Author

David Briggs

Journalist

David Briggs is a former national writer for The Associated Press who holds a master's degree from Yale Divinity School. He writes the Ahead of the Trend column for the Association of Religion Data Archives.

The rise of independent churches and the blurring of denominational boundaries have led to a boom in Christian nonprofit organizations. The challenge for church leaders is to respond to the growth of these parachurch organizations in ways that strengthen their identity and mission. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of Christian nonprofits.

Quiz: How to fill the collection plate

Nurturing cheerful givers is more challenging than ever during an economic downturn. New research provides important insights that could boost the financial and spiritual health of congregations. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of church giving trends.

Quiz: Investing for sustainability

Many congregations have endured staff cutbacks, salary freezes and deferred maintenance in response to the recession. But one budget area that may need to be increased, even in hard economic times, is programming, recent research suggests. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of the relationship between economics and congregational health.

Periods of change can stress the relationships among church members and leaders. But there's also good news related to such conflict, research shows. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of issues and trends related to congregational conflict.

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Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants

The Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is designed to foster, strengthen and sustain well-grounded worship in congregations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Two streams of grants are offered: to teacher-scholars and to worshiping communities.

Grant proposal due date options include October 15, 2023, or February 15 or June 15, 2024.

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