StartCHURCH's 10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2016

By Raul Rivera

How many of our 115+ blog posts published in 2016 did you read? My guess is that there are just a handful of individuals who 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.

That is why we always conclude the year with our 10 most popular blog posts - just in case you happened to miss any of them.

At StartCHURCH, the main reason why we exist is to empower pastors and church leaders with the knowledge, skills, and resources that allow them to protect that which God has given them to lead by establishing a solid legal foundation that endures throughout the existence of their ministry.

One of the ways that we seek to accomplish this goal is through our weekly blogs. So, given that you are most likely crunched for time, we have listed our top 10 blogs of 2016 with a brief overview of each to help you determine which ones are more pertinent to you and your ministry at this time. Enjoy!

Top 10 blogs of 2016

1. “How Pastors Misuse Church Credit Cards & What To Do About It”

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

Click here to read.

2. “Avoid These Common Pastoral Mistakes”

What you will learn: This post reviews three of the most common compliance issues ministries face and how you can address them. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it is a good starting point to strengthen your church’s legal foundation.

Click here to read.

3. “Tither Denied Deduction Because Church was not 501(c)(3)”

What you will learn: This post examines the case of Jack Lane Taylor v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Taylor was informed that his donations totaling $8,647.00 to his church were not tax-deductible. Although Mr. Taylor felt the IRS was wrong to deny his deduction since he had given them to a church, the denial was still upheld.

Click here to read and find out why Mr. Taylor’s argument did not hold up.

4. “Same-Sex Marriage, Now Transgender Bathrooms; What Churches Should Know”

What you will learn: This post looks at what has taken place since the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling on the legality of same-sex marriage. One of the most notable issues relating to this topic is that of the transgender bathrooms. In this blog we provide three active measures that your church can take today in order to protect itself from a hostile legislative culture.

Click here to read.

5. “A Lesson Learned from Kim and Kanye’s Pastor”

What you will learn: This post gives you an introduction in copyright law and it teaches you how you can avoid making the same mistakes that Kim and Kanye’s pastor made.

Click here to read.

6. “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. 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.

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

7. “3 People Your Church Cannot Overlook”

What you will learn: When pastors begin planning for the launch of a new church, they often think of the various people who will join their launch team. Usually when one begins a church, the pastor is thinking of those who will be on staff or congregational volunteers. Pastors go to great lengths to ensure these people are in place when the new church begins. But, are there others that pastors should be considering as essential team players? 

The answer is, “Yes!”. 

Click here to read.

8. “Does a Church Need to be 501(c)(3) Approved?”

What you will learn: The amount of misinformation surrounding 501(c)(3) tax exemption and churches can be overwhelming. In this post we take time to clear the air surrounding this question once and for all.

Click here to read.

9. “The Minister’s Housing Allowance Back Under Attack”

What you will learn: The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is once again challenging the minister’s housing allowance. This coming just two-years after their last attack on the constitutionality of the minister’s housing allowance. FFRF’s previous case was dismissed on the basis that they lacked “standing”, and that’s exactly what the court did, but not before giving them some advice. With that advice put into action they are back in court.

Click here to read and find what you should expect moving forward regarding the minister’s housing allowance.

10. “What Every Minister Needs to Know About Ordination”

What you will learn: Ordination is one of the most misunderstood subjects for both pastors and churches, and unfortunately, ministers have bought into some “myths” concerning ordination. In this post we address some of the myths surrounding ordination and we introduce you to 5 steps that every church should implement in its ordination program.

Click here to read.

Closing thoughts

I pray you find these blog posts as useful as many other pastors and church leaders did. At StartCHURCH, we fully believe that 2017 will be a time or you and your ministry to dream a new dream . . . to dream a bigger dream . . . to dream a God dream.

Take to heart when I say that we are here for you, and we are joining our faith with your faith, believing that 2017 will be the best year yet for you and your ministry!

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