Many churches are plateaued or declining. Why? I have observed a few things over the years that might be of interest to you.

Location: Where is your church building located? Who are your neighbors? With the exception of regional or semi-regional churches, your growth will reflect your willingness to identify your church with your immediate community and its needs.

Innovation: Are you willing (or able) to adapt your current ministry priorities to most effectively meet expectations of the people you wish to reach? Most long established churches struggle with this. Newly planted churches twenty years down-the-road will struggle with this as well. Change is inevitable. While not compromising the Gospel, why not make your ministries relevant to your community?

Integration: How do you help people disciple one another and fellowship with one another. Usually fellowship with one another is accompanied with discipleship. Some overly depend upon a Sunday worship gathering. Is this enabling real interaction among your people? Do they feel they belong to Christ, one another and not just a church on a corner?

Inspiration: Jesus said that He would build His church. We can’t. We are, however, called upon to do our best in reaching and discipling people for Christ and His church. The Holy Spirit, will guide you through the thought processes that help you solve the task of church growth even as you grow spiritually.

Helping Your Pastor Financially

You can help your pastor save on his taxes and also help the pastor and the church office to comply with IRS guidelines by following some of these suggestions:

1. Every December, have your ordained pastor turn in a written request for a housing allowance to the person who prepares the church payroll.

2. Have the church set aside an amount in the budget for mileage reimbursement. This is not an allowance and it is not salary. When the pastor drives his car for visitation, the hospital, weddings, funerals and other church business away from the church office, he can turn in his mileage each month for reimbursement from the church.

3. Set up a reimbursement account for books, DVDs, magazines, conferences and other materials your pastor may need to purchase for sermon and Bible study preparation and leadership growth.

4. Health insurance for your pastor, church staff and secretaries should be paid by the church.

5. Retirement for the pastor can be sent to Guidestone or another annuity.

6. Give your pastor a W-2 each year, not a 1099.

Florida Baptist Association

Association Council Meeting

(This is our twice-a-year meeting for senior pastors and a church representative)

Thursday, March 18

10:30 Fellowship & Refreshments

11:00 Meeting (Lunch following meeting)

Grace Baptist Church, 793 Crawfordville Hwy., Crawfordville

Guests:

Rick Wheeler, Director Leadership and Life Development, Florida Baptist Convention

Will McRaney, Director, Evangelism Strategy Department, Florida Baptist Convention

Special Report, Haiti Study Group

Breakout sessions

Small Groups Ministry Roundtable

Thursday, March 25

Noon - 1:00pm

Association Office

Pastors and Church Leaders Conference

"How To Guide Change in my Church"

Thursday, April 22

10:00am - Noon

Association Office

Conference Leader: Rick Wheeler, Director, Leadership and Life Development Department,

Florida Baptist Convention

Deacon Ministry Workshop

Saturday, May 15

9:00 - 10:30 am

Florida Baptist Association

Target Group: Pastors and the Chairman of Deacons

Leaders:

Rick Stewart, Immanuel Baptist Church

David Southerland, Florida Baptist Association

FSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry

Dear Partners in Christ,

Thank you from all of us at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry for partnering with us in so many ways: prayer, cookie ministry, donations, repairs around the building, etc. One of the biggest ways to impact our ministry is to partner with us by providing food for our Edge Café on Thursdays. This ministry alone can bring about 180+ students into a Christian environment to fellowship and eat a meal for $1. The dollar is to cover our cost of paper goods for the Edge. We encourage the hosting church to introduce and invite our students to come and fellowship with your church.

The following upcoming 2010 dates are open for the Edge Café:

March 4, 2010

April 1, 2010

April 8, 2010

We would certainly appreciate your support and assistance. Coordinate with your Sunday School class, mission group or church friends to sponsor a date or partner with another church. If you would like to help, please contact:

Pam at fsubcm@fsubcm.org or call 850-222-4444.

In Him,

FSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry

Florida Baptist Children's Home

Deadline - March 15

You can change a life in Haiti by filling a Bucket of Hope for a Haitian family still suffering from the devastating effects of the earthquake that occurred on January 12th.

   You can help by purchasing a white plastic five-gallon bucket and packing it with rice, cooking oil, black beans, flour, sugar, spaghetti noodles, and peanut butter. Once the food supplies are used, Haitian families will find multiple everyday uses for the bucket.

    In addition, we are requesting that you include a $10 cash contribution in an envelope attached to the lid of the bucket. These funds will help offset the cost of transporting the relief buckets to Haiti.

Buckets can be dropped off at the Florida Baptist Children's Home in Tallahassee by March 15.

More specific information is available on our website at www.fbchomes.org

Champions for Life Banquet

(Bill Glass Prison Ministry)

Monday, March 8, 6:00 -8:30 pm

Leon County Civic Center

Tickets - $15

Doors open at 6:00 pm

Join the local Champions for Life Team as they prepare to go into the prison in the Tallahassee area on May 13-15

Featuring:

David Pendleton - One of the nation’s premiere ventriloquists

Tino Wallenda – Member of the Flying Wallendas

Music – Fortress

Jack – "Murf the Surf" Murphy

The Batmobile

Motorcyles

For more information - www.billglass.org

Local contact: Nancy Conoly at 385-1185 or 544-4080 or

email: tallahasseewoc@comcast.net

March

7-14 Annie Armstrong Home Missions Emphasis/Easter Offering

11 Association Directors Mtg., Assoc. Office, Noon

14 Daylight Savings Time (Spring Forward)

18 Association Council Mtg., Grace Baptist Church, 10:30am Fellowship, 11:00pm Mtg. (Lunch following meeting)

April

2 Good Friday (Office Closed)

4 Easter

8 Retirement Seminar, 10:30am - Noon, Association Office

16-17 Jail & Prison Ministry - Regional Conference, Blue Springs

18 Cooperative Program Sunday

22 How to Guide Change in my Church, 10:00am - Noon, Association Office