Many times as small churches we have “small” (OK, sometimes zero) budgets for resources. However, there are some large churches and organizations that recognize that and are providing free or low-cost tools for ministry. Below is a short list of resources. We are starting to break down these resources by Teaching, Worship/Media, Children’s etc…
** A Note on “Keeping It Legal” **
As churches we always want to maintain integrity in our dealings. However in our world today it is very easy to slide on certain issues. Music copyrights and Software Licenses are two major areas where we have the potential to slip. We know that God honors us when we stand for what is right.
As far as software resources go, many churches may not realize that as 501c(3) organizations they are eligible for many discounts. As an example, Microsoft offers substantial discounts to non-profits. In summary, keeping your software legal can be far more affordable than you think and is worth the investment.
RESOURCES
Children’s Ministry |Worship/Media |Legal Stuff
OPEN by Lifechurch.tv
Lifechurch.tv is one of the largest multi-site churches in the country. They have full-time graphic designers and video production folks. Pastor Craig Groeschel had the vision to share resources and his team has created an incredibly useful website. Everything that they have created is available free on their website. Graphics, illustration videos, complete video sermons and more. You have to check out this site. We have even used Pastor Craig’s sermons in our adult Sunday School class before. The Open site also includes several documents and tools for church adminsitration.