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Intense Debate: Is PC or Mac Better for Your Church?

Six years ago I’ve switched from PC to Mac and then back again last year. The first jump came after a friend gave me a second generation MacBook Air. More recently, due to my disappointment with Apple’s latest update to their MacBook Pro line, I switched back to PC to get a fast seventh generation Intel Core processor and a touchscreen laptop. Apple offers neither as of early 2017.

apple macbook pro

 

The Mac v. PC debate gets people fired up, but I don’t think it should. Both platforms offer similar quality options in both hardware and the operating system. Smart users can run MacOS and Windows 10 safely and can install first-rate software for church and ministry. The reason to go with a Mac or a Windows PC has more to do with preference than quality. So let’s examine some important considerations and the availability of quality software commonly used in the ministry setting.

PC or Mac: 3 Considerations

The transition from PC to Mac for someone like me who never used a Mac regularly took some time and came with some frustration.

Consider a few issues when making the switch:

  • You will need to replace your software with Mac compatible version, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on what you’re using.
  • Everything you know about how to do certain tasks will change when making the switch. Little things like formatting a disk, finding files, or adding hardware peripherals work differently.
  • Generally, a Mac with similar power and features costs more money than a PC with the same specs, especially with the latest generation of MacBook Pros with the Touch Bar. Apple increased the base price for this new feature that a lot of reviewers don’t find that compelling. IBM disagrees. The organization that used to make the original PC, now uses Macs and claims that this switch saves them a lot of money.

 

lenovo yoga 910 windows pc

Going the other direction, from the Mac to the PC, also means replacing software and learning new tricks. However, most of the time going to the PC from Mac will save money. To illustrate, right after the current generation MacBook Pro came out, I bought a Lenovo Yoga 910 laptop. It has the latest generation Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It doesn’t come with dedicated graphics processor like the MacBook Pros, but the MacBook Pros use the previous generation processor. The price difference was over $1,000 less for my system compared to the Mac of similar speed and capability. The Lenovo also adds a great touchscreen display and convertible design, something Apple doesn’t. I’m pleased with my choice to go PC again.

PC or Mac: Church and Bible Software

Churches use different kinds of software in different roles. Here’s a list of the categories that most churches or ministers use regularly.

  • Bible study software for sermon and Bible study preparation and staff development
  • Creative solutions for editing videos for worship, photos for worship and digital/print publications, and desktop publishing for fliers, newsletters and more
  • Worship presentation software
  • Church management solutions for keeping track of attendance, membership, and giving
  • Office suites for writing, creating presentations, number crunching and more

In each category, users can find and use great solutions on both Windows and Mac. It used to be hard to find good Bible study tools for a Mac or good creative apps for Windows. Now, you can have both. Most people can run office suites, church management solutions, or Bible software on either Mac or Windows without a problem. You won’t need to relearn everything to switch.

 

Here’s a list of solutions that run on both platforms with few differences:

*I’m not sure if the Mac version of PC Study Bible runs directly on macOS or uses emulation. Biblesoft’s not been willing to cooperate with my requests to review their software.

PC or Mac: Creative & Worship Presentation Software

 

Like Bible software, the worship presentation software companies make great Mac and Windows software. Here’s a list of the top options that run on both platforms equally well except for EasyWorship, which only comes on Windows:

OpenLP: Free open source worship presentation software runs on Mac and Windows equally well.

Check out our Worship software guide.

The Mac used to rule the realm of creative software, but not anymore. Adobe changed the creative software market with their Creative Suite subscription service. For $10 to $50 a month, churches and ministers can use the best software available and it runs on both Mac and PC with little differences between them.

Apple no longer dominates the creative professional market thanks to Adobe’s accessible Creative Suite subscription.

Some creative types prefer Apple’s Final Cut Pro X for video editing or Logic Pro X or audio editing. Very few still use Aperture, which Apple quit developing recently. Apple doesn’t seem as committed to creative professionals. They limited the amount of RAM available in their laptops and haven’t updated the Mac Pro in four years. But the Adobe solutions work great on any of Apple’s computers and most Windows computers except the lowest price options.

Mac or PC: Which One to Buy

So after all of this, should you get a Mac or PC? It’s plain that neither platform dominates. It’s a matter of personal preference. If you want a Mac and can pay a little more, then go for it. If you prefer Windows, then you’ll enjoy any of the above software.

If you want a touchscreen that works like a laptop or a tablet, then you have to go with a Windows PC. Apple has a touch screen computer available. It’s called an iPad Pro. However, if you want a Mac with a touchscreen, you’re out of luck because it doesn’t exist.

How about for your ministry? What does your church use? I’d love to hear your feedback if you’ve switched from PC to Mac or back to help others along this journey. There’s certainly more than a few readers contemplating the same switch.

by

Originally posted here

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5 Ways To Know If A Job Is God’s Will

Vocation and profession have an important role to play in fulfilling God’s purposes and plans in our life. They’re not everything, but they are an important factor. When God created man, He gave him the privilege of work in His Garden.

Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”

Earthly professions are not simply a means to make ends meet, but also our opportunity to participate in God’s work here on earth.

But how do we know if a certain career path – whether that’s one you are currently on or one you are planning to enter – is God’s will for us or not? Here are five signs that a certain job is really what God is calling us into.

It Glorifies God. The chief end of any profession is the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. Do our jobs or the jobs we plan to enter into honor God and His commandments? Does the way we carry them out show integrity and the fear of the Lord? The one necessity to every job is that it is to glorify God.

You Enjoy Your Job. God gives us work not simply as a duty, but in many ways also to be a delight. That’s not to say that our feelings should be the primary indicator of God’s blessing over it. Sometimes it’s also a matter of learning to love what you do and coming to terms with the value that is behind it.

You Are Good At It and Continue To Become Better At It. Anything and everything God calls us into will not just be enjoyable, but something we actually have the gift and skill for. God wants us to work excellently at what we do and one way He makes sure of that is by matching us to a profession where we maximize the talents He gives us.

It brings financial reward. The reality is that our jobs are God’s primary way of providing for our daily needs. Unless a job is meeting your financial needs, it cannot be sustainable. God is planning for the long term and for that to happen, your job must be sustainable and one that involves being fairly and adequately compensated monetarily.

Your Profession Blesses Others. More than just being a blessing to us, our jobs are intended also to bless people around you. Does your job bless your boss, co-workers, clients, and family? If it does then that’s a good sign that you are where God wants you to be.

Full article can be found here
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Save $3,500 by Dropping These 4 Everyday Luxuries

Things you can change today

You’re not splurging on luxury cars or flashy diamonds. But if you’re like most Americans, you may be losing a small fortune each year (nearly $3,500!) on relatively minor indulgences.

Instead of letting your money run wild, reevaluate your spending and revise your budget in these four everyday areas:

1. Daily Lunches Out

You had great intentions this year. You were finally going to start bringing your own lunch to work. But then someone invited you to that awesome hot chicken place down the street. And after that, you got a serious craving for some Tex-Mex. Fast-forward a few weeks, and you’re picking up lunch more than packing it. So what’s the big deal?

On average, Americans spend $20 per week eating out at lunchtime, a Visa survey reports. That’s $1,040 per year! Even if you just swing by a drive-thru, at $7-8 a pop, that’s a lot of lunch money. To curb your spending, budget a few special noontime meals per month. And when you do finally get that break from leftover casseroles and reheated quiches, you’ll appreciate this little luxury even more.

2. Premium Cable Packages

Be honest: How many of the hundreds of cable channels do you regularly watch? Ten? Maybe fifteen? Why shell out for a ton of unused channels when, for a fraction of the cost, you can fulfill all your binge-watching needs with online streaming? Even with today’s cheaper alternatives, millions of us are still paying around $66 per month for expanded basic cable, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

That’s a lot of money to blow on your favorite sports and movie channels. If the big game is really that important to you, just downgrade to basic cable and a sports-only package. Or go to a friend’s house with a big bag of chips and a Crock-Pot full of melty cheese-and-chili dip. Because no self-respecting basketball fan can turn down queso.

Related: 9 Cost-Effective Alternatives to Cable

3. Unused Gym Memberships

After a stressful day of 4-year-old tantrums or never-ending meetings, hitting the gym can give your body and mind a much-needed break. But that means you have to change clothes, get in your car, drive to the gym, and then try to outrun some stick-thin teenager on the treadmill next to you. Or you could just eat a pint of ice cream. Decisions, decisions.

Statistic Brain estimates we waste about $39 each month underutilizing our health clubs. So if cooking dinner, giving the kids a bath, and reading five bedtime stories is your reality, it could make more sense to run around the block rather than hit the gym. Do whatever works best for you. Just don’t blow $468 a year on best-laid plans.

4. Regular Coffee Trips

Coffee is a necessity for many of us. It’s like air—deliciously caffeinated air. But that’s no reason to blow an average of $3.28 per day on a cup of coffee, according to a Zagat survey. That amounts to about $23 per week. We know the talented barista down at Jittery Java handcrafts your beverage with love each morning, but let’s get real. If you buy some decent beans and add your own syrups and creams, your home brew will taste just as sweet. Plus, with savings of nearly $1,200 per year, you can now afford some darn good beans.

Hear us, America. Everything is good in moderation—even coffee and TV. But moderation often trips us up. That’s where the budget comes in. It’s okay to plan for occasional splurges, but make sure you’re not allowing small luxuries to run away with your future goals. Control your spending now, so you can live and give like a rock star later on.

Need help learning how to budget? Find a local Financial Peace University class near you!

Originally published Here

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How long should ministry leaders and Pastors keep tax records?

How Long Should I Keep Income Tax Records?

Know what to hold on to after your form is sent in.
Richard R. Hammar
How Long Should I Keep Income Tax Records?

You must keep records so that you can prepare a complete and accurate income tax return. The law does not require any special form of records. However, you should keep all receipts, canceled checks, and other evidence to prove amounts you claim as deductions, exclusions, or credits. Records should be retained for as long as they are important for any income tax law.

In general, you should keep records that support an item of income or a deduction appearing on a return until the statute of limitations (the period during which the IRS can audit your return) runs out. Usually this is three years after the date a return was filed (or three years after the due date of the return, if later). However, in some cases it is wise to keep records for a longer period of time, since a six-year limitations period applies in some situations, and in others (e.g., no return was filed or a return was fraudulent) there is no time limitation on the authority of the IRS to begin an audit.

For how many years can the IRS question or audit your income tax returns? Consider the following three possibilities:

• Three years. In general, the IRS may audit your returns to assess any additional taxes within three years after the date a return is filed (or within three years after the due date of the return, if later).

EXAMPLE. Pastor W filed his 2012 tax return on April 10, 2013. The IRS ordinarily may audit Pastor W’s 2012 return only if it does so by April 15, 2016.

• Six years. The three-year period during which the IRS may audit your returns is expanded to six years if you omit from gross income an amount greater than 25 percent of the amount reported on your return.

• No limit. The IRS can audit returns without any time limitation in any of the following situations: (1) a false or fraudulent return is filed with the intent to evade tax; (2) a taxpayer engages in a willful attempt in any manner to defeat or evade tax; or (3) a taxpayer fails to file a tax return. IRC 6501(c).

KEY POINT. Whenever a taxpayer is requested by the IRS to extend the statute of limitations on an assessment of tax, the IRS must notify the taxpayer of the taxpayer’s right to refuse to extend the statute of limitations or to limit the extension to particular issues.

Section 6502(a)(1) of the tax code specifies that “where the assessment of any tax imposed by this title has been made within the period of limitation properly applicable thereto, such tax may be collected . . . within 10 years after the assessment of the tax.”

Adapted from the 2016 Church & Clergy Tax Guide by Richard Hammar.

Specific recordkeeping requirements with respect to the following exclusions and deductions are discussed in the 2016 Church & Clergy Tax Guide:

  • Housing allowances (Chapter 6)
  • Business expenses (Chapter 7)
  • Charitable contributions (Chapter 8)

Records of transactions affecting the basis (cost) of some assets should be retained until after the expiration of the limitations period for the tax year in which the asset is sold.

Originally Posted Here

This content is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is published with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. “From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations.”

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