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5 Technology Advances for Governance Excellence
This document, authored by Vonna Laue and Michael Martin, offers five strategies some churches and ministries utilize to reap the benefits of technological advances.
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7 Ways to Avoid a Financial Train Wreck
The clear communication and understanding of church finances is a key to avoiding a financial train wreck and helping a church be a positive witness for Jesus Christ.
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A Board Prayer
“Dear God . . . Grant us the joy of arriving at adjournment closer to one another because we are closer to You.”
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Accountability and the Great Commission
Steve Douglass powerfully communicates how accountability supports fulfilling the Great Commission. As Steve suggests, “When people perceive a ministry and its leaders are accountable, they believe in them more.”
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Address Absentee Board Member Syndrome
There are three unhealthy ways that many church boards respond to empty chairs at board meetings.
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Be Intentional About Your First 30 Minutes
Does your board meeting need a refresh—so you experience holy moments more frequently?
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Big Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand
Church boards have a natural gravitational pull toward issues that should be reserved for the church staff.
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Caution! Understand the Governance Pendulum Principle
You have limited time to act when the pendulum oscillates in a positive direction.
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Conducting Effective Board Meetings
Outlines the important role of the board chair in planning and leading effective board meetings
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Conflicts of Interest Sample Policy
Discusses conflicts of interest and related-party transactions, and includes a sample conflicts of interest policy and related documents
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Covenant of Confidentiality
Nonprofit boards may use this sample covenant of confidentiality to protect the confidentiality of a ministry
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Creating the Vision for the Next Board
Creating a vision for and drawing the blueprint for the future board is one of the most important legacies of a board.
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Effective Board Governance in Turbulent Times
The furthest thing from your mind is a collapse of Wall Street that significantly impacts Main Street—a collapse that impacts many of your donors and funders, and in turn, impacts the budget of the ministry you serve.
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Enhance Harmony by Clarifying Your Participant Hat Expectations
Understand the three board hats: Governance, Volunteer, and Participant.
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Every Church Needs a Conflict of Interest Policy
Boards often become convinced they are making a decision in the best interest of the church, but they fail to consider how the decision will appear on the internet and social media.
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Executive Compensation Policy – Church
A board’s determination of the church’s senior staff members’ compensation is one of its key tasks.
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From the Pen of Olan Hendrix
ECFA is pleased to offer excerpts from Olan Hendrix's writings as a part of our Knowledge Center. Please find below many great topical articles that we hope will be a blessing to you in your ministry.
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Governance for Christ-centered Ministries
What are the transformational distinctives of Christ-centered board governance? What is different in Christian-centered board governance compared to the secular governance models?
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Governing Board Culture
We are confident we need to address our current governing board culture but we are not sure when and how to proceed. What do you suggest?
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Guarding Your Pastor’s Soul
Senior pastor moral failures are devastating to churches. Wise boards invest time—up front—to ensure the pastor’s soul is not neglected.
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How to Avoid Three Common Board Mistakes
You may have been on a board where one or more of these three mistakes were made. Avoiding these mistakes will improve the effectiveness of your board.
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Individual Board Members - Sample Position Description
Describes responsibilities and characteristics for individual board members
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Integrity Slipping?
What is one of our greatest dangers for injury? An issue that tops the charts is the potential for a spiritual 911-type injury is when our integrity slips.
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Legal Risk Evaluation Tool
The Legal Exposure Evaluation Tool will help you more clearly understand your church’s current risk profile.
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Leverage the 80/20 Rule in the Boardroom
Invest 80% of your board work on future ministry opportunities—not rehashing the past.
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Looking for Consensus but Finding Division
Finding consensus on challenging issues requires deft handling and a flexible approach by the board chair.
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Public Access to Church Board Meetings or Board Meeting Minutes
Discusses any legal requirements and the propriety of granting public access to church board meetings or board meeting minutes
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Recording Church Board Minutes
Outlines the importance of and procedures for recording board meeting minutes, including a sample set of minutes
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Serving on a Ministry Board with Excellence
Boards seem to give little thought to qualities that separate good boards from the very best
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Spiritual Discernment
Dr. Stephen Macchia is one of the leaders of a growing spiritual discernment movement. As Steve says: “No matter who joins you at the discernment table, they bring with them their hearts . . . the condition of their hearts directly impacts the discernment process.” May you bring a burning heart to the discernment table.
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Staff and Volunteer Ethics Sample Policy
A nonprofit's staff and volunteers' commitment to biblical, ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct
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The Impact of Founder's Syndrome
Visionary leaders do not just experience personal stress but can also cause great organizational distress. Founder’s Syndrome occurs when an organization is driven more by the personality of the founder than by its own mission. It is an organizational problem more than a personal one. All institutions face this danger, but it is especially complicated in Christian settings, where founders often function as spiritual leaders as well.
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Then and Now
“If ECFA had not been formed, another organization would have been needed to fill its role,” said Lauren Libby, former ECFA board member.
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TOOL #1: The Pathway to the Board
Give this internal document to your Governance Committee to guide them along the six steps…from suggestion to election.
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TOOL #10: The 5/15 Monthly Report to the Board
Use this tool to keep the board informed and inspired between meetings. Once formatted, it takes just 15 minutes to write and 5 minutes to read.
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TOOL #11: Monthly Dashboard Report
Use this tool to update the board and senior team on the CEO’s or senior pastor’s Top-5 Annual S.M.A.R.T. Goals. (Send updates at least monthly.)
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TOOL #12: Quarterly Board Meeting Agenda and Recommendations
Use this agenda template to signal the board, seven to 10 days in advance, that this board meeting is important—and their insights are needed.
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TOOL #13: Board Retreat Read-and-Reflect Worksheets
Prior to your next board retreat, create a “Read-and-Reflect Worksheet” and inspire the board to read one governance book in preparation for your retreat.
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TOOL #14: The Rolling 3-Year Strategic Plan Placemat
Roll-up your sleeves and gather the strategically-gifted board and senior staff around the table—and begin with this: “What is our strategy?”
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TOOL #15: Board Retreat Trend-Spotting Exercise
Use this trend-spotting template to generate insights and interaction on a key hot topic at your next retreat—each person presenting one article.
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TOOL #17: Board Policies Manual
Use this tool to create a Board Policies Manual (BPM)—and finally, you’ll have all your policies in one document and always updated.
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TOOL #18: Job Descriptions for the Top Leader and Board Chair
Review these sample job descriptions for the Board Chair and the CEO (or Executive Pastor) and then use these insights to refresh your documents.
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TOOL #2: Board Nominee Suggestion Form
Give this suggestion form to board members to help them discern who to recommend for board service.
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TOOL #20: Tent Cards and Tools for Leveraging Board Member Strengths
Inspire your board to complete the online CliftonStrengths® assessment and then create tent cards and tools to leverage strengths at every board and committee meeting!
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TOOL #21: Board Member Annual Affirmation Statement
Share this document with board prospects to communicate your high commitment and generosity standards. Plus, require re-commitments annually from all board members.
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TOOL #22: Straw Vote Cards
Use red and green straw vote cards to discern if you have consensus or division on big and small issues—and save valuable time!
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TOOL #3: Board Nominee Orientation: Table of Contents
Inspire qualified board prospects to consider board service by giving them a comprehensive overview of your governance documents.
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TOOL #5: The Board’s Annual Self-Assessment Survey
Select the board self-assessment survey option that best fits your board’s culture and your board’s aspirations for continual improvement.
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TOOL #6: The Board’s Annual Financial Management Audit
Use this TRUE OR FALSE audit annually as a first step in assessing your ministry’s financial health and integrity.
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TOOL #7: The Board’s Annual Legal Audit
Use this TRUE OR FALSE annual audit as a first step in assessing your ministry’s compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
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TOOL #8: The Board’s Annual Fundraising Audit
Use this TRUE OR FALSE annual audit as a first step in assessing if the ministry is communicating giving opportunities with integrity and accuracy—and whether or not the board understands and affirms the ministry’s current fundraising practices.
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TOOL #9: The Board’s Annual Evaluation of the Top Leader
Review these templates—and then customize your annual process so it fits your unique situation and your unique top leader! (One size doesn’t fit all.)
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Travel Expense of Board Members and their Spouses
Outlines the issues surrounding board member and spousal travel reimbursements
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Where Two or Three Are Gathered on Social Media
Conflicts of interest always sound more questionable on the internet and social media.
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