Do we really need one???
If you do NOT have one……. you need one! We are called to be a good steward of the Lord’s house!
If you have one, but are having a hard time living within your budget…… you need to make the necessary adjustments.
At the bottom of this page, we will share free resources that will help you build a budget for the first time or help you make the right adjustments to your current budget.
“Dave’s Ramsey has a saying: “Work like it all depends on you, but pray like it all depends on God.”
When making your budget, prayer is the key that unlocks your ability to join God in what He is doing. That’s not an excuse to sit back and do nothing. It’s simply the admission that no matter how hard we work, it’s God’s power that fuels every good work, and it’s God who crowns our efforts with success. - Dave Ramsey ”
Art Rainer says every church should have a budget and here is why………..
They reveal mission. If you are a church leader, you know the mission of your church well. You are passionate about the mission. You talk often about mission. But does your budget reveal the mission. You have heard it said that an individual’s checkbook provides a glimpse of their priorities. Church budgets are similar. The way you allocate resources throughout the course of a year should reflect the church’s mission.
They reveal the game plan. You have goals for your church. Your budget should demonstrate how those goals will be reached. Year after year, too many churches simply tweak the prior year’s budget. The result can be a decade old game plan. Your budget, your game plan, should show how you plan to achieve your church’s current goals, not those developed ten years ago.
They keep everyone accountable. They keep people from overspending, and they keep people from underspending. I know. Underspending sounds like a point of celebration, not concern. But if your budget reflects the current mission and game plan, underspending may be a red flag. Let’s say that one of the year’s goals was to ramp up the children’s ministry. Underspending in the children’s ministry’s budget may be an indication that there is a lack of follow through with the game plan. Overspending can be a problem. But so can underspending. And a budget can keep everyone accountable.
Church budgets are tools for mission, not just necessary evils. - Art Rainer
Ten Reasons You Need a Church Budget
by Daniel Threfall with ShareFaith
There is one thing I’m sure of: your church needs a budget. Unfortunately, some church leaders run the church finances like they run their personal finances…with no budget in sight. There are ten reasons that this is (to put it gently) a very bad idea.
Maybe your church has a “budget,” but what does it look like? A half-completed Excel spreadsheet on someone’s personal computer? An envelope stuffed with receipts dating back to 2014 or older? Some figures jotted on the back of a church bulletin? If that’s the case, this is for you, too.
You are paralyzed whenever you are faced with a spending choice. When you don’t know what’s supposed to happen to your money, you can’t spend correctly.
You develop liability for fraud. Financial fraud is, quite simply, being deceptive with money. You may not be intentionally deceiving anyone with the money, but if there are no books to record financial information, you’re automatically open to charges of fraud. When that happens, you can get fired.
You have no plan for saving, thus putting your local church at considerable financial risk. A budget is intended to keep a church from careening off a financial precipice. Unless you have the protection of a budget, you could suddenly find your church in big money trouble.
You have no plan for regulating church spending. This can lead to overspending, binge spending, unnecessary hoarding, and a ton of stress.
You run the risk of mismanaged money and irate givers. When people give money to the church, they expect that money to be handled in a responsible way. If the money is not being handled responsibly, those givers may just be incensed and quit giving.
You place yourself and others in a position of temptation. When the finances are in disarray, it’s much easier to steal church funds. That means that you are faced with the temptation to snag an extra few bucks, or maybe those who have a hand in church finances. If you are a church leader in a church with no budget—even if you’re as honest as can be—people will begin to question you.
You are wasting money without a budget. One reason to have a budget is to find out where your financial leaks are. Most churches are wasting money in some way or another. Possessing a budget enables you to spot the leaks and plug them up.
You have no plan in place for when finances increase. It’s every pastor’s dream—increased giving! A church with more funds is able to do more. But without a budget, what are you going to do? You are paralyzed by indecision. A budget makes things so much easier. And, as little word of advice, you don’t have to have a lot of money to need a church budget.
You are unable to strategically analyze your local church’s mission and vision. The way a local church spends its money indicates its mission. Unless you have a clear purpose and plan for spending, you are compromising the church’s ability to communicate with intentionality and effectiveness.
Your church business meetings are awful experience. Wild church business meetings are the stuff of legend. Want to see a really bad church business meeting? Try one with no budget. Someone is going to get upset. Someone is going to lose their temper. Someone is going to leave the church. Something bad will happen.
Your FREE resource to build your Church Budget!
Your FREE resource to help adjust your Church Budget!
Free Church Budget Template