Though fall made its entrance weeks ago, church staff members have been preparing for months in anticipation of one of the church’s busiest seasons: the holidays. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, come a plethora of opportunities for churches to minister and serve the community. ServiceU can help make the administrative aspects of your holiday schedule run smoothly with software that manages events and giving.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Inc. in 1976. In just 35 years, Apple changed the face of technology. This company has done many things right. As I've been reflecting on Steve’s legacy, it occurred to me that there may be some things church leaders can do to more effectively engage their congregations in ministry.

Let’s focus on four ideas pastors can implement today:

There are many web based online giving tools available to churches. If you’re simply looking to process a transaction electronically, then the sky is the limit. But what happens when you want to combine online payments with online event registration? This is where it can get a little complicated.

Let’s say you use a simple online form for event registration and a basic transaction tool for payments. Now the event participant must:

It’s hard to believe that we are already in October. Where did 2011 go? One thing churches are beginning to turn their attention to is year-end gifts. Many churches receive very large contributions at the end of the year which allows them -- many times -- to catch up to their budget goals or perhaps get a little ahead.