Canyon, online programs for church leaders include: • Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Christian Ministry • Master of Divinity • Master of Divinity with an Emphasis in Global Ministry • Master of Divinity with an Emphasis in Worship Leadership • Master of Arts in Christian Studies with emphases in Christian Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Urban Ministry Education or Youth Ministry The university’s online learning environment provides students access to full-time online instructors, counselors, tutoring and other tools to aid success. Most online classes have professor-narrated PowerPoint presentations, video walk-throughs and opportunities for satellite study groups. This all-in-one nature is unique among universities, says Anna Faith Smith, assistant dean of the College of Theology at GCU. Smith says the university is known for its leadership in online learning, and its faculty often are sought out to present best practices at online education conferences.

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“Adult learners don’t get that sense that this is distance learning,” she explains. “We’ve designed our programs so that pastors don’t have to pull up stakes and leave their churches or move their families, but can pursue an education where they are.” Dr. Jeff Jibben took both online and ground classes during his 20-year tenure as an executive pastor at multiple Arizona churches. Studying online worked better with his schedule, he says. Now a theology professor at Grand During his 20 years as an executive pastor, Dr. Jeff Canyon, Jibben contacts his online students Jibben — now a theology each week to replicate the personal professor at Grand Canyon connection that is typical of a traditional — took online and onclassroom setting. The myriad tools available campus classes, but says to students, along with the flexibility of the online study worked better with his schedule asynchronous learning style, are favored by many of his learners. Billy Thrall, GCU’s director of church relations, says the university’s curriculum meets and exceeds the changes that he has observed in the roles of today’s pastors. “What GCU is doing is redefining what ministry is and creating a different kind of pastor,” says Thrall, a former pastor. “Pastors can’t go to a campus every day, but they know how to serve and they’re smart. We’re developing world-changers, and our online programs allow us to do that.” To learn more about GCU’s online programs for church leaders, visit www.gcu.edu/Theology. Cooper Nelson is a staff writer at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix www.gcu.edu. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. http://hlcommission.org

For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.gcu.edu/disclosures. Please note that not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. We will not provide your information to any third party without your consent. For more information, read our Privacy Policy: http://www.gcu.edu/Privacy-Policy.php May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

FINANCES & ADMINISTRATION for Church Leaders

Negotiating compensation without emotion By Rev. Dr. William H. Foster, Jr.

It’s a rare person who doesn’t feel like they’re navigating rocky terrain when negotiating salary and compensation. This can be especially true for clergypersons.

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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Far too often, clergy wrestle with the sense that their roles as servants of the Lord conflict with their financial needs. To heighten matters, the members of your finance committee or trustee board might harbor preconceived ideas about clergy compensation that can complicate the process. Some members consider a low salary a way to assure the pastor remains humble. Others believe it’s impossible to put a monetary value on spiritual matters, and many have difficulty understanding the difference between a compensation package and salary. Seminary training places great emphasis on the clergy’s role as a servant and the sacrifices that come with being in ministry, but there’s little or no preparation for the process of salary negotiation. It’s important to keep in mind — though you’re called by God and are serving Jesus — you’re also employed by the church or faith-based organization. The New Testament is very clear that servants of the Lord need adequate income and commands the church to “…Respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” (I Thessalonians 5:12-13) Pastoral leaders deserve to be paid fairly so they can focus on ministry without undue concern about their finances. Whether you’re negotiating your initial compensation package or a salary increase, here are some tips for minimizing anxiety and approaching the process with confidence. Understand the difference between salary and a compensation package. A compensation package has three components: 1) C ash compensation includes the pastor’s cash salary and housing allowance, plus cash equivalents such as the Social Security offset. 2) A benefits package typically includes a retirement savings plan and life, disability and health insurance and paid vacation. It can also include a paid sabbatical. 3) Reimbursement of job-related expenses, such as work-related travel, books and education. This helps ministers with the day-to-day costs of performing their responsibilities. It should not be a substitute for cash compensation or benefits. Be sure all parties are up-to-date on your qualifications and achievements. If there’s a Pastoral Relations Committee, make sure they have all the information they need to contribute to a well-organized process. Did you earn an additional degree or receive certification in a ministry specialty? Have you taken on additional responsibilities? What performance goals have you met or exceeded? Be as specific as possible. Make a summary of your achievements available prior to your meeting with those making the decision about your compensation. Be prepared to advocate for yourself. It’s your right and obligation to negotiate your own compensation. A Pastoral Relations Committee can support you in this process and advocate on matters of compensation and benefits. (Download the “Finances & Administration for Church Leaders” eBook: www.churchexecutive.com/ebooks) Don’t assume that if you’re doing a great job, you’ll automatically be rewarded for it; present your case honestly and professionally. Have a good idea of what you want, what your priorities are, and the areas in which you’re willing to compromise. Expect to relinquish some of your goals and make concessions on others. You want to maintain a healthy pastor / congregation relationship.

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Beware of four common assumptions pastors make when negotiating salary: #1: “Congregants will think I’m greedy if I request a higher salary.” Healthy relationships are grounded in honest and open communication. People can sense unexpressed anger or frustration and appreciate when you’re forthright and clear. Most congregations pay far more attention to the actions of their pastor than his or her salary. #2: “As a proclaimer of the gospel, I shouldn’t be preoccupied with such material concerns. Not only does scripture say “the laborer deserves to be paid” (1 Timothy 5:18), but providing a reasonable wage sends the signal that the congregation respects and values their ordained leaders. #3: “My church isn’t doing well financially. It can’t afford to do more.” Before you make this assumption, check to see what the current salary level is

for churches of your size and in your region. Refer to The Compensation Handbook for Church Staff. [ http://store.churchlawtodaystore.com ] You might discover that your perception isn’t accurate. Be willing to suggest other ways you can be compensated, such as additional vacation time. #4: “The church’s mission giving will go down if my salary increases.” A church that can’t sufficiently provide for its members and pastoral leaders is unlikely to experience strong growth and mission giving. A church should be able to support its ministry without sacrificing the pastor’s salary. Finally, as employees of the church, whether ordained or lay, we are called to be good stewards of the gifts that God gives us and of the ministry to which we have been entrusted. Likewise, the church is called to be a good steward of all of its resources — including the staff that devotes its time and talents to care for the people and preach / teach the gospel. Faithful stewardship of the church requires fair compensation for both ordained and lay staff. Rev. Dr. William H. Foster, Jr., is Senior Manager—Marketing & Strategic Relationships at MMBB Financial Services www.mmbb.org in New York. He brings more than 20 years of pastoral experience and 30 years of financial experience to this role.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

INSURANCE ESSENTIALS

5 CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR (POTENTIAL) AGENT By Deb Rushenberg

Agent \ˈā-jənt\ Noun A person who does business for another person : a person who acts on behalf of another.

In the insurance world, agents — or brokers, in some instances — are oftentimes viewed as the “expert” when it comes to all things regarding liability, protection and coverage. As individuals, protecting things like personal vehicles and homes is thought of as a “no-brainer.” What isn’t always top-of-mind is protecting the church. As a ministry, there are innumerable assets and coverage options that should be considered when purchasing insurance. That’s where an insurance agent comes in to help. SO, WHAT’S AN AGENT? Agents are people who do business with, or act on behalf of, another person. It’s no secret that purchasing the right insurance coverage for your church is a difficult task, especially without having knowledge in the field. To help ease the decision and get a church headed in the right direction, the following are five questions you should consider asking your potential agent. #1: “What’s your area of expertise?” Begin with a preliminary question. This will help determine if moving forward with a particular individual is worth your time, or if you should consider someone else. For example, some agents might focus mostly on healthcare. As a church seeking commercial coverage, this wouldn’t be an agent you’d want to move forward with. Secondly, there are two types of agents that should be considered: those who work for several different insurance companies, and those who solely do business with just one. A church should decide which they prefer before continuing the process, as there are pros and cons to both options. Independent agents — those who do business with several companies — will most likely have a broader scope of coverage and pricing options for the church to choose from. Captive agents — those who sell insurance for just one company — will have personalized, in-depth knowledge about what their own company can offer. Additionally, research the agent and the company / companies he or she works for. It’s common for customers to ask for a list of references to gain more knowledge and gather feedback from similar establishments — in this case, other churches. Is the agent knowledgeable about the products

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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and services they’re offering? Can the agent answer any questions you might have? Does the insurance company have a strong reputation? Does the company specialize in a certain area? All these questions are important in determining which agent and insurance company the church ultimately chooses. #2: “What kinds of coverages are needed to fully protect our church?” As a church, there are several aspects of the organization that should be considered: the building, vehicles, church members, employees and so on. Although these items can be insured separately, it’s beneficial (and much easier) to purchase them from one company. Upon inspecting and evaluating the church, agents can make recommendations so that everything the church owns is protected properly and in its entirety. It’s also important to understand the insurance jargon written within the policy. Insurance agents should be able to fully explain the terms so that they’re easily understood by the church, as protecting the entire congregation is the sole purpose. #3: “What value-added products and services does your company offer?” Insurance companies sell insurance policies; there’s no doubt about that. But, what else do they offer in addition to basic coverages? This is a very important question to ask your agent, as most companies they work for will offer several perks along with a written policy. Examples include risk management tools, endorsements, building construction or other services, discounts to vendors and training videos. Additionally, your relationship with the agent, as well as the agent’s relationship with the company he or she works for, is something to consider. Ensuring the agent is accessible when the church is in need of assistance is oftentimes overlooked, but it can make all the difference in the long run. If the agent is local, the chances of him or her being available upon request are much higher than if the agent is non-local and works in several states. A local agent can handle your account on a day-to-day basis with little to no wait time. A non-local agent might have an assistant churchexecutive.com

tending to your needs and will be unable to answer your questions in a timely manner. #4: “What’s the average time it takes your company to handle a claim?” Unfortunately, accidents happen and disasters strike. This is where insurance comes into play. For an insurance company, processing a claim is routine and should be done in a timely manner. As a church, you want to be confident that you’ve made the right decision in choosing a company that will help the congregation get back on track without missing much of a beat. Furthermore, what kind of service should be expected after a claim has been submitted? An agent should have a better idea of what the process entails and what you, as a customer, will be dealing with in the event of a claim. #5: “What’s your overall recommendation?” You’ve asked all the right questions, and the agent has provided with you with loads of information — the decision is ultimately yours. However, as an expert in the field, the agent should provide the church with a detailed summary of what was presented and an overall recommendation. This should ultimately include both a coverage package and the total cost, which will hopefully provide the church enough confidence to make the right decision. Protecting the church is always the ultimate goal. However, through the use of an agent, you can ensure that you’re making a well-informed decision while receiving personalized customer service and knowing they have your best interest at heart. Deb Rushenberg is Director of Commercial Lines Underwriting at GuideOne Insurance in West Des Moines, IA www.guideone.com, where she is responsible for the overall vision, direction and oversight of underwriting for the Church niche. Rushenberg has been with GuideOne for more than two decades.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

FOCUS ON: visitor engagement As you look out over your congregation this Sunday, keep this in mind: Every person you see was, at one point, a first-timer. Pick a face in the crowd. Her experience at your church — with its people and its worship — was no doubt the biggest factor in her ultimate engagement. But … • Was she the only person who attended for the first time that day? • Were there others who opted not to return? • With the right tools, could the outcome have been different for them? We’ve said it before: Church management software, or ChMS, is perhaps the biggest administrative tool at your disposal. It’s also a significant investment — but an extremely worthwhile one when it comes to something as important as engaging visitors. Mark Kitts, lead software Architect at Elexio Church Software, knows that gaining a new church member is no easy feat. As he explains on page 23, only one out of 100 visitors typically returns a second time. Of those, only half come back for a third time, beyond which point they tend to become regular attenders. Here, naturally, is where the power of technology — and ChMS in particular — can really help. Use it to its full potential, and it can help you establish consistent, effective engagement strategies. In the next several pages, ChMS experts will help you not only choose the right ChMS for your unique church, but also maximize the ChMS tools you already have. Expect to learn: How to ensure your follow-up communications are warm and relational, not cold and impersonal — despite being driven by virtual technology. “Even when one has the best of intentions, ineffective communication can make people feel as though they’re not important — or even worse, they’re just taking up space,” warns Michael Jordan, a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies. On page 22, he tells you how to avoid that faux pas. 5 tried-and-true ChMS-driven tools to engage visitors. From creating a great first impression, to launching the assimilation process, everybody loves a step-by-step plan. You’ll find one (and learn how to enlist the power of ChMS in the process) from Elexio’s Mark Kitts on page 23. Why you should expect — and learn how to drive — better outcomes of your ChMS than simply preventing people from “slipping through the cracks.” According to Sam Batterman, president and CTO of Seraphim Software, your ChMS should be able to tell you not only where people are coming from, but also when they’re attending. And — last, but certainly not least — why. To that end, on page 24, he walks you through a real-life example, step by step. “The technology should be invisible, but the visitors should feel the difference,” he advises. “That’s the measure of success.” Enjoy this installment of the Church Executive “Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum.” As ever, we welcome your feedback. — The Editors

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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Focus on: First-Time Visitor Engagement

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Engagement leads to building disciples By Michael Jordan

Making connections is an important part of life. From faster, more effective communication to building a more engaged community through deeper relationships, the promise of connecting through the use of technology [ www.acstechnologies.com ] in the 21st century seems awesome. While technology itself is not the answer, it can be utilized by churches to better connect, engage, equip and mobilize their congregations for doing the work outlined through the Gospel. But in this day and age, churches need to be focused on using virtual means to deliver real-life impact. Technology can be used to build relationships, equip disciples and help them to move together in the direction of serving. With this, there are several key things to address when discussing building disciples through engagement [ www.acstechnologies.com/discipleship ], a few of which are mandatory. Structurally within the church, communication is about partnership, not control. However, some methods and tools for communication can be cold and impersonal. Even when one has the best of intentions, ineffective communication can make people feel as though they’re not important — or even worse, they’re just taking up space. Strong communication is relational Outlets such as church websites or Facebook pages can be used as informational tools for people interested in getting to know a little about churches prior to visiting. But, they have a finite scope of effectiveness in connecting people into the real, dynamic entity that is your church. This normally results in churches looking for a more private, community-oriented social network to enable truly effective and meaningful communication. This “relational communication” does four important things: 1) Builds real-life relationships 2) Enables people to know and be known 3) Provides opportunities to take action 4) Moves people from the margins to the center Best practices for digital communication No matter how you slice it, good communication is good communication. There is no need to be intimidated by the digital aspect of it. If you’re a good communicator in the real world, chances are you can be so virtually as well, even though there are some unique challenges and opportunities in the digital world.

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By following the best practices listed, you can avoid common pitfalls and be empowered to make the most of your communication efforts. #1: Focus on the mission. Don’t put the focus on methods, because methods are disposable. Get to the heart of the matter. Jesus has given your church an eternally meaningful mission. Be sure to explain why your church needs a private social network and keep the focus on how it will help your church accomplish the mission. #2: Never think your communication is done. If you’ve been a leader for long, you probably understand this point far too well. You can’t say something once and expect it to stick with everyone. You’ve got to continually remind people of what’s important. Thankfully, digital tools make effective communication very inexpensive and also make it easy to mobilize other people to distribute your communications for you. There’s no need to do all the work yourself; usually, you just need to ask people to help you accomplish the set goals. #3: Invite people to interact. Interaction is no longer an option — it’s a necessity. The digital tools available today give you an amazing opportunity to invite people to join a conversation. While it might initially seem like more work, the return is far greater than the investment. Your interaction and sincere listening will help create an engaged community. You’ll probably discover gifts and abilities you didn’t realize people had, and you might just learn from others along the way, too. #4: Cultivate meaningful relationships. The speed and simplicity of digital communication can sometimes lead to overuse and misuse. As a leader, it’s your job to show the way and help people understand the methods being used to reach the destination. By asking good questions, intently listening and steering conversations toward real relationships, you’ll be leading by example. Ask other leaders to do the same. Together, you’ll build a community of well-connected and meaningful relationships. #5: Provide opportunities for meaningful action. A church social network makes it easier for you to delegate responsibility, without sacrificing accountability. So, rather than feed the impulse of consumerism, give people opportunities to get involved. It can be as simple as sharing stories of the everyday, informal ministry happening within your church and inviting people to get involved in the opportunities around them. Remember, you’re building a culture — and cultures celebrate what they value. If you value the active engagement of your whole church in ministry work, celebrate it! Whether they’ve just walked through your front door or they’ve been quietly warming a seat for years without engaging, the key to a healthier, thriving body is getting people connected and properly assimilated. When you do, ultimately you’ll spread the Gospel more effectively. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle. May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Focus on: First-Time Visitor Engagement

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Using ChMS tools to engage visitors: 5 steps Engaging first-time visitors is crucial to church growth. Most church growth studies find that: • Out of 100 visitors, typically 10 to 25 will return for a second visit • About 50 percent of those second-timers will return for a third service • Of those, 75 percent will make a fourth visit • After going four times, churches can generally begin to call those people regular attenders. But, how can churches ensure they’re connecting with visitors so they’ll want to return for that next visit? By Mark Kitts In conjunction with a church management system (ChMS), churches can engage first-time visitors by following five steps: #1: Create a great first impression. Regardless of the follow-up processes in place, first-time visitors won’t go back to a church if their whole experience is terrible. An effective integrated church management system can indirectly help churches make the important first impression a positive one. Visitors will evaluate the experience of checking in their children — is it fast, easy and secure? Does the church have an intuitive check-in system? They’ll notice the church’s use of technology to collect information or contributions using touchscreen kiosks and a mobile app. Even promoting the interactive tools available to the church community will tell first-time visitors that the church is relevant and embraces technology. #2: Capture visitor information. Churches can’t follow up if they don’t have an effective system for capturing visitors’ contact information first. They might gather this through a connection card, interactive kiosk, sign-up sheet at the welcome center or even a browser-based form on their smart phones. Once they’ve collected these details, staff or volunteers should enter them into the church database within an hour of the service so the follow-up process can begin immediately. #3: Communicate, communicate, communicate! Most church management software provides a variety of tools for follow-up communication, and churches should be using more than one —and get started right away. If churches quickly key information into their databases following the Sunday morning service, they can send a mass text message to all firsttime visitors within that first hour. This should be just a brief thank you and include a link to the church website. (While not all people will provide mobile phone numbers, most guardians will provide this information when checking in their children.) On Monday, churches can send those visitors an email that includes a word from the lead pastor detailing his or her vision, as well as links to more resources or information on the church website. 26

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

That same day, the church should mail a letter that will arrive within the next two days. This might include specifics about what the church has to offer their families, or an upcoming event. With the details they’ve collected, churches can customize these letters to each individual. Through a simple text message, email and letter, churches will have already connected visitors three times within the first few days of their visit. Simplified through ChMS tools, these mass communications will show that the church cares about forming a relationship with visitors. Churches can also run reports that make it easy for volunteers to make phone calls or deliver cookies to visitors. The best way to follow up is very specific to each church’s community, context and culture. All this follow-up communication can be pretty basic, but people typically need several touch points before what churches are telling them sticks. #4: Designate tasks. Some churches overthink the follow-up process and ask first-time visitors to come to an event, join a small group and get involved with a ministry right away. But initially, the goal should simply be for that visitor to come back. Beyond mass communication tools, churches can use a task management feature within their ChMS to log phone calls, set a date for a future follow-up and assign it to someone — for example, to a small group leader or connection pastor. They can capture notes about visitors within the database so there’s one central repository for staff and volunteers to access. Using these tools will make ministries more efficient and ensure people aren’t slipping through the cracks. #5: Launch the assimilation process. As visitors return week after week — and eventually become regular attenders — churches can use integrated ChMS tools to aide in the assimilation process. If people have access to an online portal and mobile app, they’ll have simple ways to connect with a small group, register for an event, make contributions or sign up for volunteer opportunities. But those visitors who are getting started with the steps toward assimilation need to know these tools are available. Some churches fail to connect the dots for people; most newcomers won’t know what’s expected of them. So, churches should clearly communicate what they can do to get ingrained with the church community and get the ball rolling from being a spectator to becoming an active participant. Mark Kitts is Lead Software Architect at Elexio Church Software www.elexio.com and lives in North Carolina. churchexecutive.com

Focus on: First-Time Visitor Engagement

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Invisible technology, tangible fellowship Too often, we talk about tracking visitors and not letting them “fall through the cracks” of the organization. That’s the foundation of what a church management system (ChMS) should do — but it can be lot richer. By Sam Batterman

Any system you use should be able to easily tell you where people are coming from (geographically), and when they come (early service, later service — they might map strongly to contemporary or traditional services). These are relatively simple; the ultimate inquiry is why they are coming. Did someone invite them? Did they see a flyer? Did they visit your church website? A simple example of this type of information is displayed below in our ChMS:

process) into manageable steps. Each person enters the workflow at the top and is progressed through the queue until he or she reaches completion or is manually removed. This adds a lot of quality assurance to the process and ensures no one is deserted. Our ChMS program processes actions automatically as people progress from stage to stage: changing their membership status, adding people to groups, sending text messages to individuals to alert them of new people in the queue. It can even “chain” workflows together. In this case, when someone reaches the end of the process, he or she is automatically added to a process for dealing with “second-time attenders.” Groups and workflows are great for tracking sporadic visitors; however, when people continue to come back, your ability to go deeper and meet their needs is where a system can really benefit you. To this end, our ChMS offers an “Engagement Model” feature — similar to workflows, but less rigorous. Rather than a linear methodology, they focus on a holistic approach. Engagement models let you track by person, what steps he or she has achieved. Dates along with these steps give you a sense of speed of progression, or the last time a person made progress. As an example [ http://bit.ly/1EW6SWz ], some of these items are weighted more heavily than others, contributing to a lifecycle diagram. In the same view, other measurements — such as attendance and small group involvement — are also visible. This is a much stronger way to track a visitor as he or she begins to commit to deeper purpose in the church. These tools are great, and most of the time staff people or designated volunteers are driving this process. Ultimately, however, this process must turn into relationship — that is, people talking to people in real fellowship. As a final example, please consider the image below.

You shouldn’t have to do additional work to get this kind of information. It should be visible and accessible to anyone on staff. In this example, you can see where people travel from, the bias of gender (more females than males are visiting), and that most visitors live in in the city of Phoenixville. From this trend, we can see a recent uptick in visitors — as high as 30 last week. Now the real work begins Collecting initial information in the form of a contact card allows you to get started, but don’t overlook other methods of getting great data. A safe check-in system (integrated with your ChMS) for protecting children is a fantastic place to get initial data. Most parents will gladly give information to understand that their children are safe, that their allergy and other medical information are known, and that only they can gain access to their children to take them home. Building groups can allow us to do a number of important things. These groups should not require a huge amount of maintenance. Some systems — our own included — support dynamic characteristics, such as, “Get me the visitors in the last seven days.” Every week, this group automatically adjusts itself with the proper people. Taking people from groups to workflows will insure they’re being handled in a “processoriented” way. [ For an example, visit http://bit.ly/1zkGWRJ ] Workflows let you break down the process of managing visitors (or any churchexecutive.com

On this map, we show members in blue and visitors in red. The proximity of each item is striking. In some cases, they are right across the street from each other! Being able to provide this kind of data to small groups / life groups on a weekly basis (or even better, to enable group leaders to generate it when needed), is an example of a technology being used to assist the church in reaching out to visitors. The technology should be invisible, but the visitors should feel the difference. That’s the measure of success. Sam Batterman is president and CTO of Seraphim Software www.seraphimsoftware.com in Collegeville, PA. After years of working for companies including Merck and Microsoft, Batterman and his team now enable churches with high-tech tools designed especially for them. May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

3to a KEYS seamless pastoral succession By Joy Roberts

As personal financial planners at a Christian financial services organization, we are privileged to serve pastors and church executives who are dedicating their careers to advancing the Kingdom. It’s equally rewarding to witness a well-crafted succession plan that allows a congregation to thrive when a pastor moves on to the next phase of his calling. Leadership Network is one of the foremost experts in church succession planning. Director of Development Erik Thornton and his colleagues have studied countless church transitions of leadership and said every transition should have the same goal. “When a church can seamlessly transition its leaders, that gives the church the ability to stay on course,” Thornton says. Our friends at Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, KS, recently experienced a leadership transition as long-time pastor Steve Dighton, who also serves as a GuideStone Financial Resources trustee, retired. This transition is a prime example of the outcome that Thornton and his colleagues encourage. Each change of leadership is unique; yet, the most successful succession plans we have observed follow a similar model of preparation, partnership and provision. PREPARATION: Build out a timeline Lenexa’s five-year succession plan began in 2011 when a lifetime of health struggles forced Dighton to make a painful decision. “The job had gotten huge, and my health was less than it needed to be. So, that was the driver of the transition,” Dighton explains. During his tenure, which began in February 1990, Dighton led the Kansas City-area congregation in a dramatic transformation from 100 members meeting in rented spaces into a 6,000-member, multi-campus church. When he handed the leadership reins to pastor Chad McDonald in March 2015, it was the next-to-last step in a five-year plan. The final step has Dighton serving as senior pastoral advisor through March 2016. PARTNERSHIP: Involve lay and ministry leaders Dighton quickly learned that pastoral succession needs to be a team effort. After his first attempt at training a new pastor faltered, he insisted on working with a transition committee comprised of members with specific expertise and experience. McDonald was serving as campus pastor of Lenexa’s Greenwood, MO, congregation when he was called on to serve as senior pastor. He credited the committee for ensuring that he was fully prepared to lead the church. 28

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

The committee’s goal was to ensure that the incoming and outgoing pastors were prepared for their new roles and that the congregation remained focused on its mission throughout the succession process. They developed a plan allowing Dighton and McDonald to share senior pastor duties, with Dighton taking the lead for 12 months; then McDonald became senior pastor, with Dighton serving as pastoral advisor for another 12 months. PROVISION: Assure that finances are in order During the first year they worked together, Dighton led McDonald through the specifics of running the church, including the complex financial details. Although the executive leaders manage the church’s finances, Dighton knew it was important for McDonald to learn how the church allocated its resources and managed its investments. “I knew that I needed to be the best steward I could possibly be of these resources,” McDonald explains. Meanwhile, the committee developed a benefits plan to ensure their beloved pastor would be cared for during his final year at the church and throughout his next season of ministry. Dighton says his flexibility today is the direct result of his church’s decision to provide a well-designed retirement account and help him fund it during his years of active service. “Now I have a way that I can financially step away and actually plan how I want to spend the rest of my ministry,” Dighton says. Pastors Dighton and McDonald report that Lenexa Baptist Church is flourishing. The congregation has embraced McDonald, the pews are full, and financial support is strong. All these indicators make it clear that Lenexa Baptist is nearing completion of a seamless succession plan. Letting a long-tenured and deeply loved pastor move into a new role can be a difficult time for any church. Congregations that prepare for the change, build partnerships to manage the change, and make financial provisions to facilitate the change are more likely to have a positive succession. Joy Roberts is managing director of Personal Financial Services at GuideStone Financial Resources www.GuideStone.org in Dallas. In this role, she and a team of experts work exclusively with churches, their pastors and executive leaders to craft financial strategies to support them during their years of active ministry and throughout retirement. churchexecutive.com

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May / June 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ CHURCH EXECUTIVE

CREATING A CULTURE OF

Generosity

Proof that adding mobile giving won’t increase your church’s budget By Derek Gillette

A few months ago, I sat down for coffee with a young executive pastor. He was technologically savvy, ambitious and full of positivity as his church had seen triple-digit growth in the last few years. As soon as the topic of church software came up, his countenance changed. “We tried this church database company, but no one used it, so we dropped it,” the XP told me. “Then, we tried this accounting software, and it was a lot harder to implement than they told us, so we’re switching.” His point: It’s safer to do nothing than to risk making the wrong decision. Information overload It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s another article or conference session being conducted around the importance of online and mobile giving for churches. These articles advise about the need to relate to the next generation and use the technology people are already using on a regular basis. But, how well does this giving technology actually work? And, is it worth the time and money to implement? To get some data behind this, we partnered with Church Executive and put together a giving survey that asked pastors to disclose if their giving had gone up or down in the last quarter, which giving methods they used, and how concerned they were about their church’s giving levels. Surprisingly, we found almost no correlation between increased giving and offering a mobile way for people to give. Let me walk you through what we did find. 30

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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Of the 150 or so churches we surveyed, 32% offer giving through a mobile app. Their answers paralleled those of churches without a mobile giving option: • 96% of those with mobile giving said their giving last quarter increased or stayed the same. Those without mobile giving reported a 92% increase. • 56% of those with mobile giving said they were concerned or very concerned with their current giving levels, compared to 68% concern by those who did not. • Among those with mobile giving, 70% admitted that less than 30% of their total contributions came through online or mobile methods. These results make it very clear: Simply adding a mobile giving option to your church does not guarantee an increase in giving or a reduction in worry. So what’s the answer? Why do some churches see dramatic giving increases when adding a mobile option, while others see no change? To better understand this, we personally reviewed the digital giving of each of the 48 churches in our survey. After visiting each church’s website — and trying to give to each church as a first-time giver — we found: • 21% offered giving through multiple vendors • 53% required a login to give • Only 15% showed a text-to-give option on the giving page. And, the most shocking discovery: Of the 48 churches that said they offered giving through a mobile app, only 9% showed a mobile option on the giving page. Well-learned lessons Based on this data, and after consulting with thousands of churches to implement successful mobile giving, we advise that your church heed the following tenets before implementing mobile giving. 3 common mistakes 1) Clicking on “giving” takes people straight to the giving form, with no context or instructions. Besides just being impersonal, this practice doesn’t afford first-time givers any context about your church’s beliefs, the security of its online giving, or even how to give for the first time. Frederick Church of the Brethren (Frederick, MD) offers a great example of how a giving page should look and read: http://fcob.net/giving. 2) Including a lengthy fill-out form on the “guest” giving page. We know the importance of reducing barriers at church, and online giving should be no different. Don’t expect first-time givers to fill out lengthy forms that take more than three minutes to complete. 3) Asking people to sign up for ACH by printing a form and returning it to the church. Expecting this is not only incredibly insecure, but also time-consuming. 3 best practices 1) Having one digital giving vendor that offers multiple giving options. Using a different vendor for each giving option creates confusion — not only for givers, but also for your bookkeeper. Find a vendor that offers all-in-one giving through text, mobile, online and ACH. 2) Not requiring login or account creation for first-time givers. Remove barriers by only asking for minimal information to make that first gift: email address, name, phone number (optional), amount, fund and credit card information. Anything else is too much. 3) Having a clear strategy around growing three things: ACH, recurring gifts and first-time givers. This is the final, but most important, best practice. To accomplish it, be sure to partner with a vendor that offers education, talking points and instructional videos, and uses a system that encourages recurring gifts. Ask about these things when doing your research. Derek Gillette is Communications Manager for eChurchGiving http://www.echurchgiving.com/ and Pushpay https://pushpay.com/ in Seattle, WA.

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May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

DESIGNING W O R S H I P

A R E A S

EFFECTIVE STUDENT SPACES: 3 tried-and-true design elements By Curtiss H. Doss, AIA

Here, in part 4 of this series, we’ll shift toward a worship space designed for a specific age group: preschool / children and students. But before we begin, let me reiterate a primary precept: EVERY CHURCH IS DIFFERENT. If you’re a regular reader of this series, it’s a familiar statement. Why? Because it’s true — and because student ministries are no different.

any student worship spaces use design elements that promote ministry and embody many of the same elements we find in all worship spaces. However, student worship spaces typically take it to a different level. While the ultimate goal is to worship Jesus, there’s also a practical goal: to maintain a connection with the student, who’s bombarded with all the trappings of today’s culture and crowd. To be successful on both fronts, the architecture and the design of the space must uniquely “speak” to the student population.

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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SO, WHAT DOES A STUDENT WORSHIP SPACE INCLUDE? #1: A little space, please. The first, most obvious element lies outside the room itself: When possible, student spaces are wholly detached (or at least somewhat separated) from the larger church element. This doesn’t prohibit their use by other ministries, but it does provide a “home” for students. Today, many youth attending church come from non-traditional households — possibly, dysfunctional ones. The student ministry center, including the worship space, can be a great place for them to call “home.” It’s where all student activities occur and tends to provide a settling effect on the student, thereby opening up opportunities for ministry. The sensitivity of those who tirelessly minister to the church’s student population is critical. It can play a huge role in each student’s ability to be captured by the power of Jesus. This place — the student worship space, or student ministry center — can make the biggest difference in a student’s life and future. As such, these spaces must speak to the student. They must encourage participation, be a non-threatening environment, and offer a relaxed atmosphere. Here, students should find gathering spaces, sports spaces, cafés, hangout areas, gaming spaces and so on. Again — as with every church — each student ministry center is different. What proves successful in one church might not be part of another student ministry’s DNA. Be very aware of your church’s DNA, and fashion the student spaces around it. #2: Vibrant colors, high-tech elements and theming. Even in traditional churches, student centers tend to be unique and different from most other spaces on the campus. Many create a specific environment, such as a lodge or a coffee shop feel. Let’s face it: Most of us reading this article might feel a bit uncomfortable with this approach. But, we need to remember that it isn’t always about us — and this is certainly the case as it pertains to student ministry areas. churchexecutive.com

#3: Built-in flexibility. Since student ministries are always changing and programs are varied, its worship space needs to be able to quickly change. Our firm has found that simple construction elements are a must — including a flat floor, highly functional technical systems, and versatile platforms. The platform should be concrete if possible; additionally, it’s a good idea to provide vehicle access to the platform via an overhead door. There are numerous times when student ministries want to have cars, motorcycles or other large elements on the platform, not to mention the need to load in and load out musical groups. Additionally, the platform area is a sensitive space due to most building codes. The general desire is to have it function like a stage, with drapes and space above the platform to hang various items. Many times, the design team walks a fine line with the code officials. Sometimes there are limits to how far to push the envelope. A REAL (BUT FUN!) DESIGN CHALLENGE All in all, effective student worship space design requires great listening skills. Many student ministries know what they want, but struggle to articulate those needs. When a student ministry focuses youth toward Jesus and creates a connection between a student and the church in a trouble world, the effort is well worth it. Curtiss H. Doss, AIA is principal of McGehee Nicholson Burke (MNB) Architects in Memphis, TN. www.mnbarchitects.com Doss has consulted with church clients for more than 20 years, and his architectural practice spans more than 30 years.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

PASTOR-FRIENDLY

SOUND SYSTEMS

Understanding loudspeaker systems — what’s right for your church? Though your church’s audio system is comprised of a lot of different components, loudspeakers are arguably the most significant. As the final link between the message and the listener, the right loudspeaker system can make the difference between indifference and inspiration. By Rik Kirby & Daniel Keller

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

Whether you’re thinking about upgrading your existing sound system or installing one for the first time, chances are you’ve already discovered a nearly infinite, somewhat overwhelming range of options. Loudspeaker systems come in all shapes, sizes and configurations. Your choices will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your sanctuary, its seating arrangement and acoustical character. The type(s) of services your church offers also make a difference — a traditional, sermon-based service will have different requirements than a contemporary service with a high-impact praise band. It’s important to understand the different types of loudspeaker systems, and what features are best to meet the needs of your church. Some basics: passive, powered and distributed systems In a typical sound system, each individual loudspeaker is powered by a dedicated amplifier. (As with your home hi-fi, this can often be a multichannel amplifier, with essentially two or more amplifiers combined into a single unit.) In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward self-powered loudspeakers — that is, loudspeakers with a dedicated amplifier built into the system. More than just a matter of convenience, self-powered speakers ensure that the amplifier and loudspeaker are well matched to each other, as well as cutting down on the cost of installation. Many commercial loudspeakers also include transformers in their designs, allowing them to be incorporated into 70- and 100-volt distributed audio systems. While lacking the power needed for a large-scale PA system, these low-voltage distributed systems offer some advantages for smaller rooms, and as supplemental and / or ancillary systems. Fewer power amplifiers are required to drive multiple loudspeakers, and each speaker’s volume can be adjusted independently, making them a cost-effective solution for hallways, anterooms and other areas where wide coverage and differing volume levels is needed.

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Line arrays do present their own challenges, however. Even smaller ones tend to be large and heavy, requiring considerable structural work to hang from ceilings. Even if your sanctuary’s has fairly high ceilings, line arrays normally work optimally when hung lower, and they can interfere with sightlines for some of your audience. In many cases, they can also interfere with the room’s aesthetics, looking very out of place in an otherwise traditional architecture. Finally, you might consider a digitally steered array system. Traditional line arrays can be designed to distribute sound evenly across a given coverage pattern; however, they can introduce other issues. With some sound bouncing off of walls, ceilings and other reflective surfaces, spoken word intelligibility can suffer, particularly in larger sanctuaries. Digitally steered arrays use DSP (Digital Signal Processing) to help direct a speaker’s output into a tight, focused pattern that can be shaped and directed with precision.

What’s in the box? As mentioned earlier, loudspeakers themselves come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Here’s a look at some of the basic types of loudspeakers, and their characteristics. Ceiling speakers. Often used in distributed systems, ceiling speakers are built into the ceiling, with the outside of the loudspeaker mounting flush with the ceiling surface. These types of loudspeakers are ideal for installations where the speakers should be pretty much hidden from view. Due to their broad coverage pattern and lack of directionality, ceiling speakers are a common choice for background music in offices and public spaces. They are also frequently used for supplemental coverage in larger systems. Surface-mount speakers. Surface-mount loudspeakers are usually built into a cabinet-type enclosure that is mounted with a bracket on a wall or ceiling. They are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes and configurations. Most manufacturers offer an assortment of different mounting options, as well, to allow for different types of architecture and differing placement and positioning requirements. As with ceiling speakers, surface-mount loudspeakers can be used as primary sound sources in small to mid-sized facilities, or for supplemental coverage in larger systems. Point-source systems and line arrays. For many sanctuaries, a pointsource system is the most common solution. Depending on the desired coverage pattern, these systems can be configured in a number of different ways. For smaller spaces and shallower rooms, a horizontal cluster can provide short-throw coverage. Depending on the width of the room, this can be configured as a single center cluster, left and right clusters, or leftright-center clusters. For deeper rooms requiring longer throw coverage, a vertical line array might be a good solution. Though mainly used in touring sound, line arrays are also available in smaller form-factor and installation-friendly designs for smaller rooms. They are a popular option due to their relatively easy installation and flexibility of coverage. churchexecutive.com

Scrimping will cost you more As we’ve stated in previous “Pastor-Friendly Sound Systems” installments, the first step in deciding on a loudspeaker system should be to shop for a qualified professional sound contractor and / or consultant. In the long run, the money spent on getting a pro to help plan your system is the best expenditure you can make. An experienced systems designer will work with you to create a system that fits your church’s space, message and budget. Many a small and mid-sized church has been tempted by the lower cost of purchasing a big-box-store “pro-sumer” system and installing it themselves, only to discover that their budget system creates more problems than it solves. While many budget loudspeakers can play loudly for extended periods, they can’t deliver the pattern control, intelligibility or performance of a professional system. Budget systems also lack the long-term durability to meet the demands of a weekly service. Generally, the extra budget spent on a professional system designed by an experienced consultant will be worthwhile in the long run. Investing in a budget system will pretty much guarantee that you’ll be replacing it sooner than you’d planned. Rik Kirby is Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Renkus-Heinz, Inc. www.renkus-heinz.com. Located in Southern California for more than 35 years, Renkus-Heinz is a manufacturer of high-end professional loudspeaker systems. Daniel Keller is CEO of Get It In Writing, Inc.® www.getitinwriting.net.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Engaging Spaces

Your youth space:

SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO GET IT

RIGHT

By Allison Parrott with Paul Lodholz, AIA, LEED AP

In many churches, the youth area is often relegated to leftover space — or space the adults have outgrown and left behind. That short-sighted approach is a missed ministry opportunity. Whether you’re planning a new space for your youth — or upgrading your existing space — some key strategies will invigorate your youth spaces while also helping your church stay within budget. #1: Start with a plan. Youth ministers often tell us that they need a completely flexible space to do absolutely anything in their youth areas without limiting their programs. In reality, a space needs to be planned for specific functions for any of your ministry programs to work well. This doesn’t mean the space needs to be completely inflexible; think of it more as a “priorities list.” Start with the most significant activity that will happen in the space. Doing so — and listing out the needs required — will help you prioritize needs and organize the space to accommodate them. Once this list is in hand, you’ll begin to notice that some overlap. For example, you might need space for large-group assembly, which requires loose seating. You also need space for sitting around a table and eating pizza, which requires loose seating, too — but, the two functions never happen at the same time, so seating can be shared. Looking at the space in terms of functional zones that can be multiuse will allow for the needed flexibility but, at the same time, will ensure you’re meeting your programs’ requirements. You can also use grid paper to draw the space to scale, or even use tape to section off the room in zones to help visualize the correct amount of space you need.

St. John XXIII Student Center (Katy, TX)

Fairfield Baptist Church (Cypress, TX)

#2: Implement inexpensive fixes. Fresh paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to enliven a space. However, bolder and brighter isn’t always better! Think about the spaces where you like to just hang out (bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants and so on). The next time you visit those places, 36

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take note of the color schemes; do they translate into your youth space? While the use of bright, energetic primary colors is appropriate in an early childhood or elementary setting, teenagers prefer something a bit more grown-up. Writable wall surfaces and magnetic walls are another quick and easy way to perk up a room. You can grab some chalkboard paint at your local hardware store and create a prayer wall or an announcement board. Many youth rooms are decorated with store-bought posters. These can look cheap, dated and clutter up the space very quickly. Instead, find some of your artistic youth group members and commission them to create some custom art for the space. Or, give your students an assignment to photograph the world — to showcase something meaningful about their faith. There are lots of possibilities to create unique and meaningful art that’s relevant to your ministry. Add decorative lighting in your space with inexpensive floor lamps. These can soften the feel of the room, especially if you’re adapting an existing room that has older, 2x4 fluorescent lighting. #3: Focus on furniture and floors. If the flooring in your space is old and worn, consider replacing it. You can rip out old carpet and check the state of the concrete slab underneath. The concrete can be ground and polished, or even stained, to create an easy-to-clean floor. You can also purchase area rugs to help define various zones in the space and add some color. Consider using both hard and soft flooring to do this. For example, vinyl tile, polished concrete or wood-look vinyl planks can be used in entry and snack areas, while carpet can be used in assembly and lounge areas. Using different flooring materials will define the space and add interest to the room. When furnishing the space, don’t settle for hand-me down couches! The furniture in this room should be inviting and appropriate for the types of ministry programs using the space. Furniture will be a costly upgrade, but well worth the investment. There are many modern styles of folding chairs that can be used in your large gathering areas. For conversation areas, invest in durable leather synthetic leather or microfiber couches and lounge seating. Many new styles of seating have built-in USB charging stations, which helps when students are using iPads or other electronic devices during small group time. The goal is to find durable furniture that’s stylish and comfortable, creating an engaging atmosphere. And, don’t be afraid to check with your students to find out if anyone has furniture-making skills! Many high schools have “FabLabs” that teach woodwork, welding, laser-cutting and CNC routing. Students who are learning these skills might enjoy the challenge of designing and building coffee tables or other pieces for the space.

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St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (College Station, TX)

#4: Embrace technology. Today’s students are immersed in technology. School curriculums are becoming more and more interactive, and students are expected to be able to use technology in thoughtful ways. Youth ministry should be no different. Your space doesn’t need 90-inch plasma TVs everywhere, but small TVs — equipped with Apple TV or another wireless connection device — can enhance small group lessons. A/V needs also need to be addressed and be appropriate for your space and ministry needs. Your students already engage with technology on a daily basis, so don’t shun it. Instead, be prepared to creatively use it while, at the same, time teaching teens how to be responsible consumers of technology in variety of ways. Allison Parrott is the Project Manager for the Worship and Education Studio at Ziegler Cooper Architects www.zieglercooper.com in Houston. She is married to a church-planter and pastor and is blessed to be able to serve other churches through her professional work. Paul Lodholz, AIA, LEED AP is the Principal-in-Charge of the Worship and Education Studio at Ziegler Cooper Architects. He has lectured around the country on the changing nature of the church lobby and has been working with churches for more than 35 years.

First Baptist Pasadena (Pasadena, TX)

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Finance & Lending Trends

Religious institution financing truths — regardless of the lending climate By Dan Mikes

As the business administrator of a religious institution, you don’t need to be an experienced commercial developer to get a construction loan — you just need an expert ministry bank.

ou don’t need to be an experienced commercial borrower to obtain financing for your religious institution. However, to do the best job for your ministry and make the way as smooth as possible, you should work with a lender that has a proven track record banking religious institutions. Not every local banker is able to quickly process a construction loan or mortgage request from a religious institution. Even where there’s a strong and long-standing relationship, banks might be ill-equipped to provide construction loans to religious groups. This is primarily for two reasons: #1: They lack experience in making loans to religious institutions (which differ significantly from the loans they make every day to for-profit businesses and other entities) #2: They might expect that the religious institution lacks experience in undertaking a major commercial construction project.

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Not all banks have a full understanding of how religious institutions operate. A lender with a track record of serving religious institutions can provide guidance through the entire process, particularly early on when you might want help identifying your borrowing capacity following the launch of a pending capital pledge campaign. An experienced religious institution banker could also avail your ministry of user-friendly, low-cost loan products tailored to your special needs. For example, you might be able to avoid onerous loan covenants better suited to for-profit entities and which could undermine ministry management autonomy, such as liquidity requirements, minimum debt coverage ratios, and limitations on capital expenditures. Banks typically offer five-year term loans to commercial borrowers. This means that although the monthly debt service is based on a 15- to 25-year repayment period, the outstanding principal is actually due and payable at five years (referred to as a “balloon payment”). If the bank remains comfortable with the borrower, upon review of a fresh loan application, the loan might be “renewed” for another five years, resulting in the incurrence of another round of closing costs (appraisal, title insurance, environmental assessment, loan fee and so on). To minimize these redundant costs, look for a bank with a successful track record of lending to ministries. It might be willing to take a longer risk, offering a seven- or even a 10-year term duration. The loan offer might include a requirement to establish a depository relationship. To help get the best pricing on your loan, plan to look for a full-service institution that can meet all your needs, including equipment financing, cash management, merchant processing, electronic giving and commercial credit cards. Discussing deposits can work in the borrower’s favor because the lender will price the loan based on a “relationship yield.”

Prior to the commencement of a construction project, it’s essential that your institution has its financing commitment firmly in place. Never assume that you’ll be able to secure financing after breaking ground. Acquiring land, signing a construction contract, and breaking ground before a lending commitment is in hand can be a potentially fatal financial mistake. Aside from the matter of “broken lien priority,” which could obstruct or block your ability to secure title insurance (a standard loan requirement), you’ll be also fighting an uphill perception of leadership. Lenders will question why you would put your institution’s good name on a contract prior to securing the means to meet the financial obligations tied to it. Make sure your construction budget encompasses all costs before you break ground. After hard costs (the cost of the building itself) and soft costs (permits, inspections fees, soil-testing, engineering and architect fees), a well-planned budget must also include a margin for error, referred to as contingency. Every project can experience some surprises in the form of additional expense or unanticipated delay. Depending on whether the construction contract is a “Guaranteed Maximum Fixed Price” or a “Cost Plus” contract, the contingency budget should represent about 4 percent to 7 percent of total hard costs. Some banks allow either contractual format; some require the “G-Max.” A bank-approved construction budget will be attached as an exhibit to the loan documents at loan closing. The approved budget memorializes the scope and the line-item cost of the project. As projects progress, there will almost always be budget variances. If savings are realized on early stage elements — such as concrete and steel — the lender will allow the surplus from those line items to be held as a reserve for potential to overages on other line items, or for upgrades or change orders. Loan covenants typically prohibit unilateral execution of change orders without prior written authorization from the lender. If the project is near completion when such changes are presented, the lender might approve release of the remaining contingency as the means of funding the change order. If the project is in its early stages, the lender will be less likely to release a significant portion of the contingency. A well-planned project, with a good contractor and an experienced lender, can be completed on time and on budget. Your prospects of achieving this outcome increase if you begin by contacting a lender experienced in working with religious institutions early in the process. They already understand that a major commercial construction project is something you might face only once or twice in your entire ministry career, and will anticipate your questions and guide you through the process in a user-friendly fashion. Dan Mikes is Executive Vice President and National Manager of the Religious Institution Division, Bank of the West, in San Ramon, CA. www.bankofthewest.com

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May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

PASTOR-FRIENDLY

VIDEO

Case Study: Saddleback Church By Marty Gregor

Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, hosts more than 20,000 people in weekly attendance. Throughout the week, this globally recognized church offers five services and a number of different events, including concerts, workshops and other studies and seminars. The church was looking to upgrade its facility as part of its “Decade of Destiny” campaign — a 10-year vision to help members in the areas of physical, financial, relational, emotional, mental, vocational and spiritual health.

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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AFTER: With a much higher brightness level, LED displays ensure images are sharp and stand out — even in the brightly lit auditorium.

The challenge The main auditorium at Saddleback is very large, very open and very bright. Previously, the church used rear-projection screens to help share the visual elements of its services, including song lyrics, recorded and live video. Unfortunately, the image and video quality was washed out and hard to see within the large, brightly lit auditorium. Church leaders looked at different types of technology to help better showcase its services by not having the content appear “washed out” on the displays. LED video was on church leaders’ radar, given their brightness they compared to projector technology. In the end, Daktronics was awarded to provide a solution. The solution Our solutions included two LED video displays featuring 4-millimeter-pixel layouts — one of the tightest resolution displays in the industry. The pair of displays measures 14 feet high by 24 feet wide to provide all worshipers with a clear view of the message, regardless of the lighting conditions. LED displays have a much higher brightness level than the projectors the church previously used. As such, image quality stays sharp and stands out, even in the church’s heavily lit auditorium and with brightness shining directly on the display face. These displays combine advanced contrast levels with 3-in-1 LED pixels for a premium display solution. This is ideal for the viewing distances that exist inside Saddleback’s auditorium. Pastor Dave Arnold, director of strategic initiatives at the church, says he and his team thoroughly evaluated the technologies and displays available to them. “Ultimately, we determined Daktronics could provide us with the best LED solution for our needs,” he explains. The results Today, the LED displays have been installed, and Saddleback uses them in numerous ways. churchexecutive.com

BEFORE: Saddleback’s main auditorium is large, open and bright, which washed out the images on the rear-projection screens it used for projecting song lyrics and videos.

• At the beginning of services, video content plays as the congregation walks to their seats. • S ong lyrics are displayed, along with live video of the band or a music video. • Specific promotional and highlight videos are created to emphasize the current message. • The church video crew uses multiple cameras in each service to ensure a full broadcast feel. Carefully selected for this challenging space, the LED displays ensure great image clarity in every situation in which they’re used. Marty Gregor is a video products sales expert for Brookings, SD-based Daktronics www.daktronics.com/worship, a leading digital display manufacturer established in 1968. May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

When a church

moves, will its people follow? By Rachael D. Rowland, M.P.A

Churches relocate more than you think. In fact, your own church might be moving. Or, maybe you’re wondering how to relocate successfully sometime in the future. In either scenario, you’ll face some primary challenges: • Communicating the church move to your members and regular attendees (the congregation) •C ommunicating the church move to your neighbors (the community) That’s why you need a communications strategy before you make the move.

Word of Life (Flowood, MS)

An effective pre-relocation communications strategy starts with a statement of purpose. It doesn’t need to be very detailed; it acts as a reference for what you hope to achieve, and as a reminder of your commitment to the vision. You should be able to communicate effectively with your congregation and community. Word of Life in Flowood, MS — under the leadership of Pastor Joel Sims — made a concerted, organized effort to get the congregation to move with them when they built their new campus in the suburb of Flowood 20 minutes away. Executive Pastor Ryan Lamberson says the move was 10 years in the making. “The senior pastor at that time began the building project, as the facility had been outgrown,” he recalls. “During this season, the senior pastor went home to be with The Lord. His son took over pastoring the church and wanted to fulfill the vision God had given his father.” Although the new facility was state-of-the art and offered many new and exciting features, it was on the other side of town. As such, the church wanted to prepare the congregation for the move so as not to lose members in the process. 42

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Leaders implemented a five-step process: #1: Reach out early. As Lamberson explains, during the entire building process, pastoral staff reached out through card, calls, and in person to those who would be making the furthest drives to the new location. The message they conveyed was clear: Those individuals and their families were valuable, appreciated and a huge part in the next step in the vision of the church. #2: Communicate — consistently — the whole way. “We kept the congregation informed every step of the way,” Lamberson says. “[This gave] them ownership.” This was done by mailing vision letters, as well as giving a short update at the weekend services regarding the progress being made. #3: Connect members with the construction process. At a World of Life onsite event held during construction, everyone was fed Chick-Fil-A and introduced to the vision of the new church. “During this event, we connected [members] spiritually and emotionally by giving each person a Sharpie marker and asking them to write their names — and anything God put on their hearts — on the steel that was erected,” Lamberson recalls. #4: Enlist staff enthusiasm and support. At the departmental level, Word of Life engaged its staff to keep the vision strong and exciting for all its “dream team” members (read: volunteers). This dream team was instrumental in getting the site staged for the church’s grand opening. Staff members sent emails to volunteer teams and held team update meetings. They also engaged volunteers to help plan the grand opening, calling upon their unique experience in particular areas of ministry. #5: Use the final few weeks in the existing facility wisely. According to Lamberson, possibly the most important commitment churchexecutive.com

driver — implemented a few weeks prior to the church moving into its new location — was hosting an additional worship service at the existing facility. This provided additional buy-in from core attendees and members. “We were running out of room, and everyone knew it,” Lamberson recalls. So, they asked each volunteer department leader commit to serve during two of the three service times. Church leaders communicated that how needed these volunteer leaders were in reaching new people who were far from God. Additionally, a church-wide campaign — called “Unite” — asked everyone to commit to attending two services, serving at two services, or attending one and serving at one. Cards were passed out to get commitments, and the church gave out T-shirts as a thank-you to each person who made a commitment. Casting the vision The Bible tells us in Habakkuk 2:2: “And the LORD answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.’” And in Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” As a church, God gives the vision — but, as church leaders, it’s important for us to project that vision before our congregations in as many ways as possible if we hope to get them connected and committed to where the church is going. If members can catch the vision, they’ll move with you! Get creative. Ask the Lord to give you ideas to help engage your members and excite them about the changes coming. For some, change can be challenging. Acknowledge this, and help prepare members for change before it occurs. Rachael D. Rowland, M.P.A., has a heart for churches and has been blessed to serve them through her roles as marketing director and now office manager for Churches by Daniels Construction www.churchesbydaniels.com . Located in Broken Arrow, OK, this construction company specializes in designing and building churches nationwide.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

SAFETY STRATEGIES

Social media risk —

a spot check for the church? By Peter A. Persuitti

Recently, I convened a panel of experts for a conversation about where the Church stands relative to capitalizing on the remarkable evangelization opportunity of social media. The key questions: • Are churches actually embracing social media? • If so, how are they doing managing the risks? • How can churches establish boundaries as they row in these unchartered waters?

The experts Crispin Ketelhut has extensive experience managing church safe environments and is the Associate Director of the VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Program [ www.virtus.org ]. She brings a wealth of experience to the table regarding the methodology of systems as key to the foundation of risk management and protecting children. Paul Timm, president of Reta Security, is a foremost expert on crisis management. He is often consulted when there is a breach of security at schools and churches. Miles Shepp is a broker who leads Impac, an insurance program for mega-vision ministries. The program makes sure policies and procedures for risk management are complemented with the right coverages. Q: Are churches using social media? Ketelhut, Timm and Shepp agree that churches are embracing all forms of social media; few are opting not to go there. Timm is adamant about social media being core to the ministry. Thus, he says, it should be embraced and will be good for Kingdom-building. “Social media might be the one way to bring back youth to the Church,” he says — and of course, technology has a lot of power as a mass notification resource for emergencies and for communicating key

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“[W]e won’t tolerate the 40+ age group ignoring social media. Ignorance is never the tool to combat issues.” — Paul Timm, president of Reta Security

information. “It puts the Church back in the center of the town square as an informer!” For his part, Shepp says he has witnessed more and more churches enhancing their websites. To this end, many church leaders are asking questions related to, Is the church protected? However, if these experts were to rate the systems in place at churches overall, most congregations would not receive a passing grade. Even so, Ketelhut, Timm and Shepp agreed that a breach of failure is the best possible resource for all of us. “There is no need to reinvent the wheel of what needs to be in place,” Timm explains. “These churches have been on their knees and forced to put in place the systems necessary to deal with this ‘tidal wave.’” Q: What are the vital components of a viable system? • Policies and practices • Education and training • Communication • Transparency and accountability • Monitoring systems • Checks and balances

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Over the past 10 years involving serious violations of boundaries in churches, we have learned a great deal. All three experts agree there are lessons inherent to these violations that can apply to churches’ social media exposure, as well. For example, we now know that we must treat children and adults differently in the communication process. “Teach the children, yes; but, we can’t put the main responsibility on the children,” Ketelhut explains. Ketelhut continues: “With adults, the days of saying ‘Don’t’ are over; how the message is delivered is important. Yet, adults — no matter what — have the responsibility and main role of protecting children. This is no longer about whether we trust the adult, but rather about adults as protectors of children. Adults represent their churches, and thus have greater trust, greater access and greater responsibility.” Context and reality are two important concepts here, Ketelhut adds. “For example, while technology is great and social media connects people, churches must provide education, especially regarding the risks inherent to both. “We then must take action — we screen, we monitor, we establish checks and balances, we watch for warning signs, we communicate if there is an issue,” she continues. “The opposite of these systems is chaos.” To this point, Timm rhetorically asks: What is the remedy for chaos? The answer: education. “We must set expectations for social media management,” he emphasizes. “And we won’t tolerate the 40+ age group ignoring social media. Ignorance is never the tool to combat issues.” Churches want to grow, and all three experts say they believe this explosion of social media is a gift of stewardship. But, there is also a cost of discipleship — and they refuse to allow me to reduce the discussion to what one thing is most important in managing this risk. Instead, they reinforce the importance of seeking out those who have been harmed. These churches will have model policies and practices in place as a result. “In all of this, we want to allow youth to help lead the way,” Timm emphasizes. Q: How can church leaders get ready for a potential breach? Is there a “fire drill”-type practice they can use? Not so much; all three experts agree that in many ways, social media use in the Church is akin to unchartered waters. “Technology is like a tidal wave,” Shepp points out. “Education is the key. Follow the lessons to be learned, seek ways to reduce risk. “We can never reduce the risk to zero, but what are we doing with the level of risk we have?” he concludes. “We need expertise and collaboration in place. Insurance is a piece of the pie.” Peter A. Persuitti is managing director, Religious Practice, at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. www.ajg.com in Chicago. Gallagher is a financial services firm specializing in insurance brokerage, benefits and retirement consulting, claims administration and advocacy, institutional investment and fiduciary services, alternative risk financing and program administration and risk management. As a dedicated Religious Practice, Gallagher works with more than 24,000 non-profits around the world. May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

A tale of two church cafés Today, churches are offering a lot more than a cup of joe in a Styrofoam cup. With beverages and atmospheres that rival secular franchises, their champions have learned a lot in the process. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh

Last winter at Canvas Church in Kalispell, MT, an underused storage space was transformed into a thriving coffee shop. Though the church had an espresso bar in the lobby at the time, it had been functioning on a limited basis for years. The team leader suggested to Executive Pastor Phill Christiansen the idea of converting a large nearby storage space into a space where people could connect with each other — and the message — on the weekends. “It literally was a closet,” Christiansen recalls. “All that was in there were a few pool tables and TVs that we rolled out and used maybe twice a year.” No longer limited, the coffee shops mostly sells drinks, but also offers pastries, yogurt and smoothies. It’s open on the weekends, but also for weekly programs, including mid-week Sunday school. Cup of Blessing Café at First Church of Christ in Garrett, IN, is aptly named: Every time someone buys a cup of coffee, someone else in the community gets a blessing. This was precisely the vision Senior Minister Brother Bud Owen has in mind when he spearheaded this passion project a few years ago. At that time, his church’s weekend attendance had nearly doubled — and yet, something was missing. “I didn’t want to be a ‘minister that maintained,’” he says. While on vacation, Owen read The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. “It tells us to ‘grab that territory and claim it for the Lord,” Owen recalls. “And I couldn’t help but think of a building for rent downtown.” Not long before, Owen had dismissed the space — it was too big for the youth facility he wanted for the church. A few weeks later, the possibilities for the rest of the space persisted in his mind. Chief among them: a café. By the time Owen returned from his trip, he could hardly wait to talk to the real estate agent. “In the end, we were able to get the building for only $25,000 — only about one-third of the original asking price — because the bank that owned it embraced our vision,” he recalls. “And, a couple from the church offered to pay for it. The church just paid for structural upgrades and maintenance.” Today, the building is the home of Cup of Blessing in the front — open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Sunday — as well as a free consignment shop in the back, youth ministry setup upstairs, and a gift shop selling handmade items. Aside from all the elements falling beautifully into place, Owen says he knew the front-and-center café would be a success for a few simple reasons. First, it’s the only coffee shop in town. “But also, I knew that most people 46

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wouldn’t walk by the church and say, ‘Here’s $2,’” he says. “What they would do is buy a cup of coffee downtown.” Location is key For Cup of Blessing, the local newspaper — which covered the story as the café was being launched — was helpful in a marketing sense. Today, however, word-of-mouth is pretty much built-in, given its downtown location. “We’re building relationship every day with the people who come in,” Owen says. At Canvas Church, each first-time guest receives a free cup of coffee — more than 30 per weekend. Aside from this and a weekly mention by the pastor, the church doesn’t really advertise its coffee shop. “It’s located off the main lobby, so not a lot of promotion is necessary,” Christiansen says. Essential supplies At Canvas Church, Christiansen and his team have strived to make visiting the church coffee shop as similar to visiting a secular franchise as possible. “Our hope is that a secular café customer will feel right at home,” he says. To this end, the church was fortunate to have a contractor on staff to spearhead its design and construction. The church also enlisted our volunteers’ input regarding layout, operations and what they wanted to sell. From as supplies standpoint, branded cups — supplied by Canton, GAbased Your Brand Café [ yourbrandcafe.com ] — are almost mandatory, according to Christiansen. “We put sleeves on all our hot coffee, and all our iced coffee and cold drinks come in cups with logos,” he explains. “We’ve gotten quite a few comments on the professionalism this branding lends the operation.” Canvas Church uses an industrial espresso maker that lets volunteer staff make about 100 drinks in 45 minutes — easily doable, as the majority has barista and coffee shop experience. A second espresso maker might be added soon. Cup of Blessing also uses and espresso machine, which, Owen says, requires about a 10-minute tutorial to operate. Beyond this, he’s particularly proud of Cup of Blessing’s wide array of beverage offerings — all of them easily concocted by volunteer staff, many of them retirees.

Above: Cup of Blessing was a passion project for Brother Bud Owen, senior minister of First Church of Christ in Garrett, IN. churchexecutive.com

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One of them — the team leader — coordinates captains for each of three weekend gatherings. What do both teams have in common? They’re all volunteers. As any church leader can attest, keeping these individuals engaged and passionate is critical. “Love goes a long way,” advises Owen. “Love your volunteers. Don’t make them feel like they’re married to the ministry. It’s a volunteer army, and they can quit any time.” At the Canvas Church coffee shop, Christiansen agrees and has found free coffee gift cards to be a wonderful volunteer appreciation tool. The biggest bottom-line benefits As Owen explains, Cup of Blessing doesn’t make a profit; all proceeds go back into the community. The church pays for the café’s maintenance, supplies and operating costs. Open for two years, it has delivered about $35,000 in blessings to the less fortunate in the community — clothing, food, gas Amazingly, the coffee shop at Canvas Church in Kalispell, MT, was once an underused and much more. storage space. Beyond community outreach, Owen says one of the biggest benefits of operating the Cup of Blessing is the friendships and “We can do anything Starbucks does! We even grind our own coffee,” he relationships its volunteers enjoy. “Fellowship is happening all week — says. “We just do it all with love.” To that end, the cafe uses DaVinci syrups — like Starbucks — supplied not just on Sunday.” For Christiansen, the coffee shop at Canvas Church represents an by Irvine, CA-based Kerry Group. This same supplier provides everything intimate spot in a church that continues to grow bigger and bigger. Owen and his volunteer team need to make caramel frappes, smoothies “We love it for the environment it creates,” he says. “Coffee Shops are and more. One of its brands, Big Train, offers a church beverage program [ such natural gathering spaces in our culture; to have one in our church bigtrain.com/t-churches-nonprofit-programs.aspx ]. “We serve Big Train smoothies, which are super simple to make,” Owen where people can connect is a fantastic resource.” The coffee shop’s proceeds help facilitate ministry in other areas of says. “The main thing we’ve found is to have all your syrups on hand. People are very particular about their favorite flavors, so we carry 30 to 40 the church. of them at all times.” Effective for small groups Though Cup of Blessing is a community café focused on helping the less fortunate, Owen says the church occasionally hosts small groups in the space, as well. For Christiansen and Canvas Church, the coffee shop is a gathering place for members, guests and visitors all week long. “Life groups are held in the café space, and it’s a room we definitely leverage for events,” he adds. “It’s a smaller, more intimate setting.”

MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON YOUR COMMUNITY.

The stewardship of supplies To secure the equipment and supplies necessary to get Cup of Blessing off the ground, Owen and his team enlisted the church’s and community’s support. A tree was set up in the back of the space with tags listing needed items and their corresponding prices. “That let people ‘buy’ utensils, equipment and so on,” he recalls. “Our whole list was fulfilled in just a few weeks!” Additionally, the café consistently orders enough supplies to qualify for free shipping. Local suppliers have proven to be another great resource. “Lots of people in the community know what we’re doing and why, so many of them offer us discounts,” Owen says. “For example, our bagels are provided at a 30-percent discount. They just believe in what we’re doing.” Volunteers: the heart of the operation Owen says he’s gratified by how Cup of Blessing has incited retirees in the congregation to volunteer, often for the first time. “Maybe a volunteer can’t go to Haiti on a mission trip, but he can come downtown and help out in the café!” For Christiansen, finding baristas and store managers in the membership has been instrumental. “They have high standards, and their training is essentially done by the Starbucks of the world,” he explains. 48

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

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PHASE 4:

Commitment For church leaders preparing for a capital campaign “commitment service” is similar to football coaches preparing for the Super Bowl. Here, Paul Gage weighs in on how to maximize this giving experience. You have said that Commitment Service is the “big day” — the culmination of the campaign’s Preparation and Organization phases. What does this Commitment Service look like? When a church pursues a major building project, it is often the biggest financial challenge in its history. We spend months preparing and organizing for the Commitment Service. At this point, we are focused and spiritually ready for the “big day.” The people have processed all the information, and prayed for God to lead in their decision to give gladly and generously to expand God’s work in their local church. For many churches, the Commitment Service is designed to be a worshipful experience and encourages everyone to present their commitments during the planned service. Most churches will receive the commitment cards at the conclusion of a worship service by passing an offering plate or by having the people come forward and place commitment cards at a designated area. For many, this is a very powerful moment in their spiritual lives. It is important that everyone has a commitment card. Usually, the cards are circulated before the worship service by placing cards in the church bulletins or in the pews / chairs. The key is encouraging everyone to participate and make their commitment known during this Commitment Service. You have said the First Offering is “the day the giving experience begins.” How might this experience differ from the Commitment Service? It used to be the commitment and offering were introduced at the same time. With churches growing larger in size, it is now more productive to separate the two services. The larger churches will experience 20- to 30-percent rotation in their congregation any given Sunday. So, instead of having a combined commitment and offering service, we are introducing the next Sunday to begin the initial First Fruits offering. Many churches will experience offerings up to 10 percent or greater of the total commitments. We encourage the church to give as much of their commitment up front during this First Offering. In every campaign, there will be many that will give to the offering that are not ready to make a long-term financial commitment. This allows everyone the opportunity to participate. churchexecutive.com

Let’s talk about “commitment expectations.” What should a church expect from Commitment and Offering? Recently, I was talking with a church that was completing a three-year campaign. This campaign experience had not been favorable, so now they were seeking other alternatives. We talked about how much was pledged — $4 million — and how much has been collected: $1.7 million. I asked what was received in the First Offering, and they said the previous company never mentioned an Offering; the emphasis was only on the pledges. My next question was the percentage of commitment participation — 38 percent of regular donors made a pledge. A few quick evaluations: • A church will often receive commitments from 60 percent of regular donors — not of total members or attendance. Churches that have more than 5,000 in attendance will see 50 percent to 60 percent participation. • A church will often receive a 5 percent to 10 percent of total pledges in the First Offering. This must be promoted from the very beginning of the campaign presentations. • A church will often collect 80 percent of commitments with a good follow-up strategy. Churches that have more than 5,000 in attendance will collect up to 70 percent. As you can see, to achieve these levels of participation in most churches, it is critical that a First Offering and regularly scheduled offerings are implemented to collect the total pledges. The offerings will allow one-third or more of your congregation to participate in the campaign — individuals who might not otherwise make a long-term commitment on a card. — Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh Paul Gage is founder and president of The Gage Group thegagegroup.com

in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX.

May / June 2015 • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

NEVER AGAIN

APPROPRIATE BOUNDARIES FOR A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILDREN With ongoing concerns of child sexual abuse, discomfort often exists when considering acceptable physical boundaries when encountering children in our roles within a church ministry. We frequently ask ourselves questions such as, “What’s an acceptable way to show affection to youth in my care?” or “How should I react if a child runs up for a hug?” These are important questions, because boundaries promote a lifetime of healthy relationships. By Patricia L. Neal How do we define boundaries? Until someone “crosses the line,” we tend not to give much thought to personal boundaries. Have you ever been in a situation where you are speaking with an individual and they begin to crowd your personal space, and you realize that you continue to back up until you are in a completely different area in the room? This is an example of your reaction to a violation of the physical boundary of personal space. Boundaries are defined as the limits that define one person as separate from another person, and physical boundaries are the limits established in our physical interactions — such as physically touching someone. Appropriate boundaries promote and preserve personal integrity, and give each person a clear sense of “self” and a framework for how to function in relation to others and thrive in those situations. Boundaries bring order to our lives and empower each of us to determine how others will interact with us. How do we incorporate healthy physical boundaries? Various types of boundaries exist, with physical boundaries being an important type to use when interacting with youth. To help incorporate healthy boundaries in our relationships with children, the “PAN” acronym is a great way to measure if our behavior is appropriate and transparent. PAN is outlined as behavior that is: • Public • Appropriate • Non-Sexual in nature By paying attention to our own physical behavior, as well as that of other adults, we will expand the boundaries of our safe environment and serve as role models for others. What are additional best practices to foster and maintain healthy physical boundaries? In understanding appropriate touch, it is best to have guidelines for what is acceptable within any situation. A responsible approach is to establish standards or criteria for physical contact that allows an adult to assess any situation and act appropriately — perhaps through a code of conduct at your location, an overarching policy, and even safe environment training. The following basic questions can help us determine “best practices” in any situation: • Could the contact condition the child to accept behavior that is more intimate than they might otherwise accept? 50

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • May / June 2015

• Could the contact condition the community to accept behavior between children, young people and ministers that the community might otherwise find uncomfortable or too familiar? • Does the contact display appropriate forms of communication? Understanding appropriate contact will help adults find ways to nurture the children and young people in their care without compromising anyone. Some general examples of appropriate physical contact include: • K neeling / bending down for loose hugs with younger children; side hugs for older children • Pats on the head for small children; high-fives and pats on the shoulder or upper back for older children • Holding hands while walking with small children • Shaking hands as a greeting. Teaching boundary safety is only one part of an overall best practice solution for protecting children from child sexual abuse and creating healthy relationships. The more time we devote to understanding boundaries, the more capable we are in responding appropriately to unhealthy situations. It is imperative to have the tools to create a safer environment, and understanding appropriate physical boundaries is an important part of the overall solution. Patricia L. Neal is national director of the VIRTUS Programs, NCS Risk Services, LLC, in Tulsa, OK www.virtus.org . The VIRTUS Programs are highly recognized in providing educational materials and training for the prevention of child sexual abuse and abuse against vulnerable adults. churchexecutive.com

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