A working endowment not feeding the operating budget is a blessing. An endowment feeding the operating budget deprives parishioners of the joy of giving and creates cynicism.
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Five Essential Elements of a Successful Parish Leadership Development Program
Build leaders. Then let the leaders build additional leaders. And so the parish grows and fulfills its mission.
Planned Giving is Visionary and Strategic Giving
Without vision and strategy a parish will be given a default future – NOT of its own choosing. Planned giving an important vision and strategy tool.
Storytelling in Church Leadership – Introduction
A series of articles by Patricia Fann Bouteneff on storytelling will explain how it is a powerful tool for effectively leading the parish.
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
If you want vision and strategy to succeed, it will be necessary to analyze, understand and engage the culture of the parish and be prepared for push-back.
Ramp Up Planned Giving
Every parish should have an established and active planned giving program. The priest is a key player here inasmuch as he can articulate the vision and mission of the parish thereby inspiring parishioners to participate.
Orthodox Parish Planning? Hint: It May not be what you think. Discover Parish Intentionality!
The true purpose of planning is not to produce a written plan, though it is one of the desirable outcomes.
Powerpoint: An Orthodox Parish Strategic Initiatives Fund
Tired of dragging the parish kicking and screaming from one level of joy and freedom in the Kingdom of God to the next? Try a Strategic Initiatives Fund.
15 Powerful Nonprofit Statistics for 2015
Learn the environment. Define your mission. Claim your space. Apply professional fundraising methodology to gather resources and build spiritual involvement.
Sample Template for a General Survey of the Parish
Well done surveys with good reporting back to the parish is a wonderful way to listen to the community.
What Growing Churches Do – Information from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey
Most of the material in this article is highly relevant for those parishes interested in adding new members.
A Major Gifts Program for an Orthodox Parish
Every parish needs an ongoing major gift program and almost every priest needs coaching in this essential skill as part of effectively leading, managing and developing a parish.
Meetings that Matter
How much time in a priest’s life of service is spent in meetings? What percentage of these meetings could be improved upon? How many of the meetings should have resulted in decisions, policy formulation and ACTION effectively taken to precipitate Godly change? Read on for immensely practical help.
Many Wealthy Plan to Remember Charities in Their Estates – Does Your Parish Have an Endowment Program?
To remember the parish in one’s will is to look back upon life with gratitude and to look forward to the spiritual well being of future generations.
Aging Congregations May Be Churches’ Biggest Concern
Unless current social trends change, Mainline Protestant churches will face an even bigger drop-off in coming years. This is very likely true for all churches – including the Orthodox Church.
Six Attributes of the Strategically-Minded Priest
Jesus perfectly knew His present purpose and His ultimate destination. St. Paul spoke to individual communities but thought strategically about how the Gospel will be preached to all nations.
Writing Goals and Objectives to Grow and Develop the Parish
Without goals and objectives based on mission fulfillment the parish can easily wander here and there falling prey to “mission drift”.
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