Mastering Church Finances
Overview
If you’re like most pastors, you’ve not been trained to manage the church’s money. You’ve been taught, in fact, to be suspicious of Mammon. So how do you respond when a spreadsheet (usually in the red) is thrust before you and eager trustees look to you for financial leadership?
Having to be concerned about financial matters may well be a disturbing reality for you. You want, rightly so, to be heavenly minded. You need to be concerned first with the things of the Spirit. But you also soon learn that much of the spiritual good you want to see your congregation accomplish hinges on the effective raising and wise spending of money.
In Mastering Church Finances, Richard L. Bergstrom, Gary Fenton, and Wayne A. Pohl explore how you can keep money from getting in the way and use finances instead to further the kingdom. They discuss such matters as how to keep the finance committee ministry-minded, how and when to delegate financial affairs, how to handle designated gifts, how to deal with financial mismanagement, and how to determine staff salaries.
It is true, as Paul said, that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” but this book shows another truth: well-managed money can become the root of much good.
Top Highlights
“Have an annual celebration instead of an annual meeting.” (Page 38)
“In a church that is ministry minded, then, the financial considerations come last. Ministry planning begins with purpose, moves through dreams, goals, priorities, and plans. Only then comes consideration of the dollar. When churches follow this outline, finance committees are biased to become ministry minded.” (Page 35)
“In the family-business church, then, thrift is the highest virtue. Thriftiness may not produce change, but it keeps disaster at bay. The pastor may convince a congregation not to worship thrift but will probably never convince it to abandon thrift as a primary principle of management.” (Page 16)
“Translated into church language, financial risk taking is seen as evidence of spirituality. Such people may think the pastor who refuses to risk lacks faith.” (Pages 17–18)
“No system is beyond abuse, but responsible stewardship demands church finances be handled with absolute integrity.’” (Page 9)
- Title: Mastering Church Finances
- Authors: Richard L. Bergstrom, Gary Fenton, Wayne A. Pohl
- Series: Mastering Ministry Series
- Publisher: Multnomah
- Print Publication Date: 1992
- Logos Release Date: 2001
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Church finance; Handbooks
- Resource ID: LLS:34.0.53
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T07:39:34Z