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.
Understanding “The Big Shift”
Do you remember the E.F. Hutton advertisement? The essence of the ad is two people are talking about investments. One says, “My broker is E.F. Hutton and he says …” At that point everyone [...]
What to Do with an 85% Decline in Church Attendance?
Friday, July 13, 2018 Hey Dr. Fletch … Hi! My church of 2,000 members has dwindled from over 2,000 members to barely 300. What should I do? DRF—Thanks for your note. There must be lots [...]
Tax on Outside Groups Using Our Facility
Saturday, July 7, 2018 Hey Fletch … We charge outside groups to use our facility. Some are concerned at our church that we should be paying tax on this income. They want us to not [...]
Limited Funds
Monday, July 2, 2018 Hey David … You told me that doing this church plant was going to be a challenge. And you were so right. Our funds are so limited. I can barely afford [...]
Capital Campaign = Spiritual Revival. Seriously?
Can a capital campaign in a church cause a spiritual revival? Absolutely! I know from first-hand experience. When I was 25 years old and went through my first capital campaign, it transformed my life, [...]
Should Your Church Change Its Fiscal Year-End?
If your church uses a calendar year-end of December 31 as its fiscal year-end, you may want to consider changing it. A fiscal year-end such as May 31, June 30, July 31, August 31, [...]
Insurance for Sexual Abuse, Part 2
Saturday, June 16, 2018 Hey Fletch … Our church has $2 million in umbrella insurance. Does that cover sexual abuse as well? DRF—When I get a question on insurance issues, I always turn to [...]
Insurance for Sexual Abuse, Part 1
Friday, June 15, 2018 Hey Fletch … Our church has $2 million in umbrella insurance. Does that cover sexual abuse as well? DRF—When I get a question on insurance issues, I always turn to the [...]
Percentages of Budget by Ministry Area
Monday, June 11, 2018 Hey Doc … You answered my question regarding the average percentage of General Fund that is allocated towards Creative Arts. Are there rough percentages of General Fund expenses for Youth, [...]
Giving Away 50% of Church Income
Thursday, June 7, 2018 Hey Fletch … In all of the church connections you have, do you know of other churches that are attempting to give away large percentages (50%+) of what they receive [...]
Legal Issues with Songs on a Church Website
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 Hey Fletch … We live-stream our worship service and also have some recorded worship songs on our website. Someone asked me if that is legal. Thoughts? DRF—That is a huge [...]
Mrs. Gold and the $300,000 Check
Tuesday, June 5, 2018 Hey Fletch … On Sunday, Mrs. Gold (that’s really her name) handed me an unmarked envelope with a letter in it. When I got back to my office and opened [...]
Weekly Financial Reporting Spreadsheet
Friday, June 1, 2018 Hey Fletch … Would you mind sharing an example of a Weekly Financial Reporting spreadsheet? I'd love to see it and incorporate it. DRF— A weekly financial reporting spreadsheet should [...]
Sharing Stories of Ministry
Saturday, May 26, 2018 Hey Fletch … I like your suggestion about getting people's stories. How do you do that in a church? DRF—One of the best way to measure the effectiveness of your [...]
Weekly Report Spreadsheet for Church Income
A weekly financial reporting spreadsheet should contain a church's actual income and the budget forecast. The following numbers are from WheatFields Good News Church. This is a compiled case study church, as no church [...]
Boss Stole My Idea
Thursday, May 17, 2018 Hey Fletch … my boss stole my idea and said it was his. What gives? DRF—That’s a hard one to hear. I’m so sorry that you had this experience. Can [...]
Church Accounting Software
Friday, May 11, 2018 Hey Fletch … Thank you for putting together another successful XP-Seminar. I enjoyed it once again and look forward to it each year! I was wondering if you had any [...]
Thanks for XPastor
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 Hey Fletch … Seriously—this is an invaluable resource. Love that you are doing so much writing. I like the “Hey Fletch” column. Thanks for featuring the 14 years of XP-Seminar [...]
The XPastor Site is Different
Monday, April 23, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’ve been in ministry a long time. Your XP-Seminar is unlike anything that I have attended before. I absolutely love it. The XPastor site exudes something different [...]
Is a Donation ‘Thank You’ Too Pushy?
Thursday, April 19, 2018 Hey Fletch … Do you encourage churches to acknowledge first time givers through a thank you letter? I am considering starting this because I see this as a significant opportunity [...]
General Fund Robbed by Disaster Donations
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Hey Fletch … I have been a fan of your work and website for several years. I have a question and would love your insight. As a board member, let [...]
Few Cheerleaders for Ministry
Monday, April 16, 2018 Hey Fletch … Thanks for the encouragement. As you might expect, working with the church does not come with a cheerleading squad. The more we work with churches in the [...]
Is Deficit Budgeting an Act of Faith?
Saturday, April 14, 2018 Hey Fletch … Our church is barely keeping the payroll and bills paid and we enter the budget process in June. Our elders keep casting a vision that requires 10% [...]
Percentage of Overall Budget for Worship
Saturday, April 7, 2018 Hey Fletch … I doubt you remember me but I was part of a group in 2011. I am currently an XP of Operations. I serve under two Co-Lead Pastors...two [...]