College is a choice that requires some careful planning and is something that should be thought about as early as your freshman year in high school. The earlier you prepare and narrow down your choices, the greater the chance you’ll find a good fit and have more options as far as financial aid.

Here are some areas you need to consider when choosing a Christian college, many of which related to choosing a college in general:

Location

What kind of environment do you want to spend at least four years of your life? Some people enjoy living in large cities while others enjoy a more rural environment. The city location is also going to play a factor in activities and opportunities you have available to you.

Campus Size

Campuses with large student populations can sometimes be intimidating but often have more programs available due to greater demand. Generally smaller colleges have the advantage of better student to instructor ratios, but this is not always the case. Visiting the college and talking with current students is a great way to determine this.

Class Size/Environment

A major advantage to Christian colleges in general is the Christian environment-you can learn about God and fellowship with like-minded students without a lot of the negative aspects some students encounter in other college types.

Since you’re paying for college through some sort of your own funding (including any scholarships you earn and student loans you may take out), to a certain extent you need to treat it like you’re literally investing in a product. People sometimes don’t think of their education in those terms, but it’s helpful. You want the best learning environment for your time and money. Small classes and at least some availability to your instructors will help you greatly over the course of 4 years.

Degree Programs and Course of Study Options

Some Christian colleges have course programs that are very similar to secular colleges, while others have concentrated options in Bible studies. Many can give you flexibility or a range of options between both. While it definitely common to not know what you want to do as far as your career when you’re in your teens, knowing what you want to study will narrow down your list of choices.

Financial Aid/Tuition Costs

Tuition costs can range widely even with private colleges, and as early as your sophomore or junior year it’s a good idea to start looking for scholarship and grant options-just to know what’s available, even if you can’t apply until you’re a senior. In later stages in your choices, a determining factor is often the college that gives you the best financial aid package.

Mentorship Opportunities/Career Development

According to your field of study, some colleges have programs that offer hands-on experience along with classroom study. The general qualifications of the college’s instructors-what they’ve accomplished outside the classroom-is helpful knowledge.

General Steps in Your Search

Think of this process like a water through a funnel. It’s often easy to begin a broad search on the web, which will often result in a lot of options for you. Sign up for more information with the colleges that seem most interesting to you. You can then arrow these options down using the criteria that is most important to least important to you. With your final choices, personally visit the campuses and get feedback from current students.

Good luck and best wishes to you!

1. Shop Online
   Since online companies have less overhead than traditional retail stores, they often are able to give better deals. There are two things you need to consider when shopping online. One is shipping costs. Some shipping costs are not bad when you consider what you would spend in time and money getting the item from a retail store, but it still should be reasonable. The other is making sure you will get the gift before Christmas. Most websites will give you an estimate on how long it will take the gift to arrive. If you’re shopping early, it’s not as much of an issue. By December however, you may want to upgrade shipping just to be sure. Start by checking out the 123 Christian Store.
2. Set a Budget, Use Cash, and Put Away Your Credit Cards
   This is sometimes hard to do at first, but it is well worth the effort. Taking the time to create a budget will help prevent you from overspending, and using cash will prevent you from still paying interest on the previous year’s Christmas gifts in July. Dave Ramsey has a lot of great example of the negotiation power you have when you have cash. You can save a lot of money on big-ticket items. This varies by product. For example, electronics have a very low mark-up—you still may be able to negotiate the price down a little, even in large retail stores. Furniture however has a high retail mark-up, meaning at full retail a person is paying 2-3 times the wholesale cost.

   You just need to talk with a manager or owner if it’s a small store, whose bottom line or bonus are impacted by how much the store sells. Knowing this, you have a lot of room to lower the price and walk away if it’s not the amount you want to pay.

   In general, using cash for your gifts also brings out your creativity, and you can often surprise yourself with what you’re able to do with a set amount of money.

3. Bargain Shop When It Comes to Your Gift Wrapping Paper, Gift Bags, Ribbons, Etc.
   Again, there’s a wide range of these items. Similar patterns of gift wrap may be $3.99 at one store and $1 at another. Since the wrapping paper is going to be gone in seconds anyway, this is an area where you can lower your spending without a lot of notice. As long as they’re kept in good condition, Christmas gift bags can be saved and reused year to year as well. Some people like to get crafty and make their own gift wrap, using things like comics, magazines, and old catalogs.
4. Make a Trip to Some Local Thrift Stores
   This is not to get everyone in your family used gifts. The main thing you want to look for is baskets. For some people, you may be getting a set of small items, and nice baskets make a great way to package them. If you can get a good deal on a roll of shrink wrap plastic at a craft store (which can be shrunk tight using the heat from a hair dryer), that often adds a nice look to it. It’s rare, but occasionally you will run into something at a thrift shop that seems totally out of place and would make a great gift. An example would be something new that is still in the box, a large stuffed bear that would sell $50-60 that looks brand new on sale for $5, and similar situations.
5. Look for Special Discount Codes and Coupons
   This can be online or through your local paper. Even if you normally don’t read the newspaper, the holidays are a great time to at least buy the Sunday editions for all of the coupons and sales papers so you can comparison shop. Check out coupons for online retailers at 123 Christian Coupons.
6. Get a Part-Time Seasonal Job at a Store Where You Want the Employee Discount
   This is not an option for everyone, but you can often get things you want for 25-75% off of retail and make some extra money.
7. Plan Your Shopping Out Where You Can Get Everything (or Almost Everything) Bought in One Day
   This will save you both time and gas money. There may be one or two gifts you may have to find later, but it’s usually better to get it all done at once. You can do this by taking the sales papers you know that have the items you need and determining the best path you can go to visit all the stores. If you have more than one person shopping, you can split up and get done in half the time. Keep in touch with each other with cell phones in case either of you run across something you think is important.
8. If You Have a Large Family, Consider Exchanging Names/Playing Secret Santa.
   You can get each other nicer gifts compared to everyone trying to get everyone else something, and you can put a lot of focus on making the gift special. Set a price range for the gifts (both a minimum and maximum if necessary). In other large groups outside of family, you can do things like exchanging Christmas ornaments.
9. Books Tend to Make Nice Gifts, and Many Are Not Expensive
   If you can find out someone’s interest and hobbies, there is likely a book about it. Most people will appreciate you took the time to find something that they like, and with children the right book will outlast the time spent playing with a plastic toy.
10. Make Use of Your Old Christmas Cards
    They make great gift tags and decorations. Many people just put them away in a drawer or box, never to be seen again. Get creative, and you may find some interesting uses for them.

Bonus Tip: Prepare for Next Year’s Christmas Early

Beginning right after Christmas, decorations, ornaments, artificial trees, and other items go on sale—as much as 90% off—take advantage of that opportunity and the following Christmas will look like you spent a small fortune. When you’re first starting out, you don’t have to get everything at once—just build a little each year.

May You and Your Family Have a Merry Christmas!

1. Bookstore—Online or Traditional
   Many people love the atmosphere of a physical bookstore—you also can create additional income through a restaurant or coffee shop attached to it. This avenue takes a lot of initial investment and time, and you’ll need to consider your competition, overhead costs, and population of your area before making the leap.

   A much safer way to start out is a home-based bookstore through already established companies such as Amazon.com or Half.com. Used books that are fairly cheap in one area of the country may be expensive in another, so in some cases these businesses can do very well.

2. Daycare
   Many couples today are in situations where both spouses are working. Providing a solid Christian-based daycare can provide a lot of parents with peace of mind compared to other environments they may be considering.
3. Travel Guide for Christian Locations
   If you live in an area where there are areas of interest for Christian-based tours (and this can include areas like Washington, D.C., where there is a Christian influence with many of the monuments that may not be covered in other tours.) Investment will likely consist of a website and marketing of your service. You can meet people at the tour location, making this a business you can run out of your home.
4. Tutoring
   As with the situation with daycares, many Christian parents would like to find after-school tutoring with a good environment. You can do one-on-one tutoring in subjects that you have a strong background or interest. An educational background is helpful (and sometimes required according to the position) for this as well.
5. Crafts Business
   Craft businesses are easy to start and operate on a cash basis. You can have fun creating things you enjoy and generate an income from them. Again, you can start small, build the business larger by reinvesting your profits, and possibly use the Internet for sales in addition to craft shows.
6. Freelance Writing
   There is a wide variety of opportunities available for Christian freelance writers, from creating study guides to advice articles. You can also create an income from your own blog or website through advertisers such as through Google Adsense.
7. Wedding Planner/Special Events Planning
   If you’re naturally gifted in organization, this is a great low-cost business that you can even do on weekends outside of a normal job. Basically you need to research where to get supplies—napkins, invitations, party favors, etc.—and know the best locations in your area to walk the bridge and groom through the planning process. Networking with photographers and videographers is helpful as well.
8. Photographer/Videographer
   Many churches and Christian-based groups are using multimedia in both church services and on their websites. You can also generate income through weddings and conferences. Initial start-up costs are probably the biggest obstacle for this business, since both professional quality still and video cameras and related equipment can reach into the $10,000+ range very quickly.
9. Bible Study Creator
   If you enjoy studying the Bible and find yourself mentoring other people, you can self-publish study guides and sell them online with very little out-of-pocket costs. The biggest task in this business would be marketing and letting other people know the materials were available. The website Lulu.com is a good self-publishing website if you need a place to start.
10. Web Designer for Church Websites
    If you enjoy web design, you can find work for several churches in your area on a contract basis that may not be large enough to have a website designer on staff. You can develop the same skills for commercial and personal use.

Two other actions you need to take in getting started are talking with the person who does your taxes (so you know what you can and can’t deduct) and to open up a separate account for your business expenses and earnings. This will have you a lot of hassle.

Remember to keep your eyes open for opportunities in your own local area. You may be able to fill a need others are missing. Best wishes to you!

1. Worship Guitar Class
   This is the Christian affiliate program for you without any cost or obligation on your part. You can get paid referral fees for simply linking to worshipguitarclass.com. In Psalm 145:3 it says “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no-one can fathom.” We were created to worship Him. Join our affiliate program today!
   Commission: 20%
2. Cognigen
   Free to join home business with a wide variety of products and services including long distance, computers, satellite tv, and more. Excellent program and is highly recommended. Not a direct Christian company, but many of the reps are.
   Commission: Varies
3. News At Eleven
   News At Eleven is a contemporary Christian band featuring fresh, explosive arrangements of traditional favorites and exciting new songs for reflection, liturgy, and praise & worship. Join the News At Eleven Affiliates Program and get a 15% commission on all purchases of CDs and sheet music from newsateleven.com.
   Commission: 15%
4. Christian Book
   Do you have a Website? If so join our Christian Affiliate Program and start earning money by advertising our products from your site. When you send us a customer from your site and they make a purchase you earn 10% of that sale. It’s easy and it’s free! Sign up today!
   Commission: 10%
5. ChristianShirts.net
   Earn money from promoting their shirts, stickers, magnets and other Christian based products. They offer a 60 day cookie.
   Commission: 15%
6. Content Purity
   Content Purity provides free parental control Internet software to scan, content filter and clean objectionable content from your computer. They pay twice per month and are affiliate through ClickBank.com.
   Commission: 61% ($18 per sale)
7. Christian-Net
   Their program is a great way to increase your revenue! It’s free to join, and they pay 8% commission for each customer you sign-up for Christian-Net Connect (Dial-Up) and Christian-Net Protect (Filtering Only), for as long as they are with them.
   Commission: 8%
8. Family Christian Stores
   They offer all kinds of Christian products such as music, books, bibles, and videos. You can earn up to 8% commission and they offer a 45 day cookie.
   Commission: 8%
9. ChristianCafe.com
   They offer one of the most generous dating affiliate programs currently available, paying affiliates 40% of all net revenue earned from referred paying members. This includes 40% of all membership renewal payments, so you continue to earn commissions over the life of the membership. Their membership rates range from $34.95 to $109.95.
   Commission: 40% lifetime
10. Single Christian Network
    A Christian singles network that offers lifetime commissions and commission checks paid monthly.
    Commission: 40% lifetime
11. C28
    C28 is the leader in Christian-themed apparel and accessories for youth and young adults. Diverse product mix with over 1500 products including sports wear, t-shirts, shoes, music and jewelry. Offers a 30 day cookie length.
    Commission: 15%-20%
12. FaithWear
    Christian clothing and apparel company that offers 60 day cookies, $5.00 cash activation bonuses, and their program is offered through ShareASale.com.
    Commission: 10%
13. ChristianCinema.com
    They pay a 2 to 6% fee on everything your visitors order when they come to ChristianCinema.com by clicking on one of your links.
    Commission: 2%-6%
14. The BibleSource
    Offers thousands of different bibles. The affiliate program offers a $10 bonus for signing up.
    Commission: 10%
15. Nest Entertainment
    Nest Learning offers affiliate partners great educational products with higher payouts then comparable programs. They offer 30 day cookies.
    Commission: 15%
16. ChristianFlower.com
    They offer floral and gift delivery services. Commissions are paid on a monthly basis.
    Commission: 10%
17. AudibleFaith.com
    The AudibleFaith affiliate program pays 10% on all music products, from CDs, to downloadable audio, to sheet music.
    Commission: 10%
18. Abbey Press
    Inspirational gifts and collectibles. The program only offers a 21 day cookie and is tracked through Commission Junction.
    Commission: 10%
19. Memory Cross
    Memory Cross is a tool that is being used to bring people closer to God and to present the Gospel.
    Commission: 10%-15%
20. Singles of Faith
    SinglesofFaith.com is much more than “just another Christian dating site.” It’s a nationwide ministry dedicated to preparing and challenging us single Christians to follow Christ more closely and faithfully in numerous areas of life.
    Commission: 45%
21. 1M4JC
    1M4JC (short for 1 Million for Jesus Christ) offers affiliates 10% commissions. Non-profit organizations can earn 20%.
    Commission: 10% or 20% for non-profits
22. The Praise Factory
    Offers Christian shirts at low prices. Their program offers a 90 day cookie.
    Commission: 5%-7%
23. DaySpring Cards
    Offers Christian greeting cards, gifts and more.  The more you earn, the more your commission raises. Offers a 90 day cookie and the program is run through CJ.
    Commission: Greeting Cards 15% Other Products 12% (increases with more sales)
    
24. ChristianGear.com
    Earn 10% of every sale you send to ChristianGear.com. Their program is offered through Shareasale.com and they offer a 45 day cookie.
    Commission: 10%
25. Alpha Omega Publications
    One of the largest, most trusted Christian curriculum providers in the world. Their program is offered through Commission Junction.
    Commission: 10%
26. International Bible Society
    Distributor of Christian resources. Offers monthly updated product datafeeds and uses the Shareasale network.
    Commission: 10%
27. BooksForChristian.com
    They offer a comprehensive range of new and used books. Offers a 30 day cookie.
    Commission: 5.5%-6.5%
28. Ignatius Press
    Catholic books, videos, music, art and magazines. Their program is run through Commission Junction.
    Commission: 10%
29. eChristian Web Hosting
    Earn $20 for each web hosting sale. Payments are made once per month.
    Commission: $20 per sale
30. AnswersInGenesis.org
    They offer books, DVD’s, home school curricula and other resources related to the AiG ministry. Sign up at ShareASale here.
    Commission: 12%

The average Christian consumer prefers to do business, when possible, with a business owned and operated by Christian owners. When a business runs on the principles laid out by God, you can rest assured that you will be treated fairly, and your work will be done correctly. In this world many business are just trying to get ahead, regardless of who they run over or take advantage of. By seeking out a Christian business you can greatly reduce, if not completely reduce, the possibility of not being treated fairly.

When asked why, most people say they would rather do business with a Christian business because of the integrity that is associated with being a Christian. Consumers feel that a Christian business will treat them with respect and honesty. They feel that the job will be done as specified, and that they will stand behind their service or product. Think, about it. Why would you not want to do business with a Christian business? The Holy Spirit gives Christians certain talents and gifts. So when you choose a Christian business you are getting a person that was specifically given their gift directly from God.

One aspect that you may over look, is that when you do business with a Christian, you are also helping the entire church body. You will probably never know the full extent of your contribution, this side of heaven. That is because you don’t get to see the complete money trail. For example, lets say you have your kitchen redone. You pay the cabinet company, and then the owner tithes his paycheck to his church. The church uses the money to help with a mission trip to China. Then you have the employees that the owner pays, when they tithe their paycheck, the money may go to help the church’s food bank. The possibilities are endless when you work within the body of Christ.

When Christian business owner advertise on directories for the Christian consumer, good things can happen. You help keep the body of Christ stay strong, and constantly growing. Word of mouth is very powerful, especially in the Christian community. You can bet that if you need it, there is a Christian business available to serve you.

Our directory gives both the consumer and the business owner the opportunity to network. We offer a Christian business forum so that you can encourage one another and exchange ideas. There are also many opportunities to become part of the business community. There is work at home programs where you can be your own boss or work within an established franchise. Our directory covers everything from business to travel.

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” -Philippians 2:4 NASB

This is where Christian singles services might be helpful. Many times people might turn to Church groups and other such organizations to find the right person for their romantic needs, but it doesn’t always work out that way. If you don’t belong to a church that you are comfortable with as of yet or you happen to belong to one of those churches in which there are relatively few to no single people in the church, this presents a problem for those who have relied on this option.

If you are looking for Christian singles dating services, whether they are online or offline, keep in mind that if you are in a small city you might have a more difficult time than usual finding something local. If you are insistent upon meeting other Christian singles for romantic purposes, you might have to consider meeting people outside of your area or risk having to sacrifice when it comes to their moral character, which is probably not something that you want to do. After all, the idea was to find a Christian who felt the same way that you did about life and religion in general, was it not?

If you are looking for a Christian singles dating service on the web, consider the fact that the site may or may not be run by people who are Christians themselves. While some people have a preference when it comes to this, other people do not and it is important to find out for certain if you are one of those people who care.

You don’t have to go to a Christian singles-only dating site if you are looking for love with a person of similar moral character, but it will be a great deal easier. Many of these sites have screening processes in place that might make things a bit easier on you in the long run, making it less necessary to have to weed through profile after profile searching the Religion/Belief section for someone who may or may not be a Christian after your own heart.

Dating for Christian singles is never easy, but in the long run it is well worth it. You can find someone to share your life and your love of Christ with if you know where to look.

What would you say if you were told that technology could work for you in this very same way? Christian ringtones are just as readily available as secular ringtones but they are just not as often used or downloaded. How often do you hear the Word blaring from speakerphones in the store? Wouldn’t you like to be the first?

Christian ringtones are a great way for you to not only broadcast your love of God and Christian music, but a good way to be able to listen to your favorite songs at random points throughout the day. Many phones even allow you to customize your ringtones differently for the different people that call your phone at any given time, so if you can download more than one ringtone at a time you have the opportunity to hear more than one of your favorite songs at random points throughout the day.

If you are looking to be a part of this ever advancing mode of Christian technology, check out one of the many free ringtone sites on the World Wide Web. They have popular Christian songs and even some traditional Christian hymns that you can download onto your phone thanks to ever advancing technology so you can hear what you want to hear whenever you are in need of a little inspiration.

As a Christian person it can be hard to find things in technology that cater just to people of your heart. Luckily for you, Christian ringtones are just one of many ways that you can not only appreciate the different facets of Christian music but also spread the Word as well. No matter what type of Christian music you listen to, from Joy Williams to Mary Mary, from Justin Michael to the Planet Shakers you can find just about anything you need. Also, if you are up on technology with the newer generations you might even be able to compose your own ringtones.

Aren’t you getting rather bored of the traditional ringtones coming through on your phone, just because your phone is not pre-stocked with the type of ringtone that you want to hear? Check out the many free Christian ringtone sites on the web and take advantage of the rapidly advancing nature of technology today!

If you are in search of church resources to help you put together your daily dose of inspiration and the Word, the best place to turn to would be the World Wide Web. They don’t call it the Information Super Highway for no reason and that is the best place to start on your quest for useful church resources like sermon starters, helpful verses and daily doses of the Word, sermon creation software and other useful resources of that nature. It may take a while of weeding through the various facets of information and separating the useful from the not-so-useful tidbits, but in the end you will have come up with some valuable information and useful resources to go to for future sermons and other church-related needs as well.

In addition, the internet is also a great resource for those who are looking for church related news, print magazines and other such literature. Not only can you often find images of these church resources on the web, but you can also get great referrals and sometimes even better deals on such things on the internet.

If it is not web-based resources you are in search of, you might be able to find other useful church resources like books and articles to refer to through various internet-based forums on the web. People are the most common source of information and the best resource that you will ever be able to find, and internet discussion forums and chat rooms are going to be the best place to meet people with the same interests and needs as you. While you might want to be wary of the content of certain discussion threads and chat rooms, you will be able to find some useful sites with interesting people who might be able to put you in touch with useful church resources to help you stay focused and provide you with direction when it comes to the work you do for the church.

Everybody needs a little bit of inspiration sometimes, and that is what resources are for. Use the ever-advancing nature of technology to your advantage, and check out the many church resources that you can come into contact with via the World Wide Web. You might be surprised as to what you come up with.

One of the fasting growing industries is Christian music. Producers and record labels have come to realize that Christians are just as eager to hear good music. They now have Christian music in every genre. You can find rock, techno, hip-hop, pop, and country, just to name a few. These bands and performers also put out great live concerts. They have all the energy, pyrotechnic effects, and light shows that your main stream concerts have. So you can actually feel good about allowing your teenager to attend a rock concert. Not only will they be entertained but they will pray and fellowship with other teens that have also given their life to Christ. The music also contains a good message, so even if you don’t care for the style of music that they listen to, you do not have to worry about the message in the lyrics.

With the popularity of the movie, “Passion of the Christ,” produced by Mel Gibson, you can also see that Christian movie producers are starting to take the chance and putting the money into their films so they don’t come off as such low budget “B” movies. This last year you had the release of many well-made Christian films that did quite well at the box office. “Facing the Giants” did very well and was a great entertainment for any age. “The End of the Spear” was also well made, and well received by the Christian public, it is based on a true story, and was rated PG because the real life story was somewhat violent, but it is great for your older kids, it gives a great message of hope, forgiveness, and salvation. You also had lesser know movies like “One Night with the King,” it is a bible story brought to life on the big screen. All of these films were well written and well produced and had great messages throughout them.

You might not realize it but there is also a growing industry of Christian stand-up comics. They will crack you up with good, clean humor. They are set up in large theaters just like your secular entertainers. You can go out and be entertained without hearing all the filth that your well known stand-ups think is so funny. It is a great night out and tickets are affordable, and you can actually take your children, when you think they are old enough to understand the humor.

The first thing that you should do is contact an attorney for legal guidance, and to help you set up your incorporation papers. Each state is different and has their own process, so having an attorney do it for you, not only saves you time, but you can make sure that five years down the road no problems arise from doing them yourself. When you visit the attorney make sure you take a list of the necessary information. You will need a list of all the officers, and their address. You will then need to tell them what percentage of the company each officer owns. They will then fill in all the necessary paper work.

The next thing to do is hire some type of accounting service. You can choose from a book keeper, or a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). They will be able to set up the rest of the paper work to keep you nice and legal. You will need to file the necessary sale tax information with your state. Then there is your FEIN (Federal Employer identification Number), which you will need before you can even open a bank account. They will also tell you your best classification for your business, they will tell you whether you are better off as an “S” Corp, a corporation, or even an LLC. It really depends on which classification will actually give you the best tax benefits. If you can, hire a Christian accountant, they understand how you feel about income and finances, and they won’t think you’re crazy when you want to tithe the company’s income. They’ll just show you how to be able to do it legally.

Now that you are legal and ready to open your business you will need to do some advertising. One of the cheapest, most cost effective ways to advertise is through business cards. You can not only advertise your business, but you can also advertise your faith by adding an ichthys (fish symbol), or perhaps your favorite bible verse to your card. There are many Christian printing companies available for not only business cards, but perhaps you need some brochures printed or some professional flyers made.

When opening your Christian based business, try to use other Christian companies for the business services you need to help you get set up, do your advertising, and all around business support. This is a great way to strengthen the Christian community and word of mouth recommendations go a long way in a new business.