Holy Budgeting

10 simple steps to a spirit-filled financial road map

Strategic thinking and action about your congregation’s finances, aligned with your mission and vision, will shape your faith community’s financial health and future. When it comes to church finances, there is a concrete tangible place where congregational leaders can go to understand your congregation’s current strategy and how to put the strategic planning into action—and that place is your budget ……. The budget’s key function is to serve as a robust tool for financial transparency, making clear current or aspirational alignment with your stated vision and mission.
(Finance Resource Guide, Part III, Chapter 6)

Church leaders and volunteers do not need to be CPAs to create sound and spirit-guided financial tools. Below the reader will find ten resources to guide them through the introductory process to create an effective budgeting process and budgeting format.

For more resources, explore the finance topic on ECF Vital Practices and ECF’s Endowment Management resources here.

Read
  • Why Budget? by Diane Jardine Bruce (15 minutes)

    In this article Diane Jardine Bruce explains why preparing an annual budget is so important to informing the congregation of its ministry and its priorities. Traditional budgets or incremental budgeting based on the previous year’s budget is expedient, but zero-based budgeting and narrative budgeting = increased focus on mission and ministry.

  • The Purpose of Basic Financial Statements by Nancy Fritschner (10 minutes)

    In this article, Nancy Fritschner outlines four goals in financial communications to keep in mind when creating your budget.

  • Basics of Church Financial Reporting – Part I by Jerry Keucher (15 minutes)

    In Part I of this article, Jerry Keucher highlights the fiduciary responsibility of vestries and church leaders regarding finance and how to identify sources of operating income.

  • Basics of Church Financial Reporting – Part II by Jerry Keucher (15 minutes)

    In Part II, Jerry Keucher describes methods for grouping operating expenses.

  • The Spiritual Side of Church Finances by Ibby Whitten (5 minutes)

    In this article, Ibby Whitten helps the reader move from seeing deficits to seeing a place of abundance and looking at the budget with a spirituality in search of God’s presence and God’s gifts.

  • Money – What’s It To You? by Demi Prentiss (10 minutes)

    In this article, Demi Prentiss explains how, as church leaders, how you relate to your money has a lot to do with how your congregation thinks about and manages money, as well. So, it is important to understand how you feel about money and what your money personality is.

Watch
  • Money – What’s It To You? by Demi Prentiss (60 minutes)

    In this webinar, which accompanies an earlier article, Demi Prentiss explains how, as church leaders, how you relate to your money has a lot to do with how your congregation thinks about and manages money, as well.

  • Fearless Finances – Parish Budgets presented by Jerry Keucher and Donald V. Romanik (60 minutes)

    In this webinar, Jerry Keucher and Donald V. Romanik, the reader will hear a “no-jargon” overview and practical ways to enhance your budgeting. Guaranteed to help you sleep better at night!

Do
  • Real Talk About Budgets, Part Four by Greg Syler (10 minutes)

    In this blog post, Greg Syler provides a worksheet entitled Snapshot of Church Finances with financial benchmarks and guidelines.

  • Get the Finance Resource Guide

    Check out ECF’s Finance Resource Guide in English and in Spanish for your budgeting.

  • Create a Sound Parish Budget by Craig A. Bossi (10 minutes)

    In this article, Craig A. Bossi outlines five steps to constructing a thoughtful, practical budgeting process based on two ongoing disciplines: clear mission and vision and year-round internal monitoring of financial results.