Church Finance

  Churches looking to build must learn how to be a good stewardship of the construction process. However, some lessons are learned tougher than others. In my 23 years of observation and experience in church capital expansion, there is one critical error that repeats itself over and over.  It is the reason why most church

  By Sarah Barham It’s no secret that churches face complex challenges when it comes to their finances. Accounting, taxes, payroll, internal controls, and complying with new governmental regulations all have to be taken into consideration. Here are a few best practices that can save your church major headaches. 1. Verify and specify whether the

  Fund accounting is a specialized form of accounting that involves the tracking and reporting of financial information for separate funds or accounts. Each has a specific purpose for how the money can be used. Donors may set these restrictions with the church’s board or other stakeholders. Unlike traditional accounting, which is primarily concerned with

  By Chuck Klein Here are key areas to consider as you begin the process. Churches considering a large-scale building or expansion project often start with similar questions. The biggest concern is what questions should we be asking that we haven’t already considered? Your church’s project is unique to your needs and circumstance. It requires

  By Terry Brown Whether you’re responsible for a large city congregation or a small, local ministry, ensuring that your church is properly protected by insurance is a vital consideration. Coverage of buildings and contents will help you recover quickly from incidents large or small, while liability protection will provide extra security in today’s litigious

  Empowering Communities for Greater Impact In today’s rapidly evolving world, churches and ministries play a vital role in serving their communities. From offering Biblical guidance to providing support in times of need, these organizations act as pillars of strength for countless individuals. However, fulfilling their missions and expanding their outreach often requires access to

  By Josh Henry Life is busy. The list of things that need to get done continues to grow. Sometimes it seems like there are never enough hours in a day. And let’s be honest…you’d love to bring on another staff person, but it seems the finances just aren’t there to support it. You feel

  Learning how to record online giving for your church efficiently is important for any congregation, especially smaller ones with less staff. Simply follow these seven tips to learn how to record online giving for your church the easy way. Routinely Reconcile Whether it is a decimal in the wrong place on an individual entry

  By Sarah Barham Even in the best circumstances, managing church finances can be daunting. Factor in complex tax reports, bank reconciliations and ever-changing IRS and state guidelines, and you can guarantee church staff is overspending valuable time on accounting processes that could be streamlined. Thankfully, there’s an alternative. By outsourcing your payroll, bookkeeping, or

  By Steven Elkins As inflation rates continue to rise, churches and other ministries could be underinsured if they don’t keep up with the changing replacement costs of their buildings. Property valuation is one of the most critical but often overlooked aspects of insuring a ministry. To make sure your ministry is adequately insured, you

  You have likely seen and read articles about how online giving helps increase. It provides methods that more and more people are accustomed to—or getting accustomed to using. Since the pandemic began, churches offering online services and limited in-person attendance have been seeking solutions to keep the church doors open. Providing donors more options

  By Morgan Mudge A key takeaway from COVID-19 showed us the value of online giving.  Without online giving, your church might not have survived. You are not alone. As a result of COVID-19, online giving exploded in use.  Consider these facts the accounting firm CapinCrouse discovered in a survey of churches in early 2020.

  Few people are comfortable talking about money. Even fewer are comfortable handling the bookkeeping of it, especially church leaders. Now, sure. Church leaders aren’t the only people in the position of handling a task – a Herculean task if we’re being honest – but for them, it’s often so far beyond their depth, scope

  By Louie Cordovado The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns forced most churches to look for new ways of having services and maintaining donations. They turned to online meetings and electronic giving (eGiving). This article will give you an overview of the benefits of online giving and how to get it set up in your

  By Dr. Robert S. Hallett Many pastors have told me in different ways – “Thank you for opening the door for me to preach on stewardship in my own church.” Money and stewardship are perhaps the most ignored, misunderstood, resisted, misused, and emotionally packed of all the topics that are on the preaching schedule

  By Joy Gendusa With American church attendance falling below the majority for the first time in eight decades, community churches are turning to marketing to keep congregation numbers up. Marketing to potential parishioners is becoming increasingly essential if you want to create a flourishing community of worship. You need to be proactive to accomplish any goal,

  By Steve Follos Many churches are looking for potential new sources of income as they worry about how to bridge the gap between declining plate contributions and rising operating costs. Because churches often include multiple buildings, it makes sense to look at ways to maximize the use of these properties. As a result, it’s

  When the pandemic hit, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Whitestone in Queens, New York, was in need of emergency fundraising. For a solution, they turned to Cave Company, a 116-year-old company based in New York, run by third-generation owner Gregory Cave for the past 40 years. They selected the company’s flagship product, Tree

  By Renn Salo The church hallways get awfully quiet over the summer. It’s not just vacations (and staycations) that drive church attendance down over the summer. It’s the disrupted routine. Church leaders know this as the dreaded “summer slump.” This year, churches are looking at the added complication of the pandemic. Many people aren’t

  By Deborah Ike As people tithe and give, they’re trusting church leaders to use that money wisely. To maintain excellent stewardship of church finances, you need well-defined policies and internal controls in-place. These practices can greatly reduce the likelihood of financial fraud and increase wise usage of church funds. #1: Always have at least

  By Shawn Yingling Use these best practices to help increase donations while better protecting your church and its members. It’s no surprise that 2020 has been the year of online church services and digital donations. But even before remote services became a necessity, online giving had made significant traction for many worship centers. According

  By Ken Sloane As I speak with leaders across the church, I’ve heard a lot of frustration and weariness. Leading in the area of stewardship and finance has been a rollercoaster ride. Panic and anxiety in March and April, some hopefulness in June and July (fewer people away during the summer months). As we

  By Bob Pritchett Fall and early winter are historically the most popular giving times for churches and ministries. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and #GivingTuesday, there are ample opportunities to remind church members to give generously. Those serving on the spiritual frontlines of ministry are well aware of how taxing 2020 has been for

  By Andy Whaley For the first time in our lives, churches across the country have had to forego in-person services for several months. Many learned to pivot and reinvent themselves with livestream services and other creative methods to provide a weekly church experience. Fortunately, most churches stepped up and found new, innovative ways to

  By Bob Pritchett As the economic fallout caused by COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, churches, along with all businesses, are being noticeably affected. Aside from the fact that some church members are furloughed from work and have less financial facilities with which to give, many individuals who prefer to give in-person or

  By Robert Kravitz There is going to be a lot of unfortunate fallout as a result of COVID-19.  For some brick-and-mortar retailers, this may be the last straw. Without safety nets from banks and the government, some will not survive. The same is true in other industries. For instance, some of the largest janitorial

  By Shawn Yingling As a leader of your church, you know how crucial it is to safeguard your congregation. Your members represent your church’s mission and they carry the message forward. Protecting them is one of your most important responsibilities. But when it comes to insurance, many churches only think about protecting their building

Technology, your budget, and even your church facility: these are all things that can heavily influence insurance for your faith-based building. If you’re wondering how, you’re not alone. Understanding church insurance can be complicated, but once you gain clarity, the benefits can be powerful. In this article, you’ll find helpful insight into church insurance and

  By Kristen Greene So, you might like the idea of an online church member directory vs. a traditional printed directory, but one thing you might not like are those monthly or annual payments associated with the online directory program. Here are three easy ways to help pay for the online directory so it’s sure

  By Chris Lewis I spent the first eight years of my life in Brazil as a missionary kid. One day, my dad came home with the news that we would need to move back to the states because the church that had supported him for many years was planning an expansion project. To fulfill

  By Kent Woodyard Digital giving doesn’t have to be complicated, convoluted, or otherwise intimidating. Sure, it requires a bit of research to find the right solution and a bit of legwork to implement, but – really – a successful giving solution comes down to getting a few basic things right. Any giving provider worth

  By Robyn Montoya A bustling church often has a lot of staff and volunteers working together to ensure mission trips, Vacation Bible School activities, community outreach programs and congregational services are running smoothly. It takes time, member’s spiritual gifts and, let’s face it, money to bring those efforts to fruition. With so many people

  By Michael Wilson  Direct spend refers to the purchase of more costly items necessary for a business or church to operate. For a church, this could be cleaning supplies, light bulbs and lighting equipment, desks in offices and classrooms, computers and tech-equipment, new sanctuary chairs, carpet, and other items when and as needed, etc.

By Michael Erwin How will a capital campaign affect your annual budget? What good will capital improvements be if you can’t keep the doors open and the lights on? Church leaders hesitate to run a capital campaign at the same time as the annual pledge drive. They wonder whether a capital campaign will hurt annual

By Matt Simon Churches or houses of worship are busy places, and Sunday isn’t the only day that visitors are in and out of your church. With Bible studies, prayer groups, daycare centers, preschools and community meetings, your church has a constant flow of people coming in and out. In fact, when you start looking

  This article originally appeared in the December 2006 issue. By Frances Putman Not long ago, parishioners at Our Lady of Calvary Catholic Church in Philadelphia celebrated the 50th anniversary of their church. While it was a time of celebration, it was also a time for reflection. As parishioners looked at their half-century-old church, they

By Ryan Nelson Many churches count on a strong fourth quarter to compensate for decreased giving throughout the year. That’s not a bad thing. But what if the stakes were lower, because giving was higher—and more consistent—all year? (It would definitely make it easier to create a church budget!) Sure, some variation in giving is

A church is a society of like-minded individuals and families who come together to worship, pray, and share their joys and sorrows in sacred community. But that’s not the whole story. An underpinning of businesslike activity makes it possible for a church to meet community expectations. In fact, a primary activity of the church is

By Nancy Master More than ever before, churches are under intense pressure to pursue their mission with maximum efficiency – all while providing complete financial transparency to members, donors, and leadership – and technology can play a key role. Whether the focus is accounting, reporting, planning, or transparency, church finance teams need a strong church

By Scott Noble What’s one challenge pastors and ministry leaders face that their education rarely prepares them for? It’s a topic that’s infrequently offered in Bible school or seminary. You don’t see this course title next to Theology I or Old Testament II or Introduction to Greek. Yet it’s an issue all leaders—and their churches—face.

By Chaeli Ackerman Church Management Software (ChMS) companies provide a lot of really great resources for churches, from managing volunteers and child check-ins to contribution reporting and tracking small groups. We rally behind any technology that furthers the Kingdom and makes life easier for administrators. Most ChMS also provide their churches with an online and

By Dick Raddatz So, you want a new church bus but don’t have the money to pay for it? No problem! Raising thousands of dollars is never easy, but it can be done efficiently if you follow four steps to success. 1. Organize, Organize, Organize! An active and motivated fundraising committee is critical to your

  By Christian Valiulis Many religious organizations have difficulty understanding the relationship between human resources and finance. Some believe the two are unrelated, but the reality is you must have strong HR processes in place to be a good steward of your finances. Why? Because people are your biggest expense and greatest responsibility. So how

  This article originally appeared in the October 2005 issue. By Denis Greene Denis Greene is the executive director of The Church Development Foundation, www.tcdf.org. He is also the author of Successful Church Capital Campaigns. Once upon a time, in a committee meeting far, far away, a treasurer announced, “We have enough money, the budget

By Mark Sneed When traveling overseas on either a short-term mission trip, or on a long-term basis, traditional U.S. health insurance plans will most likely not meet your needs. Geographical exclusions and provider limitations common to these policies will restrict or even eliminate the health insurance coverage available to you while you are outside the

By Peter A. Persuitti We are witnessing unrelenting pursuit by stakeholders and victims, seeking reparation for alleged wrongdoing done by a nonprofit, its staff, volunteers or board members. Some of the revelations come after years of latency from past actions; others are triggered by a fast-moving social media frenzy that changes our perspective in a

By Gerardo G. Garcia Cremation is becoming more prevalent than a traditional burial. The latest industry studies show cremation is on the rise and is rising steadily. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) News Releases, statistically, in 2015, the rate of cremation was at 48.5 percent and will quickly be rising to 56

By Kira Mudge Sixty-five percent of Americans contribute to charitable organizations, yet church contributions are on the decline. People are giving; they just aren’t giving to you. Why? Why is it only 20 percent church attendees are contributing financially to the church? That’s only 1 out of 5 families. This is alarming. But what’s even

The preferences and behaviors of churchgoers are constantly changing. Vanco Payment Solutions’ 2017 Churchgoers Giving Study proved that when it was released late last year. Vanco places a high value on research to understand churches’ eGiving needs, and how they are succeeding with eGiving tools, www.vancopayments.com. In addition to the Churchgoers Giving Study, Vanco regularly

By Andy Whaley Your church is growing. You need more room to welcome people, host ministry activities, and reach your community. You want to expand your facilities in order to support your ministry’s growth. Now, it’s just a matter of securing financing for your project. Where do you begin? Here are five things to consider

  This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue. By Gary C. Smith Gary C. Smith is president & CEO of the National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources, www.naeir.org. It’s a given that with budgets tighter than ever, churches need to be creative in doing more with less. Yet many dismiss one

By Kari Boyce “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV) We talk to church leaders every day. Our team understands your concerns about meeting your ministry’s

By Shawn Yingling When attracting new members and working to keep current members happy, church leaders often look to update their worship centers with modern amenities, plan community events and engage in other initiatives designed to increase engagement. While it might not be at the forefront of a busy church leader’s mind, every time there

With church fundraising so often falling on the shoulders of the staff and elders, don’t overlook the opportunity to get all church members to be involved! Below, you’ll find strategies that are church-led, those that individuals can take the lead on, as well as ideas for small groups, youth groups, and families. 1. Start a

By Tom Norwood If you are like most churches, you likely send quarterly statements reminding members of their pledge and the balance remaining. Typically, quarterly statements resemble electric company bills more than they do statements of ministry. Usually they include: Total pledged Pledge Gifts to Date Pledge Balance Recently I received a statement from my

By Kelsie Collins It’s Sunday morning, and you have five volunteers show up today to help with sound boards, child day care check-in, greetings, information distribution, and crowd control. In about a half hour, you need to greet potentially hundreds of people into the church, have them check their children into the day care, get

By Mark Brooks If your next campaign is going to be a success, you need to know how to pick a capital campaign partner. There are scores of firms out there, as well as many guys who do campaigns on the side. How do you make sure you have the right consultant for your next

By Curtis Smith Like any nonprofit organization, churches often struggle with the most effective way to raise money from their parishioners. There are, of course, the traditional ways, such as the passing of the basket, but there are other ways to appeal to churchgoers and to encourage them to aid in the growth and livelihood

By Matt Chandler Reaching out to the congregation for giving requires more than a “one size fits all” approach; learning more about the different types of givers will help you come up with a customized approach and allow you to make giving personal. 5 Types of Givers 1. Reluctant Givers These are the members of

By Kevin Lee With as much as one-third of their yearly contributions coming in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, churches’ biggest challenges during the busy holiday season are handling the additional volume and keeping accurate records. Those two areas are critical for churches that want to make the giving season, as well as their

  This article originally appeared in the September 2008 issue. By Matthew D. Messier Matthew D. Messier, SIOR, CCIM, heads up the Specialty Brokerage Group of CNL, www.cnl.com. He and his team have assisted more than 1,500 churches and non-profit organizations with their real estate needs.  One of the most important, yet challenging, endeavors a