News and Thought

New Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey

Aaron Spiegel — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:24:00 GMT

The 2008 FACT survey results and new website, http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/ launch this month. Faith Communities Today (FACT) is an interfaith research report that provides key information on a range of subjects...(read more)

First Safety

jane — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:05:00 GMT

Church Safety website provides information to help congregations treat people with dignity and safety by highlighting various groups and ministries they might engage. ...(read more)

A Resource for Working with Volunteers

jane — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:17:00 GMT

As the Center for Congregations works with congregations across the state of Indiana, we encounter many who face challenges as they seek to make ministry meaningful for volunteers. Outside resources are often beneficial. One such resource is a national conference, LifeServe 2010...(read more)

Looking at Technology in Churches Large and Small

jane — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:12:00 GMT

One of our local congregational technology guys, Daryl Cripe from Grace Community Church in Noblesville, was featured in Technologies for Worship Magazine. This on-line article, "Avoid Willow Envy" by Kevin Rogers Cobus...(read more)

Congregation Celebrates Completion of Flourishing Grant

jane — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:50:00 GMT

South Wayne Baptist Church in Fort Wayne (now Fort Wayne Baptist) celebrated the conclusion of its Flourishing Congregations grant with a Thanksgiving dinner on November 18. The purpose was to honor the new outreach children’s ministry the grant helped make possible. ...(read more)

Lectionary Resource Can Help Congregations Reflect on Stewardship

jane — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:51:00 GMT

For congregations following the lectionary, a new year has begun. For congregations preparing to close out the fiscal year, a new year is on the horizon. And for congregations practicing year-round stewardship ...(read more)

Moving Day in Seymour

jane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:02:00 GMT

After a day of moving furniture, unpacking boxes and hanging pictures, the Southeast Center for Congregations office at 100 S. Chestnut Street is open. Congregations are welcome to call or visit the office. ...(read more)

Your Congregation's Directory, with a Twist

jane — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:56:00 GMT

The standard congregational pictorial directory has taken a page from today's popular social networking websites. Directory publisher Olan Mills now offers an alternative to the traditional church directory - the My Family Page Bio Directory. ...(read more)

At the Center

jane — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:07:00 GMT

See what is happening at the Center for Congregations....(read more)

Protect Your Congregation from Fraud and Embezzlement

jane — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Here in Central Indiana we have recently seen three rather public cases involving trusted church employees who embezzled large sums of money from their congregations. In at least one case, no one seems to have suspected anything amiss until the congregation ran out of money. How could this happen?...(read more)

Preparing for the Flu and Other Emergencies

jane — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:41:00 GMT

Being prepared can help congregations deal with the upcoming flu season, the H1N1 virus and other emergencies. Two free on-line articles explore precautions, ...(read more)

Economic Impact Study Results Released

jane — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:53:00 GMT

More than two-thirds of congregations in the current recession reported that their fundraising receipts increased or remained the same in the first half of 2009 compared to 2008, even as the recession was worsening. ...(read more)

Multi-Site Congregations: A Resource List

jane — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:27:00 GMT

The Center for Congregations is receiving more and more requests for resources related to multi-site churches. The multi-site church is defined as ...(read more)

Accessible Information at Your Fingertips

jane — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:56:00 GMT

Did you ever wonder how many Methodists there were in Mooresville? Or Baptists in Brownstown? Or Pentecostals in Peru? Well, there’s a site that can help you find out – thearda.com. ...(read more)

Congregations Explore Sustainability and Earth Care

jane — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:44:00 GMT

Congregations of all kinds are thinking about and acting on issues of sustainability and caring for God’s creation. On September 30, 2009, lay leaders from four Indianapolis congregations ...(read more)

The Alban Institute's Top Ten Articles of 2009

jane — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:38:00 GMT

The Alban Institute releases its ten most-read Alban Weekly articles published in 2009. Topics range from ministry during difficult economic times to prayer in board meetings....(read more)

Twitter and Discipleship

jane — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Check out this commentary piece by Leonard Sweet, titled How Twitter has helped me be a better disciple....(read more)

Poets and the Northeast Expansion

jane — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:35:00 GMT

I have dabbled in poetry most of my adult life, even though much of it was written as prose and delivered as sermon. Lately I have been more given to verse, which I find a greater challenge and a different kind of satisfaction. ...(read more)

Generational Differences Impact Congregational Relationships

jane — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:24:00 GMT

For the first time in history four distinct generations are active and interacting with one another in the workplace . . . and in our congregations. ...(read more)

Scheduling Software and Energy Savings

jane — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:21:00 GMT

One of the latest twists in combining software features for congregations may be new capabilities added to the popular scheduling web-based service EventU. EventU Green, software that controls heating and cooling systems ...(read more)

Social Networking and Congregations

jane — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:54:00 GMT

A recent YouTube video titled “Social Networking in Plain English” claims networks are only as valuable as the people and connections one can see. If I think about real “friends” and connections in my life this makes perfect sense. ...(read more)

We're Listening: Fall Events Feature Topics Congregations Requested

jane — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:59:00 GMT

The core work of the Center for Congregations is resource consulting. This kind of consulting takes shape through the initiative of congregational leaders who approach the Center for ...(read more)

Leap of Faith is a Success for Brownsburg Congregation

jane — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:03:00 GMT

Church is the people within, not the building – members of Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg were reminded of this in a big way as they worked through the challenges of building, relocating and ministering without a facility for more than a year. ...(read more)

Stewardship Resource Highlighted

jane — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:23:00 GMT

Thinking about Stewardship? I recently read Ask, Thank, Tell: Improving Stewardship Ministry in Your Congregation by Charles R. Lane, and it strikes me as a great early summer read ...(read more)

On-Line Publications Focus on Economy and Congregations

jane — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:52:00 GMT

In April, Leadership Network released a publication entitled How the Economic Slump is (or Isn’t) Hitting Churches. This resource is unique in that it reports Leadership Network’s survey research ...(read more)

Network of Faith

jane — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:52:00 GMT

The Evansville Courier Press recently featured an article on congregations and social networking, highlighting information from local congregational leaders and from Wendy McCormick, director of the Center for Congregations' southwest office. ...(read more)

Mark Chaves: Congregations embrace technology

Aaron Spiegel — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:10:00 GMT

Of everything that we measured in both the 1998 and 2006-07 National Congregations Study (NCS), by far the largest change we registered was in congregations’ use of computer technology....(read more)

The Effects of Electronic Culture

jane — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:23:00 GMT

You may have heard professors, congregational leaders and TV preachers say, “the message always is the same; how we communicate it must change with the times.” They may be only half right. How we communicate may change the message itself in ways ...(read more)

Church Aid in Elkhart

Aaron Spiegel — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:25:00 GMT

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly did this special report on how congregations in Elkhart are helping people weather the financial crisis....(read more)

Facing the Financial Crisis: 10 Smart Things Your Board Can Do Now

Aaron Spiegel — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:34:00 GMT

Congregations seeking to weather the current financial crisis may benefit from looking to the wider non-profit sector for advice....(read more)

Top Resource Picks

jane — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:23:00 GMT

Check out the top resource picks from our most recent workshop presenters!...(read more)

Making the Connection

jane — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:43:00 GMT

A group of local congregational leaders recently gathered at the Southwest Center for Congregations in Evansville to talk about using social networking tools in ministry. Though most confessed inexperience, several see these tools as opportunities ...(read more)

Link Partners with Congregations

jane — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:15:00 GMT

Link Federal Credit Union here in Central Indiana is seeking to partner with congregations in offering the Freed Up financial living course from the Willow Creek Association...(read more)

NE Congregations use Flourishing Tools

jane — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:19:00 GMT

Thirteen northeast Indiana congregations received grants from the Center to help their leaders use the tools they learned at the Flourishing Congregations Summit. Grant recipients are: ...(read more)

Do You Twitter?

jane — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:56:00 GMT

I Twitter. Do you? If you don’t, then maybe it’s because you don’t even know what Twitter is. Twitter is a free, social networking service...(read more)