After much trial and error, I have come up with this method of printing a service or sermon text to be put in a small binder for use in worsip, using free and open source software. And I thought it was worth sharing with you. First you will need to download the LibreOffice office suite;… Continue reading Printing out pages for a sermon or service book
Category: Church administration
Resources from the Management Center
I was talking to a friend tonight about management — church management in particular — and once again turned back to a favorite resource, the Management Center. I can recommend their courses, but if you live too far from where they offer them (or it filled up) then be sure to get the companion book,… Continue reading Resources from the Management Center
A page full of handbooks!
So, I was talking with a couple of people: what would we do if the Unitarian Universalist Association ceased to exist? Not a death wish, but contingency planning. And a way of identifying what’s a must-have and not just a might-want. Someone mulled, “what does the NACCC do?” That’s the National Association of Congregational Christian… Continue reading A page full of handbooks!
Kentucky joins the unincorporated nonprofits club
I’ve written about the option of organizing churches as unincorporated nonprofit associations in states that provided for them by law. That provides structure and protections more like what you have in a nonprofit corporation but with fewer complications. Unfortunately, that’s not too many states. Last month, Kentucky joined the club. Gov. Steve Beshear signed into… Continue reading Kentucky joins the unincorporated nonprofits club
Things to try out
Now, with the preaching done for the day, I’m trying out three technology fixes: to find the best (that is, most appropriate and quickest to learn) tool for modifying images for a website, social media and the like. to see which of the static web development tool would work best for something like a church… Continue reading Things to try out
Plans for 2015
I’m not much for resolutions: I rarely start well, forget them quickly and then late in the year reproach myself for failure. Why bother? But I will make plans for the blog. I mean it both as a notebook for me and (more importantly) a resource and commentary for you, the readers. A review of… Continue reading Plans for 2015
The little three-hole punch
While I’m mulling on whether or not to blog on the recent reportage about the Starr King School for the Ministry — it won’t be nice-nice-sweet-sweet if I do — I thought I would review a helpful bit of office equipment of particular use for ministers: the small three-hole punch, meant for 8.5 x 5.5… Continue reading The little three-hole punch
Serving the online church
I’ve signed up for so many accounts to manage my business relations with companies lately that I wonder what services a church — say, program-sized or larger — might offer online. I’m not suggesting that this suite of services already exists, or that everyone would find it desirable, but the such online services might expand… Continue reading Serving the online church
Ubuntu Linux for Ministry: a feature for orders of service
So, this hasn’t been a weekly Thursday feature as I intended. Nor is this, properly speaking, a Ubuntu Linux-only feature, as it’s uses LibreOffice Writer, and that’s available for Windows and Mac OS X, too. (It is free and open-source software — FOSS — and you can get it here.) A small thing — making… Continue reading Ubuntu Linux for Ministry: a feature for orders of service
Coding for …?
In my experience, attempts to introduce technology lessons for lawyers means an opportunity for clergy, too. Small-firm lawyers and clergy very often have this much in common: a need for technology, perhaps more than is currently thought, and few opportunities to learn about it, even though they have a deep educational background. I mentioned this… Continue reading Coding for …?