The Foundation’s church accounting services encompass all repetitive bookkeeping functions, including the daily reconciliations of bank accounts, processing of payments to vendors, posting of daily deposits, reimbursements to staff and congregants, the ongoing general journal entries to the church’s general ledger, and the monthly preparation of financial statements. In delivering this service, Boozer has one objective, “I want to help the administrative and accounting process fade into the background so that church staff can focus on ministry.”

God’s word exhorts us to allow our thinking to reign over our emotions and feelings. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to renew our emotions. For God’s children, a renewed mind should dominate and determine the heart’s desires. What about the heart? Put simply, the heart often wants the wrong things. In Jeremiah, the heart is deceitful and desperately sick. In Proverbs, we are exhorted to guard it – to watch over it with all diligence. Why? Because from it flows the springs of life. Proverbs 23:7 states simply, “As a man thinketh in his heart – so he is.”

Taking the great commission seriously, Image Church exists to grow the family of God by making disciples and building families. Since forming the church, this body of believers has grown tremendously, with entire families coming to the Lord. In fact, at the time of this writing, they will soon celebrate 21 baptisms at one time, the most in their church history!

So the need to find a facility that would allow them to continue to grow both physically and spiritually was imperative.

The decision to build a new facility was accompanied by a period of waiting, prayer, and trust—and the church was rewarded by seeing God’s hand at work. Grace Community paid off its existing building loan in 2020, and received a substantial donation in 2021. 2022 saw the church continuing to wait on the Lord for his guidance and provision, before deciding to move forward with building plans. All the while, the church continued to grow and expand, especially amongst younger families.

While the construction/renovation process can be an exciting time for a church, some of the most significant kingdom impact comes when the contractors put away their tools and turn the building over to the church.

When I was a boy, my earthly dad had a repetitive charge. On weekends when I was preparing to go out, he would say, “Don’t forget you are a McDonald!” He was admonishing me to live and behave in light of my earthly identity – an identity he spent a lifetime modeling and demonstrating. My father was reminding me to live in a manner worthy of my family heritage.

The Paradox Church, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is a church passionate about saturating Fort Worth with the glory and grace of Jesus, with a particular focus on the downtown area. Originally planted 12 years ago, Paradox has since planted four churches nearby—and one of those plants has gone on to plant another church of its own.

People and organizations driven by HUMILITY engage themselves and their efforts to magnify God through the Spirit-filled exercise of their giftings while at the same time battling and defeating the weaknesses and frailties of their flesh. The goal? To become strong in weak areas and to live a Micah 6:8 life – to walk and work humbly with our God.

The building itself was an unlikely choice—an old plumbing supply warehouse with stained concrete sides, huge loading dock doors, and an overgrown parking lot. But for CityView Church, this warehouse would become home. The transformation that followed seemed nothing short of miraculous, both visually and in terms of God’s timing and provision.

If we succeed like Mary in “connecting the dots” we must think deeply about the incarnation. It alone should dominate our thoughts. We should engage in the wonderment of a holy God redeeming an unholy people. We should treasure this as the ultimate gift of Christmas. Christmas is all God’s grace in one tiny face.

Today’s reality is that most churches will need to secure debt to obtain the facilities they need to minister to their communities. Here are three ways churches can be good stewards of the resources entrusted to them while managing their debt

When you encountered this article’s title, I suspect your mind defaulted to Golgotha and the crucifixion. The three wooden crosses of Randy Travis’ song refer to the common practice of placing wooden crosses along roadways where fatalities occurred – those places where an earthly life reached its conclusion. In a way, the two are connected. When Jesus left this world behind, He left behind His followers and gave them one commission and one commandment. He made provisions for their well-being and ensured they had everything they needed to not only live an abundant life but also to accomplish the kingdom objectives He laid out.

The need for additional budget funds is impacting most churches while contributing families are also being hit hard by rising costs and may be tempted to reduce their giving. How can churches deal effectively with the need for additional budget resources during a season when reduced giving may become a reality? Here are eight ways to reduce expenses and improve revenue:

Many children in foster care feel unlovable because of the abuse they’ve suffered all their lives. Far too many young adults aging out of the foster care system will become homeless, incarcerated, in prostitution, sex trafficked, or dead within three years. Staggering truths like these led Susan Klaus to form Agape Ranch in 2014. Agape Ranch is a thriving faith-based non-profit offering a forward-thinking and compassionate community-based solution to the foster care crisis facing America today.

How does your church engage congregants in the stewardship arena? Are you helping members “see their part in God’s story” regarding their life stewardship? In crafting a stewardship storyline, the discipline of rhetoric offers insight.

What a remarkable time we are living here in Texas! It’s exciting for me as I moved here in late December from Florida and started working at the Foundation on January 3, 2022, after spending 30 years in banking. It’s also thrilling to see the tremendous growth happening in Texas! What an awesome opportunity for God’s church to reach the people God brings.

For almost two decades, the Foundation has provided its clients with quality investment products anchored by the trusted back-office services of GuideStone Mutual Funds and PNC Institutional Asset Management. The SBTF is privileged to manage over $140 million in kingdom assets and would be honored to visit with your organization.

According to Kason Branch, Senior Pastor of Creekstone Church, “Purchasing a building that’s already renovated has allowed us to transition quickly and smoothly while focusing our resources on ministry programs and services that bless people immediately. Our new facility has been a real game changer!”

Have you ever needed the Lord’s help? One of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, contains the following line, “Here I raise my Ebenezer, here by Thy great help I’ve Come.” Ebenezer literally means “the stone of help” and refers to a significant moment in Israel’s history.

Remodeling a 70-year-old former car dealership has plenty of unique challenges; however, Coastal has experienced firsthand how God’s provision and timing are so much better than anything they could have planned throughout the entire process.