Ubuntu Linux for Ministry: a new feature, hopefully helpful

With all the talk about student debt, low salaries, missing employment, unwanted bivocationality and plain-old poverty in the ministry, it makes some sense to address ways of saving money as a way of making-do, because structural change (and success is not guaranteed) takes time. That’s a good reason to put free-of-charge Ubuntu Linux on an… Continue reading Ubuntu Linux for Ministry: a new feature, hopefully helpful

So, here’s that clever order of service I described

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a set of nicely-formatted orders of service/bulletins from First Church (Unitarian), Boston, that I found in the archives at the Andover-Harvard library. They were preserved in a file about coordinated opposition to the consolidation of the Unitarians and the Universalists because the minister’s message in them. But I recognized… Continue reading So, here’s that clever order of service I described

Historical Unitarian church accounting!

I ran across an American Unitarian Association booklet “Church finance and accounting” — undated, but having internal examples suggesting 1914 — that makes for fun reading. On the one hand, some things were very different then. It includes a review of the proprietor (pew owner) and pew rental system, and deprecates both to the free-pew… Continue reading Historical Unitarian church accounting!

Why do ministers hate writing newsletter columns?

I was chatting with some parish ministers; one complained about having to go back to finish a newsletter column, to the moans and commiserations of the others. (The weekly newsletter-meditation implied by the order of service-themed blog post yesterday only raises the demand.) I lightly chuckled, since I don’t have that responsibility anymore. And funny,… Continue reading Why do ministers hate writing newsletter columns?

Archives search: a nicely laid-out order of service

My day at the Andover-Harvard Library archives was running out, so I wanted to see what I could as quickly as possible, including the files related to an ad hoc organization opposed to the creation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, from a minority of Universalists and Unitarians alike. One of the opposing Unitarian churches was… Continue reading Archives search: a nicely laid-out order of service

Filing for non-profit status: hope and help for smaller organizations

Ever been stymied getting a non-profit organization together? Got word from the IRS yesterday that a draft form 1023-EZ was being make available for review, for possible use this summer. And little wonder: the form 1023 is what an organization files to acquire its tax-exempt status. It’s a beast to complete, and the filing fee… Continue reading Filing for non-profit status: hope and help for smaller organizations

One CRM to rule them all

I don’t agree with Unitarian Universalist blogger and minister Tom Schade on his call for a common UUA-wide CRM (customer relationship management) tool on practical grounds. In short, I think it isn’t any real kind of reorganization, but rather he conflates a tool with a creative and productive culture, and so would disappoint those hoping… Continue reading One CRM to rule them all

Watching Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act, 2014 edition

I’ve written before how state adoption of the Revised Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act — look; RUUNA, a UU acronym with no Unitarian Universalist reference — can make church organization easier and polity more organic, rather than always borrowing the idiom of corporations or trusts. It is being considered this year/session in two states: South… Continue reading Watching Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act, 2014 edition

The free and open-source tools I use the most (that non-Linux users can also use)

After the call for tools, what can you get today? Free software, as defined by the Free Software Foundation — their office is halfway between old 25 and new 24 — is means software that respects users’ freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change… Continue reading The free and open-source tools I use the most (that non-Linux users can also use)