Every year, at the annual conference of the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA), I get the opportunity to spend some time with the CBA from the church in which I was raised. We get to catch up on each other's lives and share stories from our time together.

My husband and I now attend a church closer to our home, but it is always great to see such a familiar face as NACBA members (and exhibitors) convene in cities across the country each year.

Ever since my first NACBA show in Philadelphia, I have admired the amazing sense of camaraderie among the attendees; it has the feeling of a yearly high-school reunion. I have watched church leaders who are just as happy to see each other as they are to tour the booths and see the new products and services on the market.

This was my fourth year to attend this show, which was held in July in Dallas, and I was amazed at how many of you I recognized from previous conferences. I began, this year, to feel a part of that special reunion. I really appreciate the fact that everyone uses this time not just for education, but also for fellowship with one another.

One of our most popular columns in the magazine is The Real Stuff, as readers have told us time and time again how much they enjoy reading about the experiences of fellow churches as they successfully incorporate new products and services that help them run their facility more efficiently and effectively.

This ties in to the NACBA show, because I think so many of the attendees are taking the opportunity to learn from each other and benefiting from the wealth of knowledge of their fellow church leaders.

Our group came back from the show with great memories…and lots of information to share with you as well. In our annual post-show coverage, we have rounded up offerings from several of the companies exhibiting at the conference. I hope that you'll discover something new and innovative for your own worship facility within these pages.

I'm always interested in hearing from you. You can reach me at jill@rpnmag.com.

God Bless,

Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor