CHRISTMAS

 

            It’s that time of year when we’re concentrating on the celebration of the birth of Jesus! Sometimes churches don’t receive an offering on Christmas Eve. I’ve heard one explanation that it’s not appropriate to ask guests to give to the church on Christmas Eve.

            I don’t agree. If you’ve read some of my blogs, you know that I’ve said offer to the church and generosity should have very little to do with the need of the church to receive and pay its bills but have everything to do with the need of people to give. Giving is a spiritual discipline.

            If we deprive folks from giving because they’re guests, what does that say about how we care for them. Celebrating Christmas isn’t about the Christmas Cantata, or the Children’s Christmas Pageant (although both of those things are wonderful!) What it should be about is worshiping God and celebrating Emmanuel – God With Us. And the greatest gift is Jesus, generosity is part of worshiping God.

            Let’s celebrate the birth of Jesus and what it means for us as disciples. What does it mean for us as we celebrate?

           

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about mission and money in your local church. I have some great ideas to help you understand where you are and where you’re going, and how to help your folks discuss and embrace generosity!

 

 

                                             ANNUAL CAMPAIGNS 

 

            I’ve talked about three important factors for donors, two important ideas about money, and the need to talk about money throughout the year.

            In reading an article the other day, it contained a perspective, written by Rev. Dr. Susan Buckson, which talked about how important it was to talk for her to about money in the church she served at least once each month, and citing studies that “rank money among the top five struggles facing individuals, couples, and families.”[1]

            I want to repeat something I’ve said before, and that’s “no church has money problems; problems with money are simply a symptom of a true problem.” When I’ve made that statement before, I often have gotten push back, because of course, churches have money problems. Some churches can’t make payroll, or can’t have full-time staff, or aren’t able to pay ministry shares in full, etc. etc.

            I think something “positive” that came out of COVID, was that problems that churches had, but had been able to ignore, suddenly came to the forefront and were no longer able to be ignored. Money, in these situations, often functioned as a giant neon finger that pointed to an issue or issues at the church. Thing is, those issues had been there awhile, but had either been ignored, or just didn’t have importance placed upon them.

            Now, fewer people coming to church, decreased giving, increased technology costs, increased utilities and other expenses! It all comes together in a vicious circle, and a church starts crying about financial problems.

            Thing is, we generally find it more comfortably to ask for money once a year, calling it a stewardship campaign, and we don’t talk about the spiritual side of generosity.

            So, again, I’m repeating: let’s talk about generosity, not money! Generosity is part of being a disciple, and if we ignore it, so our folks ignore it, then our disciples aren’t maturing in their discipleship! Our discipleship pathways aren’t going to be effective, and we’ll suffer “money problems” and people don’t have good relationships with their own money, because who’s going to talk to them about it?

            It should be us!

           

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about mission and money in your local church. I have some great ideas to help you understand where you are and were you’re going, and how to help your folks discuss and embrace generosity!

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[1] https://lakeinstitute.org/resource-library/august-issue1-2022/

 

                                            ANNUAL CAMPAIGNS #3

 

            I’ve talked about three important factors for donors, two important ideas about money, and talking about money throughout the year.

            It seems really difficult to talk about money, doesn’t it? Especially because church leaders asking for money seems closely related to the church leader’s income!

            While we are, of course, asking folks to pay the costs of the ministry and mission of the church, which often includes cost of staff and building, etc., making a fund-raising speech needs to be very different from preaching about generosity.  A fund-raising speech is aimed to boost contributions by convincing people to give money for a purpose, and while that sounds like what we do in church, it actually has to go much deeper than that.

            Preaching about generosity is “relating to others about God’s presence, purpose, and power in one’s life and in the life of the all of humanity!”[1] Giving shouldn’t be a response to whether someone likes the pastor or not, or whether the sermon is a “good one”, but needs to a liturgical response to God, not an up or down vote for the leader.

            The invitation is focused on the donor’s own generosity and the impact of what the contribution does. Giving and generosity is a spiritual practice, just like prayer and Scripture reading and worship.

            I’ve said it before; I’m going to say it again; and I’m sure I’ll say it again multiple times, but giving and generosity HAS to be focused on the need of the givers to give, not on the need of the church to receive!

            So, I’m going to repeat what I said last week: let’s talk about generosity, not money! Generosity is part of being a disciple, and if we ignore it, so our folks ignore it, then our disciples aren’t maturing in their discipleship!

            Giving and generosity is intertwined into our mission and who we are as Christians!

            Next week, I’ll share some additional thoughts on this same topic.

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about mission and money in your local church. I have some great ideas to help you understand where you are and where you’re going, and how to help your folks discuss and embrace generosity!

 

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[1] Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Bandy Professor of Preaching at Emory University.

 

                                          ANNUAL CAMPAIGNS #2

 

            Last week, I talked about three important factors for donors and two important ideas about money.

            What if we talked about money at a time during the year when we weren’t asking for it? I know, I know, no one wants to talk about money. But have you considered that might be because we are so scared that we only talk about money when the church needs it?

            I think we’re doing a grave disservice to the folks in our church (whether they worship inside the building or virtually), by not helping them with their own personal money concerns.

• ·         Are they in debt?
• ·         Do they have too many credit cards?
• ·         Do their expenses exceed their income?
• ·         Did they learn how to budget?

 

             Have you shared information about the importance of planning giving? By this, I mean, considering naming the church in their will, or making the church the beneficiary of an asset?

• ·         If the church was important enough to give you while they’re alive, why not consider the importance after?
• ·         Have you done a wills workshop, talking about powers of attorney and health care proxies?

            Let’s talk about generosity, not money! Generosity is part of being a disciple, and if we ignore it, so our folks ignore it, then our disciples aren’t maturing in their discipleship!

            Giving and generosity is intertwined into our mission and who we are as Christians!

            

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about mission and money in your local church. I have some great ideas to help you understand where you are and where you’re going, and how to help your folks discuss and embrace generosity!

 

 

                        ANNUAL CAMPAIGNS #1

 

            It’s that time of year, as we approach Thanksgiving, that most churches have celebrated commitment Sunday. Tying that celebration to Thanksgiving makes a lot of sense. We should be grateful to God for what we’ve received (which, hint, hint, is everything.) Giving back just a portion of what God has blessed us with should be the foundation for our commitment Sundays.

            I want to reinforce, again, the foundation for our giving campaigns. I’ve spoken of it before, but I want to share it again. Some of what I’m sharing came from a workshop by Rev. Ken Sloane, of UMC Discipleship, on Making Annual Campaign Your Own.

            Three Important Basics for Donors:

1.    Believe in mission

2.    Faith and respect for the leader

3.    Transparency in finances

            People give because these three basics are in place. If they’re not, that might explain why your church may be struggling with finances. You should have these in place throughout the year. Be transparent about your finances. And by that, I don’t mean just talk about how you need more money and you can’t pay your bills. I’m talking about where your resources come from and how you spend them. I can guarantee that most people sitting in your pews don’t know and/or don’t understand. Do not share a line item budget; tell the stories of lives changed, or missions served, of compassion, of justice.

            Two Most Important Ideas About Money:

1.    Never talk about people’s money apart from their discipleship

2.    Never talk about church’s money apart from its mission

            Part of our intentional discipleship plans must include generosity. Mature disciples show and experience discipleship through their generosity. We’re not asking people to pay our bills; we’re asking them to be disciples that make disciples and transform the world. Because we’re not asking people to pay the church’s bills, we have to stress that we are asking people to be generous and give to God through the church.

            What is your church called to BE and DO? What is your WHY? Your budget, your generosity, your money should all be centered on the answers to those questions. And once they are, you will be impressed by what God does!

            Next week, I’ll share some additional thoughts on this same topic.

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about mission and money in your local church. I have some great ideas to help you understand where you are and were you’re going!

 

 

                                                         WAYS TO GIVE

 

            In churches, we often rely primarily on tithes and offerings. But there are many different ways to give. This doesn’t mean, by putting cash in the offering plate, or writing a check or paying electronically. I mean, why do people give?

            There are three basics to an effective giving system at a church:

• ·         Operating
• ·         Capital
• ·         Planned Giving

            All three of these must be utilized and in effect for a church to have a good system in place.

            I’ve talked about this before, but people give because lives are transformed. People give, not to the church, but to the work of God. If your church isn’t transforming lives or doing the work of God, people won’t give. Consider over the next four Sundays, telling a story each Sunday of a life transformed. If you struggle to come up with these, then you should revisit the mission and vision of your church. Are lives actually being transformed?

            How people give is also important. For some, they give from what they receive in their payroll or other income. Others give from assets that they’ve saved up. Don’t assume that people on a fixed income can’t give. They may have assets put aside. Talk with people about giving to the church upon their death. If the church was important to give to while they were alive, is it important to give beyond? Have planned giving discussions. Communicate information about it.

            Don’t assume that someone with a large salary has disposable income sufficient for substantial gifts. Perhaps conversation about debt control, financial planning and budgeting would be helpful.

            For anyone who has ever volunteered or worked at a church, you know there are times when something physical is going to go wrong. A boiler can cease working, tile comes off the roof, there’s a water leak. So many things can go wrong, and, many times, there isn’t enough money in the checking account to be able to have it fixed right away. That leads to capital giving. Usually, we think about capital campaigns related to new buildings or something substantial. But it should be more than that; there should be a way to raise funds that can be set aside for these types of needs.

            But there are other ways to give, even now.

            For many of our retired folks, there are required minimum distributions (RMD), where they are required to take a minimum amount from their retirement every year. For some, they don’t really need the money, but they have to take it out anyway. Tax law allows them to transfer directly from their retirement account to a non-profit, a/k/a church. The income doesn’t appear on their tax return (reducing taxable income which can help deductions and other tax results). Of course, the charitable deduction isn’t claimed either, but, for many, itemized deductions isn’t beneficial.

            It is so important to consider all of these things, WHY, HOW, WHERE, etc.

            The need shouldn’t be the need of the church to receive, but the need of the giver to giver. If we don’t give them the ability and ways to give, we are doing them a great disservice.

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Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about doing a financial or giving analysis of your church or about setting up a planned giving plan.

 

 

           ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A CLERGY TAX WORKSHOP?

I am planning on offering a two-hour workshop during the afternoon of December 8th or the evening of December 8th.

If you are interested, please email me at susanranous@unyumc.org. It will be held via Zoom. Once I hear from you, I will send you a link!

• ·         Clergy are treated differently under the tax code than virtually anybody else in the country.
• ·         Are clergy employees or self-employed? Hint: the answer isn’t obvious or easy!
• ·         Clergy have advantages and disadvantages that no one else has.
• ·         Often, confusion exists concerning clergy compensation, deductions and expenses.

This workshop will help you gain a better understanding of the current tax laws that affect clergy today.

At the end of this workshop, you will have a better understanding of the unique issues faced by a United Methodist Clergy Person.  Topics will include: Defining the Dual-Status Tax Classification of Clergy, Defining What a Clergy Person Is, What Responsibilities the Church Has, What Responsibilities Clergy Have, Describing the Housing Allowance and Exclusion, Discussing Exemptions and Deductions, and Completing Your Tax Filing Forms.

I am an ordained Deacon, specializing in clergy tax, church finance and stewardship. In addition, I am a Certified Public Accountant, specializing in clergy taxes.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns, letting me know whether you wish to attend the afternoon or evening. I'll send you the appropriate Zoom link.

 

                       PREPARE FINANCIALLY FOR THE FUTURE #4

            During the last few weeks, I’ve written about basing your Ministry Spending Plan (a/k/a your budget) on the vision of your church; about making a plan of sustaining ministry, based on ministry today and tomorrow; and about high-capacity donors.

            Our conversation about preparing financially for the future continues. Some of you have experienced financial mistakes in your churches, and some of you will. Mistakes don’t mean lack of financial health. No matter how healthy your church is, I think it’s vital that you spend time doing a financial analysis. This is different from the annual church audit (which is mandatory). A financial analysis will look at ratios, at generosity, at leadership, at use of assets (personal, financial, fixed, etc.) and at financial practices.

            While financial analysis work is important, it, of course, seems to focus on the past. And it does help you determine what has worked and what has not worked in the past. But it can also help you better focus on the future. We have to learn from the past, but not be bogged down in it. We have to stop focusing on what happened “back then” so much that we lose sight of what’s coming down the road.

            Don’t become so attached to the past that you can’t see the future.

            Learn from the past but stay future-focused. There are going to be rough waters ahead, some financially. Consider these questions to keep you focused on what’s important:

·         Where is God leading you?

·         What are you being asked to do?

·         What is your church called to be?

Stay focused on the future; and learn from the past. Each is important to the other.

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk about doing a financial analysis of your church, please let me know and I’d be happy to discuss the various components of a financial analysis.

 

 

                         PREPARE FINANCIALLY FOR THE FUTURE #3

            During the last two weeks, I’ve written about basing your Ministry Spending Plan (a/k/a your budget) on the vision of your church, and about making a plan of sustaining ministry, based on ministry today and tomorrow.

            This week I want to take that a step further, and discuss high-capacity donors. I know, often when I speak of stewardship, I speak about ALL the nuances of stewardship, not just on money. But, of course, generosity and giving is a spiritual discipline. Is it part of your intentional discipleship plan? I hope so, because disciples can’t be maturing disciples if they are not giving back to God.

            When I talk about high-capacity donors, I am not necessarily talking about the people giving the biggest checks. I’m talking about financial leaders, leaders in ministry, high capacity.

            But the check isn’t the point, and it shouldn’t be the end result. We need to identify, engage and disciple them. What if you cultivated the desire of folks to give and give generously by being intentional about building a financial leader ministry?

            It is about building authentic relationships with those donors. Don’t be surprised if when you’ve formed those relationships, you find that giving to the church isn’t at the top of their list. And that’s all on us!

            Work on those discipleship plans and on nurturing maturing disciples!

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to discuss linking stewardship and discipleship.

 

                        PREPARE FINANCIALLY FOR THE FUTURE #2

            Last week I wrote about basing your Ministry Spending Plan (a/k/a your budget) on the vision of your church.

            This week I want to talk about the differences in doing things the “same old way” by looking backward instead of forward.  What if we made a plan? What if the plan was all around sustaining ministry? What if the plan of sustaining ministry was based on minsitry today AND tomorrow?

            Too often our ministry and our plans are pretty short-sighted. It seems too easy to allow money to cloud our eyesight, and we focus on how much, or how little we have. Of course, there are sometimes financial challenges in church, just as there are in “life”, so instead of worrying about them coming, focusing on them when they do come, what if we prepared for them?

            Instead of a knee-jerk reaction to anything:

·         We don’t have enough money, so let’s cut staffing!

·         What if something happens later in the year, let’s hold back on paying ministry shares for a while!

·         Every group and team needs to spend less, let’s slash expenses!

What if we create Ministry Spending Plans that include setting aside some unallocated funds, over time, so there is a reserve. The amount to set aside would be based on what it would take to support your church for six months or so.

If the church already has debt, deal with that first, so you are fee from debt service and able to devote more toward ministry

Don’t react! Plan for the future!

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to discuss planning for your church’s financial future.