Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Is Social Media Helping or Hurting Your Church?
Social media has become the new popular form of communication in the 21st Century. In 2013, 70 percent of churches have a Facebook account and 21 percent use Twitter. The proper use of social media can be a great benefit to your church by providing information to your membership and furthering your involvement in… Read More »
The Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate & How It Impacts Nonprofits and Small Businesses
Over the past two years, a recurring theme in legal news has been the current Administration’s changes to, interpretations of, and delays in implementing President Obama’s flagship Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) otherwise known as “Obamacare.” This law has wide-reaching implications for many industries across the United States and impacts each individual American’s private life. Two of… Read More »
Wired Worship: Is Your Church Ready to Make Wi-Fi Available to the Congregation?
The availability of free wireless internet (“Wi-Fi”) is rapidly expanding, with free Wi-Fi available in coffee shops, parks, and libraries. Many churches want to add their campus to the growing list of “hotspots” (locations where free Wi-Fi is available) in the community, as both a friendly gesture to their congregations and as an aid to their ministries. However, before a… Read More »
Granting Money from a U.S. Charity or Church to a Foreign Individual or NGO: Substantial Risks and Best Practices
Many times, conducting charitable work necessitates broadening an organization’s reach, which often in turn requires working outside of the United States. Unfortunately, while these endeavors are exciting, they are complicated and risky for the churches and nonprofit organizations who are involved. Of the many types of risks involved, one of the primary areas involves… Read More »
BREAKING LEGAL NEWS: Hobby Lobby and What It Means for Churches and Nonprofits
The Supreme Court recently delivered a decisive, though limited, victory for religious liberty in its decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) contraceptive mandate violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a statute that was passed… Read More »
Church Third Party Use Agreements: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You!
Renting or allowing use of church and ministry facilities has many new added risks: child abuse liability, unwanted purposes (same sex marriages) or activities on premises (illegal or risky), liability that is not covered by insurance or renters’ indemnity, and getting dragged into court by renter/user for some unforeseen offense. The optimum “Church Facilities… Read More »
“Today’s Sermon Is Brought to You by…” – Intellectual Property and Ownership
A church recently updated its website. The webmaster has recommended to the leadership to record and upload the weekly worship service, including the sermon, onto the website. The outstanding majority of the deacons agree with the recommendation as it would allow members who are unable to attend services to watch remotely and allow those… Read More »
Seventh Circuit to Hear Constitutional Challenge to Ministerial Housing Allowance
Does your organization have ordained ministers? Do you give them a tax-free payment yearly to help with their housing? If so, read more about the upcoming hearing that challenges the constitutionality of this practice, as well as what it means and does not mean for your organization. Later this year, in the case… Read More »
Unrelated Business Income Tax Primer for Nonprofits
What do all the following scenarios have in common? A nonprofit youth camp leases its facilities during the off season for weekend business conventions; a homeless shelter forms a joint venture with private investors to raise money for the construction of a new facility; a church sells Christmas trees at twice their cost to… Read More »
Is My Church Being Overseen by Wise Counsel or Wise Guys?
Starting and running a church can be a more complex task than it appears at first blush. There are the usual requirements for starting a church: finding a good pastor, finding a place of worship, and building a strong member community. Even with these elements, however, a church can run aground of basic legal… Read More »
