FROM THE EDITOR
Filling a void, together
As of press time, the Church Executive team is preparing to attend The Church Network 62nd Annual Conference in New Orleans.
Personally, this will be my 14th trip to this annual gathering; so, the gentlemen on our cover this month— CEO Simeon May and Deputy CEO Phill Martin— are familiar, friendly faces.
If they aren’ t familiar to you, however, we believe they should be.
Established in 1956, The Church Network( formerly the National Association of
Church Business Administration, or NACBA) is uniquely tailored to come alongside church leaders as they navigate tough organizational and operational challenges.
From networking opportunities( online and in-person), to salary insights, to Certified Church Administrator( CCA) accreditation, an e-learning lab, job center and much more, TCN is filling an in-demand resources void. In many ways, its tagline and guiding principle— Don’ t Go It Alone— mirrors our own at Church Executive.
In this article, you’ ll be introduced to The Church Network, of course. But, you’ ll also learn how May and Martin came to their roles from the pew and the pulpit, respectively, and how this in-the-trenches perspective has helped them ensure the association’ s education and training offerings are not only relevant today, but also predictive— ahead of the curve. Look for that article beginning on page 6.
Exploring military chaplaincy: We’ re also honored to be presenting several“ Chaplain Profiles” throughout this issue, in conjunction with The United States Army.
If you’ ve ever considered military chaplaincy, you’ ll see— through the personal stories of five different Army chaplains, both active-duty and Reserve-duty— that the path looked different for each. Their backgrounds are extremely diverse, and even unexpected. Yet, without exception, all these chaplains now find themselves exactly where they need, want( and most importantly, are called) to be.
Look for those profiles on pages 10, 18, 20 & 22.
In Active Shooter Awareness & Training, two church security experts talk about how a church can make itself less of a target; the most critical elements of an effective response plan; crisis communication tools at a church’ s disposal; training tips and more.
In The architect as partner, architects, pastors and a church CFO talk about how to navigate— or better yet, avoid— the usual challenges of a church building project by ensuring a true partnership is in place from the get-go. That means the architect must understand the relationship between ministry and space design; turn challenges into opportunities; translate the church ' s unique culture into its design; and ensure the resulting facility— first and foremost— reaches people for Christ.
In How to retain & expand supporters through digital giving, two digital giving experts discuss the correlation between digital giving and engagement; the reasons why some church leaders still resist digital giving; and how digital giving can attract first-time gifts, move those givers to more regular contributions, and encourage consistent givers to sustain( or even increase) their generosity.
In How to drive connection & assimilation using church management software, four experts in church management software( ChMS) development talk about what prevents church leaders from using their ChMS to its maximum advantage when it comes to driving connection and assimilation among first-time visitors and new church members. Importantly, they also offer practical, triedand-true strategies for breaking free from those constraints.
As always, we’ re eager to hear your thoughts on these offerings, or anything else you read in this issue.
All the best,
RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief
CLA
churchexecutive. com Volume 17, Number 4
4742 N. 24th St., Ste. 340 Phoenix, AZ 85016 • 800.541.2670
Judi Victor CEO, Publisher and Director of Sales jvfly @ churchexecutive. com
RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief rslaybaugh @ churchexecutive. com
Stephen Gamble Senior Creative Director sgamble @ churchexecutive. com
Joyce Guzowski Associate Editor jguzowski @ churchexecutive. com
Mitch Larson Business Manager mlarson @ churchexecutive. com
Brittany Viar Marketing & Sales Associate bviar @ churchexecutive. com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL
Stephen Briggs Associate Pastor of Administration First Baptist Church | Hendersonville, NC
Denise Craig Chief Financial Officer Abba’ s House | Hixson, TN
Mike Klockenbrink Chief of Staff Lakeside Church | Folsom, CA
Dan Mikes Executive Vice President Bank of the West | San Ramon, CA
John C. Mrazek III Executive Pastor Pathways Church | Denver, CO
Sam S. Rainer III Senior Pastor West Bradenton Baptist Church | Bradenton, FL
Mark Simmons Business Manager Christ Community Church | Milpitas, CA
Eric Spacek Senior Manager GuideOne Insurance | West Des Moines, IA
A publication of:
A host of topical Remote Roundtable Discussions: We believe that a mix of expert and peer perspectives is an effective way to help our readers overcome common church management challenges.
> TALK TO ME: Email: rslaybaugh @ churchexecutive. com Facebook: Church Executive Magazine Twitter: @ churchexecutive. com
Church Executive ™ Magazine is published bi-monthly by Power Trade Media, a division of The Producers, Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription rates for non-qualified subscribers, single issue prices and pricing for reprints of 100 or more are available from: info @ churchexecutive. com. All articles in Church Executive ™ Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2018 by Power Trade Media. No advertisement, sponsorship or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed an endorsement by Power Trade Media, and no warranty is made or implied. Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but is not guaranteed, and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed in Church Executive ™ Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsors or advertisers. Content addressing legal, tax and other technical issues is not intended as professional advice and cannot be relied on as such; readers should consult with their own professional advisors.
CHURCH EXECUTIVE. COM | 3