CP giving: 2% above last year’s pace
Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program are 2 percent above the same time frame in 2005. As of Aug. 31, 2006, the year-to-date total of $183,123,620 for CP missions is $3,680,070 above the $179,443,550 received at the same point in 2005. For the month, receipts of $15,521,035 were 1.6 percent, or $260,632, below the $15,781,668 received last August. Designated giving of $187,552,214 for the same year-to-date period is 2.3 percent, or $4,260,985 above gifts of $183,291,228 received at this point last year. The $4,771,868 in designated gifts received last month is $206,427 above the $4,565,440 received in August 2005, an increase of 4.5 percent.
Online resource to help churches set salaries
GuideStone Financial Resources has released a new online resource, “Planning Financial Support,” for use by church personnel and finance committees in planning staff members’ compensation packages. The presentation, along with a workbook by the same name, are being offered at no charge. “Planning Financial Support” can be helpful for churches large and small in preparing their budgets and in preparation to call a new pastor. The compensation study and the Planning Financial Support presentation and workbook can be obtained through GuideStone’s website, www.GuideStone.org, or by calling GuideStone at 1-888-984-8433.
Baptist Press launches weekly Spanish initiative
BP en Espa?ol, a Spanish-language product published by Baptist Press, debuted Sept. 1. The weekly edition will be posted on www.BPNews.net and may be accessed through a link on The Baptist Courier website, www.baptistcourier.wpengine.com. “The theme for all of our materials in ‘BP en Espa?ol’ will be evangelistic, edifying and informative,” said Will Hall, executive editor of Baptist Press and vice president for news services with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee.