Lake Union Herald

Jennifer Gray Woods

Articles by Jennifer Gray Woods

  • Politics in the Pews and Pulpit: Do’s and Dont’s

    Politics in the Pews and Pulpit: Do’s and Dont’s

    I have been hearing a lot of political talk recently at church; even the pastor has been making statements from the pulpit disparaging certain candidates and giving his opinion on political issues. Should the church be engaged in political activity like this?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Why That Gift to Your Pastor Requires Caution

    Why That Gift to Your Pastor Requires Caution

    Our pastor and his family have been with us for 10 years and the church wants to collect a special offering to treat the family to a vacation in celebration of their years of service. I’ve heard that the pastor would have to pay taxes on this gift. Is this true?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Politics in the Pews and Pulpit: Do’s and Dont’s

    Politics in the Pews and Pulpit: Do’s and Dont’s

    I have been hearing a lot of political talk recently at church; even the pastor has been making statements from the pulpit disparaging certain candidates and giving his opinion on political issues. Should the church be engaged in political activity like this?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • How to Handle Designated Donations

    How to Handle Designated Donations

    Jane Doe is a member at my local church who is struggling financially to pay rent. Can I designate that I want my offering to help pay Jane’s rent? 

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • What to Know About Hosting Offsite Events

    What to Know About Hosting Offsite Events

    My church is taking part in an upcoming youth retreat. Are there any legal steps we should be taking to protect ourselves? What policies should we put in place when dealing with offsite events like youth events, social outings, and ministries away from the church building?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Positioning the Church and Protecting Worship

    Positioning the Church and Protecting Worship

    It has been one year since I started working at Lake Union as Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) director. I am blessed to work with your conference’s PARL directors this past year and, as you can probably see from their articles in this issue, our discussions on the mission and work of PARL are…

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Getting Your Affairs in Order (Part II)

    Getting Your Affairs in Order (Part II)

    Last month we looked at some health care related estate planning documents, also called advanced directives. This month we are going to touch on estate planning documents dealing with financial assets, namely wills and trusts.  

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Getting Your Affairs in Order (Part I)

    Getting Your Affairs in Order (Part I)

    I’m getting older and beginning to worry about what will happen when I can’t make decisions for myself. Besides dealing with health challenges, I don’t want to worry my loved ones about managing my assets. What steps should I take now to make life easier for my family in the long run?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • What Your Church Needs to Know About Copyright Laws

    What Your Church Needs to Know About Copyright Laws

    My church recently received a cease-and-desist letter from a company that claims we used an image without permission and now owe thousands of dollars. Our church uses images we find on the internet. Aren’t those okay to use?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
  • Facing Workplace Issues

    Facing Workplace Issues

    Q: Are there any church policy or legal considerations churches should consider before allowing individuals to volunteer in children’s ministries programs?

    Jennifer Gray Woods
Lake Union Herald
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