PREPARE FINANCIALLY FOR THE FUTURE - PART 1

 

            If you’re like many churches that I have spoken with or heard from, you’re worried about your finances. Is there enough? How will the changing economy affect what you receive in donations and what your expenses will be?

            I don’t think anyone has missed the impact of a global pandemic, of having church buildings have to close, or of having to “do church” differently. But there’s more that you can do besides just worry!

            I’ve spoken many times in these blogs about working on your mission and vision. Remember, that’s more than simply having the right pretty words that mean that you can cross it off your “to do list.” Look at your mission statement. Look at the vision of your church. Do they both incorporate what your church is called to be and to do? No church can be everything to everyone, or do everything. Once your mission and vision are well-defined and measurable and appropriate, then you can work on your Ministry Funding Plan a/k/a budget.

            Noone looks forward to a budget or likes to read them, especially in church. However, what if you looked at the budget for what it “does”? It is a plan to fund the ministry of your church. Let’s call it that: Ministry Funding Plan. Don’t project income and then create a budget from that or from what you hope your income will be. Instead work on a Ministry Funding Plan that is a result of God’s leading for your church. It stops you focusing on expense control and instead of growing generosity. It helps you focus on the need of people to give rather than on the need of the church to get.

            Grow disciples, not dollars. Grow generosity, not budgets.  

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to discuss your Ministry Funding Plan.

 

 

                                 BUILDING A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY

 

            What is culture?  I found a definition online of “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group: Synonyms included society, way of life, lifestyle, customs, traditions, heritage, habits, ways, mores and values.

            What is generosity? It is defined online as “the quality of being kind and generous.”

            So together; culture of generosity could be translated as “a way of life, ways, mores and values of being kind and generous.”

            That is what we should be doing as “the” church, and what we should be doing in every local church: learning how to build a culture of generosity. How do you build that?

• ·         Help our folks understand how to best use their time
• ·         Giftedness
• ·         Financial resources
• ·         Voice

            We have to embrace discipleship and spiritual formation, inviting people to experience a journey of spiritual growth, allowing them to utilize all the resources they are managing FOR God. It won’t be easy. It will require a new way of thinking and doing.

            Remember this: building a culture isn’t to create something that people DO, but something that people ARE. Being generous has to be part of who we are as God’s people. Why? Because:

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to discuss how to build a culture of generosity in your church.

 

 

                                    TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

 

            We have to have a plan! A plan for:

• ·         How you’re going to address challenges and opportunities in the community and beyond;
• ·         How that plan is making and will make a difference in lives.

            It used to be that a bulletin, an hour of worship and announcements of upcoming activities was enough to promote giving for the ministries of the church. I don’t think it’s enough anymore. There needs to be “planning, intentional leadership and a disciplined approach.”[1] The culture of the church must include generous giving.

• ·         Not because the church budget needs to be balanced
• ·         Not because the church building needs to stay opened

But because:

• ·         Lives are changed
• ·         Being generous and giving is part of the spiritual formation of everyone
• ·         The world will be changed because of people’s generosity

Shouldn’t the church be part of this? Shouldn’t your folks be part of this?

So, when we provide help, love and hope, God’s work is being done; and your folks will want to be a part of it!

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like help working on a plan.

 

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[1] Horizons Stewardship, “The Next Big Thing in Church Stewardship”.

 

                                       WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

 

            Why do you give?

            Why do folks in your church give?

Do you know? I encourage you to spend the next week or so considering these two questions. Focus, first, on the reasons why you give. Think about it. Then think about the ways that you talk about generosity and giving in your local church. Is your thinking all about the organization—the church? After all, people should trust the church and be willing to give and give generously to the church, trusting that the church knows what to do.

            While that may certainly be true; for many, they may want to know that what they are giving creates an impact. An article I recently read talks about the difference between an organization-centric view and an impact-centric view.

            The church may certainly be trustworthy, but there are more and more people and organizations competing for givers’ attention and money. Have you received an invitation to give from a non-church organization? They may certainly talk about the organization, but they, more importantly, tell stories about what has changed because of givers, and lives impacted.

            What if we tried to do that? We can talk about what we’ve done as a church, and we think that’s important (and it is), but what if we talked about lives that were changed because of what we’ve done or contributed?

            Let’s try stopping our focus on the church, but and instead focus on God and the lives that are changed and impacted because of the church through God. If you find yourself struggling to come up with these stories:

• 1.    It may be because you don’t think that way; or
• 2.    There aren’t any lives impacted by the church.

            If it’s the first one, that can change. If it’s the second one, I’m worried that the church isn’t acting as God’s hands and feet in the world.

            What is your perspective?

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like help identifying and telling stories.

 

                          OVER-ALL STEWARDSHIP PLANNING #2

 

Last week, I started talking about the list of items needed to help you organize your planning for stewardship and generosity. The first part of the list included a preaching series, teaching in small groups, giving updates, telling stories of impact and giving.

The list continues:

·         Emphasizing electronic giving. Most of us now have electronic giving available for our folks. That’s great! But we need to promote it a few times a year. How are you doing that?

·         Financial planning classes. Whether it’s Financial Peace University or Financially Freed Up, or some other class, it is important to empower and instruct your folks on having their best relationship with money.

·         Vision of the church. Keep the mission and visit of the church in front of folks. Everyone should be aware of what your church is moving toward. Short bits of information throughout the year and an annual update would go a long way toward keeping people informed.

·         Annual Report. Often a church’s annual report is just a compilation of the financial report, a pastor’s letter and reports from the teams that will provide them. What is the annual report also included the highlights of the prior year into one communication piece? Having the detailed reports is good, but most people won’t take the time to read everything. An executive summary will let people know what really happened. What are you proud of?

·         Financial communications. Of course, we do at least an annual giving statement so people have the information necessary for their taxes. Hopefully, we’re doing quarterly communications so people can keep up to date with the commitment they made. But these communications should be more than just letting them know how much was given. Tell them what’s been happening. What did their giving enable?

·         Planned giving. This is longer term giving, which is just as important as capital and everyday giving. This type of giving is through wills or other methods, that is often through assets. Provide information and seminars to help people learn what they can do and to help them do their planning for the future of God’s work through the church. If the work the church was doing was important enough to support through their regular giving, shouldn’t it be just as important after they’re gone?

            There are a lot of items, but all of them are important for stewardship and generosity activities to be done well and to prevent anything from being “forgotten”.

 

Please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like help organizing the generosity and giving in your church!