Reforming Worship

Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship, ed. Philip Graham Ryken, Derek W. H. Thomas, and J. Ligon Duncan, III, is a Festschrift for the late James Montgomery Boice (author, theologian, and pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia). It contains articles on worship by such well-known authors as Edmund P. Clowney, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., J. Ligon Duncan III, Hughes Oliphant Old, Michael S. Horton, and a Foreword by R. C. Sproul. The work includes specific articles defending the Regulative Principle (an important concept on which not much has been written) from recent criticism, corporate worship as a means of grace, the place of preaching and the sacraments in worship, family worship, worship in all of life, hymnody in the modern context, and challenges and opportunities for ministry today.

Ministers and Income Tax

The work 2007 Church and Clergy Tax Guide, by Richard R. Hammar (Harvard graduate, CPA, attorney, noted author in the area of church and law, and an inductee into the church management "hall of fame" by the National Association of Church Business Administration) demonstrates how to understand the tax laws and how they apply to you, how to correctly report your federal income taxes and social security taxes, understand relevant exemptions, and reduce your tax liability as much as possible. It's designed to be a resource for ministers and also church treasurers, board members, bookkeepers, attorneys, CPA's, and tax practitioners.

Entire chapters are devoted to the items that you have the most questions about, including: Tax changes from 2006, Charitable contributions, Clergy retirement plans, Social security, Church reporting requirements, Housing allowances, and Business expense reimbursement.You'll find easy-to-understand charts and real-life illustrations, which not only make this a guide for the tax season, but also one that you can use throughout the year.

Another interesting blog to check out

Here is an interesting blog for those who preach regularly: http://blog.preachingtoday.com

I came across it today in the course of some research I was doing at my desk and even though I am not a preacher, I found the entries I read to be very challenging even for someone such as myself who is "just" a public speaker.