Pastor Matt Woodfill ascended in a helicopter to rain down 5,000 candy-filled eggs on his congregation this past Easter. Part of an event designed to drive attendance to The Woodlands Christian Center, located outside of Houston, Woodfill called it the “largest Easter egg hunt in Montgomery County.”

He sent out 40,000 postcards advertising the egg drop to residents. The church, which usually draws 300 people on Sundays, saw a crowd of 700.

“If you're going to catch a fish, you have to have bait,” Woodfill told the Houston Chronicle. “If it takes a helicopter dropping 5,000 eggs to get people to come to church, it's worth it. There are souls to save.”

The crowd, most of whom had never been to the church before, sat outside during the service, in which Woodfill told the Easter story. Church members nailed together a cross during the sermon. After it was over, Woodfill mounted a red helicopter with black racing stripes and rained down candy from 100 feet overhead. [chron.com, 4/5/10]

QUOTE: "It's no accident that evangelical Christianity is as popular as it is. I even came to enjoy listening to sermons from Jerry Falwell, whose politics I was [initially] allergic to. The emotional, intoxicating experience of being at church and hearing that music, and the whole structure of a Sunday service, was moving to me. And I don't believe in God." —Gina Welch, author of In the Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary Journey Into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. Welch, an atheist, joined a megachurch for two years without revealing her nonbeliever status to understand more about evangelical Christians. [time.com, 4/5/10]

Some 38 percent of churches faced declines in church offerings in 2009, according to a new study by Maximum Generosity and Christianity Today International. Megachurches and congregations on the West Coast were hit hardest. As a result, many churches are changing their spending habits, according to the study.

This marks the second consecutive year churches have seen a significant drop in income levels. In 2008, churches saw a 29 percent drop in giving. One of the main reasons for the large drop was December donations. Typically viewed as a month for churches to close the gap on budget shortfalls, instead 32 percent of churches surveyed said their December giving missed expectations.

Nearly half (47 percent) of churches between 2,000 and 5,000 weekly attendees—megachurches—reported a drop in giving, compared to only 23 percent in 2008. Churches on the West Coast faced the worst drop of any region, with 55 percent of churches from California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii showing decreases.

In response to the changing tithe and donation numbers, 32 percent of churches are trimming their budgets, more than in 2008. However, more churches are actually increasing their budgets (45 percent) for the coming year as well. Among those cutting budgets, most are saving costs in the areas of travel and conferences, ministry programs, and expansion/renovation projects. Among those increasing budgets, most are doing it in the areas of benevolence giving, ministry programs and missions giving.

In addition, more churches are planning to focus on finances and teaching in 2010. A majority of churches surveyed are planning on preaching about the subject, offering financial classes and distributing pamphlets with resources. The most popular outside resources for financial help are Dave Ramsey’s ministry and Crown Financial Ministries. [stateoftheplate.info, 3/29/10]

QUOTE: "There was considerable uncertainty from a lot of people as to whether or not she could be effective, but she utilized the gifts that God gave her and took that school to new heights." —J. Don George, founding pastor of Calvary Church in Irving, Texas, speaking about Freda Lindsay, who passed away Thursday night. Lindsay was co-founder of Christ for the Nations Institute, the influential Pentecostal Bible school known for its leadership in the charismatic community, its work overseas and its music program. She is survived by her three children, her eight grandchildren and her five great-grandchildren. [dallasnews.com, 3/27/10]