Blog

Social Media for Churches: Benefits and Pitfalls

When used correctly, social media can move a church from merely an afterthought in someone’s busy schedule to a leap of total surrender to his faith. Social media is the platform where everyone has a say, where anyone can share anything – from important bulletins to trivial gossip. It is where people get the news and important information about something they feel passionate about. Social media can also be a source of inspiration. A church shying away from social media is a religious ...

'Tis the Season: How to Prepare your Church for Winter Weather

Believe it or not, there are 3 times as many winter-weather related claims than there are fire-related ones, according to Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. While the Southeast is perhaps known more for its blistering hot summers, winter weather can be particularly damaging. Don't believe us, just ask the Atlanta residents who were stranded in their cars for up to 14 hours during the winter storm of 2014! (I know. I was one of them!) While we still have some time remaining before the truly frigid weather season ...

Everything you need to know about the Affordable Care Act, Open Enrollment and how they affect your church

Despite several well-known exemptions provided to churches, based on First Amendment protections, not all ministries are exempt from all facets of the ACA. Depending on the number of employees working for your church, different requirements may come into play.

What is the difference between a large employer and a small employer?

The threshold, at which point a small employer is considered a large employer, is 50 employees. Depending on where your ministry ...

How to Protect Your Church During Fall Festival Season

For many, fall is the most beautiful time of year. It can also be the most dangerous time of year and, if you’re not careful, the most expensive time of year. Fall festivals are a fantastic way to bring the community into your church and, conversely, bring your church to the community. However, with all of the enjoyable games and entertainment, there is a higher risk of accident than exists during regular church activities. The risks of giant inflatable playgrounds need not be ...

How NOT to Lose Your Church’s Tax Exempt Status During Election Season

Church congregations are often (understandably) concerned with the outcomes of local, state, and most especially, national elections. While there’s nothing wrong with facilitating a political conversation among your members, it is important that church leaders take precautions so as to not harm their standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Losing the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is a potentially devastating blog to a ministry. Here’s how you can make sure you keep yours during this next election cycle.

Prevent Child Abuse and Create a Safe Ministry Environment

~ We're not concerned about that because we have a small church. ~ ~ We don’t need to do all that background check stuff. ~ ~ Our people wouldn't do that. ~

Sound familiar? Its an all-too-common objection to an uncomfortable topic and also one that no church leader expects to deal with. That's also why it's one of the first questions we ask of a new client - "have you considered creating an ...

Consider this before lending church facilities

It is common practice to lend out church facilities to approved groups - however, to be a good steward of those grounds, it would be wise to consider the potential risks. Some risks of lending church facilities to outside organizations include: Physical injury incurred during user group's activities, while no fault of the church, could result in a lawsuit Injury incurred as a result of physical defects of the church grounds Misconduct by a member of the user group or staff Loss of property ...

Protecting Your Church's Insurability

We wanted to share this simple warning with you - that your church may very well be uninsurable

The insurability of an organization is a delicate matter. At some point, many organizations experience a lack of interest by agents and insurance companies to pursue a business relationship with them. This is mainly due to claims that have been ...

Perform an Asset Inventory to Save Your Church From Loss

Take inventory of your church's assets now, instead of after a disaster, at which point it will be too late. If there was a fire that destroyed your sanctuary tomorrow, how would you know exactly how much you would need from your insurance company to cover the damage? Do you even know what would need replacing. The only way to know exactly is to do a complete asset inventory assessment as soon as possible. This way, if something bad were to happen, you know ...

How to Buy Church Insurance: Find the Right Agent

Protecting your ministry with proper church insurance is the most important thing you will do as a church leader. While your primary focus is rightly on your congregation’s spiritual and physical well-being, it is important to carry the appropriate amount and type of insurance that is tailored to your specific ministry. We're here to demystify the subject. Since we covered the basics of insurance in a previous post, we’re going to talk about how and why it is important to ...

How to Buy Church Insurance: Insurance Basics

As a ministry leader, your primary focus is and should be your congregation's well-being. Buried underneath weekly sermons, visiting sick and elderly members, and spreading your message, several administrative responsibilities exist that can cause some stress, confusion, and general overwhelm. We're here to demystify at least one of those concerns for you - church insurance. This article will deal with the basics of insurance for churches and ministries in Georgia. We will also explain some of the key concepts and coverage options that ...

Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Loaning a Church Vehicle

Is it wise to loan your church van or bus to other groups or members of the church? The safe answer: NO. There are just too many risks involved, which is why we recommend never loaning church vehicles to other people. The main reason is that if there is any accident or damage as a result of a negligent driver, your church, and not the loanee, will be held liable for any damages. Additionally, if the vehicle is used in any non-church related activities, it ...