Church budget season is upon us. Whether you’re about to hash out your 2016 budget, still in data-gathering mode, or wondering where in the world to start, we’ve pulled together four resources that can help.
1. PSK church accounting firm
Join us on August 27 for a brand new webinar with PSK’s Bryan Baughman and Ann Denton to learn best practices from the pros.
2. Dave Ramsey
Naturally, the guru of healthy finances has some wisdom for churches. For starters, in his blogpost How to Have a Healthy Church Budget, Dave encourages that your budget be:
- Realistic and Intentional
- Faith-based
- Debt-free
He also shares a plan for churches to get financially healthy.
3. Holy Soup with Thom Schultz
In his blogpost, The Shocking Truth of Church Budgets, Thom reveals that today’s givers are skeptical about church spending. He states,
[People] are accustomed to evaluating the effectiveness of non-profit organizations. They are aware that charities that do the most with donors’ dollars keep their administrative costs relatively low. For example, the American Red Cross spends 8 percent of its revenues on administrative and fundraising expenses. World Vision spends 14 percent. Compassion International spends 16 percent.
Comparatively, what do churches spend on personnel, buildings and administration expenses? Those items consume 82 percent of the average church’s budget, according a study from the Evangelical Christian Credit Union.
Also check out his blogpost on “dubious” expenses, which lists ineffective advertising, schwag, full-color bulletins, flat-screen TVs in the lobby, espresso and fog machines as expenses that raise donors’ concerns, cautioning that leaders “prioritize spending on things that draw a direct line to Jesus. Invest in things that directly bring people into a closer relationship with the Lord.”
4. Thom Rainer on Leadership
In his podcast, What Does a Healthy Church Budget look Like?, church growth researcher Rainer discusses 6 overarching guidelines to be considered when contemplating a budget. Bonus: If you subscribe to his blog (via the pop-up), you can receive a free church facilities audit.
