Thirty-five years ago, Richard Hammar, a young attorney, was asked to teach a class on church law at a seminary. He had no idea what God would begin through teaching that class. As Hammar searched for an appropriate textbook for the class, he learned that no such book existed. Discouraged, he decided to write his own materials, which later became the 723-page Pastor, Church & Law, an incredible resource for churches that's still popular today.

With a passion for helping churches navigate law and tax, Hammar partnered with church administration expert Jim Cobble in 1987 and started a newsletter called Church Law & Tax Report, still available through Christianity Today. After Cobble retired, Hammar partnered with Christianity Today to not only continue the Church Law & Tax Report, but also create new resources that help churches stay safe and legal.

With a successful newsletter and vast knowledge, Hammar could have partnered with any number of organizations, but he chose Christianity Today based on shared values, namely a Christian emphasis. When an initial meeting with top leadership began and ended in prayer, he was convinced that he'd found the right organization.

Today, he works primarily with Matt Branaugh and Marian Liautaud. Initially, Hammar says he was nervous about the partnership. He'd previously had total editorial discretion and wondered how this new partnership would change that. But he now says he had nothing to fear. In fact, he says his "relationship with Matt, Marian, and the entire CT staff could not be better." He enjoys working with the team on both a professional and personal level.

Together they continue to create the Church Law & Tax Report newsletter, the Church Finance Today newsletter, the Church & Clergy Tax Guide, and numerous other resources. Many, when thinking of ministry resources, only consider training handouts for youth volunteers or books on preaching. But the law, tax, and safety resources created by this team are extremely important to successful and healthy ministry. With lawsuits against churches increasing rapidly, churches must be more diligent than ever to ensure they're safe and legal. Hammar states that "churches face several risks that can result in liability and substantial monetary damages," and these resources explain what churches need to know in an accessible format.

But don't assume Richard Hammar has always been a natural intellectual, sitting knee-deep in technical papers. Hammar wasn't always on the path to be a lawyer and CPA. In fact, it's only by God's grace that he was able to achieve these honors. In middle school, he was identified as an underachieving student and was segregated to a group that made this fact known to both him and his classmates. As the adage warns, what you believe about yourself often becomes reality, and Hammar came to fully identify with his label of "stupid," struggling through high school and his first years of college. After coming to faith through a relationship with the woman who is now his wife, he experienced a total transformation that led to being admitted to Harvard Law School. Today he says he wants to tell children, "Don't be too quick to rule out those of us who are least likely to succeed because sometimes we may surprise you."

With a passion for ministering to children, he has taught fifth grade Sunday school for 25 years and recently began a mentoring program for middle school boys. He was moved when he learned that Steve Jobs quit attending church at age 14 because his pastor didn't have time to answer his questions. Rather than simply focus on crafts and other activities usually found in Sunday school, Hammar teaches in a way that engages the children intellectually and helps them build life skills. When questioned about why he would want to "waste" his time with children, he responds that it's gratifying to see breakthroughs in students' lives. He wants to create a safe environment for questions and personal development—even one that may have appealed to a young Steve Jobs.

As Christianity Today continues this important partnership with Richard Hammar, we're proud to feature the knowledge of a man who is not only passionate about legal concerns, but also meaningful ministry in Christ's name.

Amy Jackson is managing editor of SmallGroups.com.