January 29, 2020
The first Sunday in February is a big day for sports fans. In fact, many Americans view Super Bowl Sunday as a national holiday. Friends and families will gather this year to watch the big game, enjoy delicious snacks, and of course, critique the commercials that go along with game day.
Because it’s a great opportunity for fun and fellowship, many churches reach out to their communities by hosting game day parties. However, in 2007, the NFL made churches think twice by sending a cease-and-desist letter to an Indianapolis church, ordering it to cancel a “Super Bowl Bash” the church was planning to host for about 400 members and their guests. The league cited its copyright infringement policy as the reason for contacting the church. Continue reading for recommendations from Brotherhood Mutual to help avoid the same for your ministry.
The 2007 incident received a great deal of attention from the media and lawmakers. As a result, the NFL clarified its stance and granted churches permission to show the game as long as they follow a few specific guidelines. The guidelines that hold true today include:
Whether or not your church is hosting a game day celebration, sporting events like the Super Bowl provide a timely opportunity to brush up on copyright basics. For ministry-specific copyright information, be sure to check out the following resources here on BrotherhoodMutual.com:
Complying with Copyright Laws
Copyright Laws and Fair Use
There are a lot of hats worn in any growing ministry – and we want to serve every one of them.
With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s wise for ministries to evaluate their fire safety plan. Whether your ministry is hosting a holiday party, prepping treats for charity, or running a community kitchen, make sure you’re well-prepared with these tips.
The holidays present unique opportunities and challenges for churches that aren’t typical during other times of the year. A lot of the ministries that I work with are seeing steady increases in attendance and are praying for a significant jump in Christmas service participation this year.
In this article, Brad Brown from Plan A Wealth Management gives a wonderful insight into why ministries might consider choosing a 403(B)(9) retirement plan.
As school is back in session, it’s important to make sure your school is equipped with the correct safety procedures. Thinking about your school’s physical security as a series of layers can help you find gaps in your plan. Transportation and volunteers are just two important aspects of your school safety plan to think about.
If there is one thing I have learned over the last decade while working private security and as a sworn peace officer, the more critical the incident, the more likely change will come out of it. Much like a pendulum, an incident occurs, and everyone cries for change.
Updating the lighting in your worship center with LED can offer significant energy savings while improving overall lighting performance.
We are so excited to welcome the newest member of the American Church Group of Colorado team, Lyndsie Glowinski.
Churches are increasingly becoming targets for cyber criminals. The most common attack is by sending “phishing” emails where the perpetrator poses as someone familiar to the ministry staff (like a senior pastor, deacon, elder, or someone trustworthy) and requests some sort of response.
Anyone who turns on the news, flips through a magazine, or browses the web can see that American society and culture are experiencing rapid transitions. Some ministries have valid concerns that issues surrounding societal shifts may expose them to negative publicity, governmental scrutiny, or litigation.
The questions become: when and how can ministries operate within their deeply held religious beliefs when they may conflict with others’ rights?