Articles on Finance
Offerings. Tithes. Stewardship. Generosity. Giving. Sacrifice. Finance. There are many words that we use to describe the money that is received by the church for ministry use. There are also many facets to the Finance Department as they aid ministries by organizing the necessary funds.
Effective Benchmarking: Thinking Outside The Box
Comparing key data points against known metrics is a tried-and-true method for assessing financial health for any organization. In this webinar, we will discuss how to answer key financial health questions in plain language—using [...]
Free: The Church Financial Field Guide from CapinCrouse
In today’s challenging environment of rapid change and transformation, church leaders must embrace new skills, ideas, and approaches to succeed. In The Church Financial Field Guide, a new e-book from CapinCrouse, Partners Stan Reiff [...]
Budgeting in Uncertain Economic Times
Churches, like all organizations, are being impacted by inflation and economic uncertainty. What will the effect be on your ministry’s revenues, expenses, and future opportunities? How can you budget effectively amid this uncertainty and [...]
Legacy Gifting: From the Why to the How
As leaders, we are called to seek out and then shine a light on the path for the faithful to follow. One of those paths is stewardship and generosity. But how do we facilitate [...]
Disposing of Church Assets: A computer, a cell phone and a 1932 Rolls Royce
Hey Fletch … We don’t have a policy for selling church property. Some staff have given furniture away, sold equipment, or sold things to family members. Do you have a recommendation on the sale [...]
Top 5 Urgent Hurdles to Make or Break Your Financial Year
A Focus on the Next 10 Months to Finish the Year Exceeding Budget Even though giving is stable now, what variables loom ahead that could disrupt your financial world to diminish your church mission? [...]
River Valley Church Receives $400,000 in Crypto Donations
Creating Catalysts of Generosity with Cryptocurrency An interview with Clynt Reddy, Executive Director of Operations for River Valley Church and Engiven. Each year River Valley hosts an annual event called Kingdom Builders, where they [...]
Ten Biggest Tax Mistakes, Part 2
In Part 1, we had so many questions from the live audiences, that we only got half way through the "10 Biggest Mistakes." Now for the second half! With decades of experience in publishing [...]
Money and Ministry: 7 Financial Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
Many leaders are making expensive financial mistakes that limit their impact. Avoid the seven most problematic areas within your financial operations and discover a blueprint to fully resource your ministry and maximize effectiveness. Join [...]
10 Biggest Tax Mistakes Made By Pastors and Churches
With decades of experience in publishing annual tax guides for ministers and churches, ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) is uniquely qualified to identify and explain the top tax mistakes made by pastors and [...]
Negotiating and Managing Bank Debt
You are thinking of a loan for your new building or you might be looking to refinance a current loan. How much debt can your church prudently carry? You haven’t looked at the covenant for [...]
Eight Practices For Effective Online Giving
I’ve spent a lot of time on church websites recently ... like dozens of hours on hundreds of websites! Along the way, I noticed some trends about online giving. Having grown by 21% in [...]
Virtual Currency and Charitable Contribution Guidelines in Federal Tax Law
Charitable Contribution Guidelines in Federal Tax Law for Donors of Virtual Currency Valued at Greater than $5,000 Whatever you may think about virtual currencies, one reality is that a significant number of people have [...]
Designing an Effective Chart of Accounts for Churches
There are four basic principles of effective chart of accounts design and they are most prominently applied to reporting elements like travel, supplies, and meals. You can redesign your general ledger accounts to create [...]
Pastor Tax 101—Federal Tax Benefits and Rules Applicable to Ministers
Pastors and federal tax issues is always a hot topic. We all want to use the most benefits that are available ... but are we? This broadcast with Fletch and Michele will discuss the [...]
Eight Tips for Addressing Inflation Creep
How does a church make a mid-course adjustment to the vision, facility drawings, funding and timeline of a project when costs have increased significantly? Believe it or not, this is a very real scenario that [...]
The Mistake of Borrowing Money to Pay for CapX Expenses
The moment has come where your organization is facing significant Capital Expenditures (CapX), this might be a roof or HVAC replacement. But, you have not established an appropriate capital reserve fund. Your roof won’t [...]
Leadership Lessons from a Bank with a Biblically-Centered Culture
Most banks have a culture of profit. What if a bank took a biblical world view that included profit with the biblical principles of honesty, integrity, truthfulness and fairness? The bank created a document [...]
4 Essential Tools for the Future of Church Growth
We all have ideas about how our church could grow in the next month. There are a number of digital tools and systems that can help you run your church, but what’s actually working [...]
Heart Financial Planning: A Summer Check-In For Pastors
Almost every pastor I talk to gives to the church. But, the majority seem to give from duty, obligation, almost joylessly. I can almost hear some of their inner thoughts: The box is checked. [...]
Assessing Church Financial Health Made Easy
Assessing Church Financial Health Made Easy—Even if you are not financially inclined So … you’re an XP (or equivalent) and you’re in charge of (among other things) the financial health and operations of your [...]
Legacy Gifting: The Heart of Stewardship
The stewardship journey is not only the work of a faithful follower of Christ but those chosen to lead them. The church has a unique opportunity to provide leadership in encouraging the completion of [...]
Giver Expectations and Intent
It’s critical to remember that the cycle of requesting and/or receiving a charitable gift is not complete until the expectation and intent of givers have been met. Creating a realistic expectation of what will [...]
Cyber Criminals in the Church: A Whopper of a Tale
In today’s world, not even the church is immune to cyberattacks. Our ministries are vulnerable to phishing, data theft, and even extortion. The attorneys will provide examples of damage and recovery from organizations just [...]