What we will cover:

• Basic Copyright Law
• The Religious Service Exemption
• Playing and Performing Audio and Music in Church
• Video and Movies in Church, Including Online and Youtube.
• Plays and Skits in Church
• Bible Scripture Copyright
• Examples of Legal Cases Involving Churches
• Fair Use Act

The contemporary American church today utilizes a far greater amount of diverse media in their activities today than they did 20 years ago. Hardback hymnals have been replaced by dual rear projectors showing lyrics to the latest Christian radio song written by a popular contemporary artist while emotionally stirring graphics and images populate the background. Online sharing of video-recorded services make their way from the church website to social video sharing sites. Church members volunteer to do such things as sing, perform plays, create graphics, play music and create videos. “There are wonderful ways that technology can help us do things we could not do or do as effectively in the past” (Jewell 24). New media is spreading throughout churches, but often times the media is spreading faster than the knowledge of what the legal ramifications of new media could have on a church organization.

Like many religious organizations, the business aspect of the organization is typically not in the spotlight as much as a commercial organization’s. In smaller churches there can be a mentality that because the staff is mostly volunteers and working for the “greater good”, certain laws do not apply to them, or they may feel they can simply fly beneath the radar. This is not the case. A church could legally be fined up to $150,000 just for playing a movie without permission (“The Need”). The financial damage along with the damage to the church’s reputation make it imperative that churches are not ignorant of the copyright laws applicable to the media they are using.

I had a hard time finding a Bible study on tattoos that:

• Was comprehensive
• Wasn’t fueled by emotion more than scripture
• Wasn’t based around a pre-conceived answer the author clearly had before putting the study together

I will try to keep the commentary on this study to a minimum while we examine the scripture.

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What we will cover:

• The meaning of Leviticus 19:28
• How to consider Old Testament laws today
• How to deal with the issue of tattoos using New Testament scripture

Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

We gain things in life, we lose things in life: jobs, people, positions & titles (within and without the church), houses, cars, health, liberties, freedoms, the respect of others, a good name, children, husband, wife, girlfriend, pet… we gain things and we lose things. The word of God is something that can never leave us. It will sustain us. It is always there as the greatest gift we can give to others – for it is through the word they will hear salvation(Rom 10:14). If we have nothing but the clothes on our backs, we can still give the word of God.

Key points covered:

• John didn’t have much. What made him the “greatest”?
• What do we have that John had?

This is a study on how to suffer well. This may seem a tad odd at first. Typically in life we strive to avoid suffering. I can’t remember the last time I saw a book in the self-motivational section of the bookstore entitled “How To Be Good At Suffering”. For me, this study has been life changing. I hope it can be of some value to you as well.

Key points covered:

• What we should fear and not fear as Christians.
• Righteous suffering vs wasteful suffering.
• Hope in suffering.
• Why we should be good stewards of suffering.

Key Scripture: 1 Peter 3:14-16

14But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;