At one time or another, every center director has a dream for the center. Taking that dream to reality can be an arduous task, but one well worth the effort. God clearly states in His Word that without vision, the people perish. It would not be much of a reach to also say that without vision a minis...

IT IS EASIER TO KEEP A DONOR THAN TO RAISE ONE My column last summer reflected on the worrisome economic conditions of those days. Sadly, not much has changed between then and now. I continue to hear from friends about the struggles their ministries are facing. One told me that income in 2009 and 2...

Have you ever been surprised to discover that a situation was very different when you saw it from a different perspective? I heard a story of two mothers talking about their children one day. As they talked, one mom said to her friend, "My life has been transformed." "What happened?" "I took your ad...

Jeff* was recently elected to the board of a pregnancy care center. It didn't take long before he discovered that some previous decisions made by the board seemed contrary to good board policymaking and ministry development. He wondered about the background and rationale for those decisions.  ...

This year the nation remembers President Ronald Reagan on the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1911. The Reagan presidency was indeed a unique time in American history when the spirit and confidence of the nation was revived. Reagan's sunny optimism and belief that America's best days were ahead al...

The small center was doing okay. The board thought all was fine, but the executive director was beginning to feel fatigued. She kept saying that more staff was needed, but the funds were not available. Their town of 12,000 was in an economic downturn, the large factory had closed, so the board did n...

The board's role in governance of a ministry includes policymaking, budget oversight, strategic planning, public relations, fundraising, and so on. However, being a board member also requires having the proper attitude about the ministry. I was reminded of this the other day when "Sue" called. As t...

For eleven years, I served as the executive director of a small, yet growing pregnancy center in Northern Virginia. I came to the position with little experience in administration and even less in the pro-life ministry. I left with a wealth of knowledge in both areas and discovered five foundational...