Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2017

By Raul Rivera

Did you know that in 2017 we published more than 120 blog posts? My guess is only a small handful of you were actually able to read each and every blog post. I get that - as a pastor your attention is constantly being pulled in a thousand different directions, and your time is valuable.

For this reason, we always conclude the year with a list of our 10 most popular blogs of the year - just in case you happened to miss any of them.

At StartCHURCH, we exist to empower pastors and ministry leaders, just like yourself, with the knowledge, skills, and resources that allow you to protect what God has given you to lead.

One of the ways we seek to accomplish this goal is through our weekly blogs. 

So, given that you are most likely crunched for time, below is a list of the 10 most read blogs of 2017. A brief overview of each blog is also provided to help you determine which specific blogs are more pertinent to you and your ministry at this time.

Enjoy!

Top 10 blogs of 2017

1. “Late Pastor’s Widow Arrested During Service”

What you will learn: Since the unexpected passing of Bishop Benjamin Gibert of Detroit World Outreach (DWO) in 2017, there has been an ongoing feud between the board of elders of DWO and the late bishop’s widow, Dr. Charisse Gibert. The feud between the two parties involves who should succeed the bishop. In this blog post we examine what happens when succession language is unclear in your bylaws and what you can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to your church.

Click here to read the blog.

2. “The Dangers of Copy and Paste”

What you will learn: Most church planters have it in their hearts to start their churches off on the right track. However, more often than not, budget limitations dictate that they either turn to their former pastor or to their peers for guidance in creating bylaws. This is especially so since new church plants lack the hefty funds required to hire an attorney (a probable charge of somewhere between $150.00 and $250.00 per hour). This, in-turn, results in a “rehashing” of recycled bylaws that roam the Internet, which can lead to mismatched, unclear, and sometimes contradictory language in one of the most important governing documents of the church.

Click here to read and find out how to strengthen your church’s bylaws.

3. “Do You Know How to Pay Guest Speakers?”

What you will learn: Churches regularly use the services and spiritual gifts of guest speakers. In fact, chances are that your church has recently hosted a guest speaker, or it has plans to do so in the near future. In this blog post, we address a couple of questions commonly asked by pastors that pertain to paying guest speakers: 1. “How much should we pay guest speakers?”, and 2. “Is there a proper way to pay guest speakers?”

Click here to read more about how to pay guest speakers.

4. “The Do’s and Don’ts of Counting Church Money”

What you will learn: If I have seen it once, I have seen it a thousand times; at some point pastors are faced with the realization that their calling involves more than just preaching and teaching the gospel. One such responsibility that every pastor will inevitably face is that of being a good steward with the tithes and offerings. This blog addresses the 5 “do’s” and 3 “don’ts” of counting church money that every pastor should know about.

Click here to learn about the “do’s” and “don’t” of counting church money.

5. “How to Better Protect Your Ministry’s Religious Liberties”

What you will learn: Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in 2015, perhaps the most frequently asked questions we receive from pastors and ministry leaders pertain to protecting the religious liberties of their churches and ministries. This blog provides you with 3 actions that your church or ministry should take today to better protect its religious liberties.

Click here to read about what steps you can take to protect your religious liberties.

6. “Should Your Church Rent its Facilities to Another Church?”

What you will learn: It is not uncommon for one church to help another church by allowing the church to rent and use its facilities. Churches usually do this to help another church while it is working to get itself established. But before you decide to do this, is there anything you need to know? This blog post provides you with 5 issues to consider before you decide to lease your church facilities to another church.

Click here to read this blog post. 

7. “How Pastors Misuse Church Credit Cards”

What you will learn: This blog post examines the consequences that could result from ministers using the church credit card for personal use, and then it introduces an easy remedy that any church can implement.

Click here to read this blog post.

8. “6 Fundraising Ideas for Churches That Work”

What you will learn: Most churches and ministries rely heavily upon tithes and offerings received each Sunday in order to operate on a monthly, and sometimes even weekly, basis. Yet, what about when those tithes and offering dwindle? Many ministries experience a yo-yo type funding model: up one week, down the next. Income instability has created an environment that makes it hard for many churches to succeed. This blog introduces six fundraising ideas for your church to consider implementing - you will probably be surprised at how practical and attainable the ideas are.

Click here to read about implementing fundraising ideas that actually work for churches.

9. “How to Become an Ordained Minister”

What you will learn: Do you know there is a difference between spiritual ordination and legal ordination? If asked, would you be able to explain the difference between the two and the importance of each? The truth of the matter is that ordination is one of the most misunderstood subjects for pastors and ministry leaders. In this blog, we examine several myths surrounding ordination, and we examine steps that you can take to ensure your ordination is legal.

Click here to learn more about ordination.

10. “10 Do’s and Don’ts of Pastoral Sermons”

What you will learn: When it comes to using someone else’s sermon for inspiration or when borrowing someone else’s material to drive home a certain point in your sermon, when does it become plagiarism? This blog examines 5 “do’s” and 5 “don’ts” of pastoral sermons that every pastor should carefully consider.

Click here to read this blog post.

Final thoughts of 2018

I pray you find these blog posts as useful and resourceful as many other pastors and ministry leaders have. At StartCHURCH, we fully believe that 2018 will be a time for you and your ministry to dream a new dream . . . to dream a bigger dream . . . to dream a God-size dream.

Take to heart when I say that we are here for you, and we are joining our faith with your faith, believing that 2018 will be the best year yet for you and your ministry!

Additional blog articles for you:

• “No Offerings, No Problem”
• “Church’s Records Get Pastor in Hot Water”
• “Court Says Love Offerings are Taxable”

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