Free Playground Equipment

If your church is considering a playground equipment purchase, check out the grant program from Miracle Recreation Equipment Co. I spoke with the sponsors, and it appears that Miracle’s Grants for America’s Schools Program can be applicable to churches with or without a school component.

The program awards up to $5 million in grant money to help fund the purchase of Miracle commercial play and recreation equipment. Of course the company is big on helping children learn through physical, social and cognitive development.

Churches that are interested need to fill out an application, as well as work with their local Miracle rep to make sure they provide accurate information about the scope of the project. The company will help identify who your local rep is and answer any questions. For more information, visit Miracle’s grant info site.

God bless,

Karen

The other day I finally completed a move from one apartment to another. Moving – hands down – is one of my least favorite things to do, right up there with cardio exercises and that air-poof test the optometrist gives at the end of an eye exam. But all three of those things are necessary for well-being. I run on the treadmill to burn calories and stay heart-healthy, I endure the air-poof test to make sure I’m not developing glaucoma – and also to placate my eyecare insurer, and I moved to be closer to the office and to drive less.

Moving an entire church, however, seems like an ordeal that I don’t know if I could handle. In fact, I get little anxiety bumps on my arms just thinking about it. It’s not so much the lugging of the boxes and furniture. It’s the packing, the throwing away of stuff and the logistical planning challenges that bug me. I look at some churches I know who outgrew old buildings and built new ones at different sites, and I think, “How in the world did you make this happen?” (E-mail me with your moving success stories.) The likely answer is that nothing in the world made it happen. It was, in fact, God that made it happen. Similarly, I think of churches that undergo expansions or go multisite. Similar to moving, these changes require an acquisition of many new materials that can be arduous and stressful. (To read some advice on making multisite possible, check out the latest GROW e-book from the NACDB.)

During a moving process, it seems that people – and churches – have to re-evaluate themselves a bit, especially in regards to their belongings. Keep this item? Donate it? Throw it away? These decisions provide opportunities to focus on who you are, where you’re going and what you’ll need to get there.

I guess moving is important after all. But I’m still glad I’m done with it for now.

Blessings,

John Carlisle

Associate Editor

Times are tough these days, with $4-a-gallon gas and soaring grocery bills. Times are also confusing, and if you’re a pastor, church administrator or church leader, you’re probably aware of the information battle going on: If the country’s in a recession (and, though it’s not official from the National Bureau of Economic Research yet, we probably are), will church giving plummet? Will it stay constant or even increase? These are the million-dollar questions that determine how much belt-tightening – or expansion – should be done, but the truth still seems nebulous.

First and foremost, you should know that I have seen and been directly apart of conflicting reports on this issue. I am partially to blame for the muddling. If you read our March money issue, you might have noticed that the thesis of the "Boom or Bust" article was, “Sure, the economy is slow, but people will still give.” We talked to financial experts from church synods, church business consultants and others who all said, basically, that now is not only a time for renewed stewardship – because people are spending less on frivolous things – but also a good time to consider a capital campaign or building project. Land and property are relatively inexpensive, interest rates are low, contractors might bid low in order to scrape up much-needed business ... the indicators seem to be there to take a financial risk.

On the other hand, this is still a poor economy. Everything from the electric bill to toilet paper is getting more expensive, and no one knows when the let-up will be and how soon it will happen. Similarly, a recent study from Wilson Research Strategies and Dunham+Company said that Christian adults are more apprehensive these days about giving to charity. The logical conclusion, then, is that they’re less likely to give to the Church.

To help shed light on this, Patrick Johnson, vice president of Strategic Partners and Church Services, will be leading a free Church Solutions webinar from 2-3 p.m. August 7. Though still more than a month away, I can bet your church might still be asking the same questions then that I am pondering now. Patrick and other experts are poised to offer some real advice and solutions.

Beyond all of my speculation is the truth of what you all are experiencing in your congregations. I know we’re in the summer months, which unfortunately usually means smaller worship attendance, but have you observed an offering swoon, or are you unaffected?

Confused but still optimistic,

John Carlisle

Associate Editor