Is Giving Your Baptist Pastor Money For Christmas Ok

Four Mistakes Pastors Make with Church Finances
By Dale Marples

Dave Marples Dale Marples and his wife, Betty Jo, are ordained through Rhema Bible Training Center and had been pastors for 24 years before retiring in 2010. They pioneered 3 churches during that time. Dale has a degree from the University of Nebraska in Business organisation Assistants and Finance. After serving as an officeholder and pilot in the U.S. Air Force he became a National Bank Examiner and Executive Officer in banking for 25 years. Dale also was Director of Treasury and Budget for the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association for several years.

Today Dale has a consulting company, CFO Omaha, Inc., which provides financial management solutions for companies and churches and prepares business plans and fiscal proposals. He has as well developed a financial seminar for pastors, staff members and church building boards entitled "Church Finances 911" which is designed to enable church leaders to be skilful stewards of the finances that have been entrusted to them and to constitute a financially audio and stable church building.

Contact Data:
dale@CFOOmaha.com
www.cfoomaha.com
(402) 502-2255

Church Finance Mistakes Everybody handles money, merely non the same amount nor in the same manner. I live in Omaha where Warren Buffet lives. Unfortunately, I don't handle the same amount of money he does nor do I take the aforementioned responsibilities that he has.

As pastor of a church, it is your responsibility to encounter that the finances are handled in a professional mode and protect the fiscal foundation of your church. Depending upon the size of your church, you may accept the direct responsibility of the finances, or they may be delegated to someone in your staff or informational board. But regardless of your involvement, the final responsibility is yours. What I want to talk over today are four mistakes pastors make with church building finances.

The first mistake is symbolized by a term we have all heard: "Jack of all Trades". Too many pastors take the "Savior" syndrome, and think they can do everything, or that they accept to do everything. Jack of all Trades has a prissy band to information technology, merely later on it was added to with "and master of none". This describes the problem. Trying to be the financial person for the church without knowing how to do the job. Someone may say, "Then what'south the problem? I merely deposit the money in the bank and write the checks." If you don't manage your money and tell it where to become, it volition go wherever information technology wants to go. Someone has to be in accuse of the church finances, and if you aren't, that void will exist filled past something else.

Recognize your abilities and what you lot must requite away to someone else. At present I am not saying to "dump" it on someone, merely entrust information technology to an individual who either knows how to do information technology or can exist trained. I take the all-time dr.. She is very practiced, only there are times when she knows she is at the limit of her ability and volition refer me to a specialist. Know what y'all tin can exercise and don't try to do a job that you are "chief of none".

The 2d mistake pastors make in handling the church finances is trying to exercise a job that is outside of their call. As a pastor, yous take been called to "equip the saints for the work of the ministry". In Acts half dozen, the disciples focused on their responsibility of continually being in prayer and ministry of the Word. You were not called to be a financial expert, and then don't call up that is what yous take to be. Do your calling and discover someone in your church, or hire a consultant to handle the financial responsibilities, but you have to accept care of the flock that God has placed into your intendance. The world calls that "outsourcing". I phone call it mutual sense.

A church building is two things: a place where people come to receive Jesus and grow spiritually. But it is also a business concern. And when I say that, I hateful that it has to be managed financially like a concern. When I worked for Oral Roberts, nosotros had a total financial department. Our job was to manage the finances so that Oral had the financial resources to do what God chosen him to exercise. For a church building to grow and support the piece of work of the ministry, information technology must have a audio financial base. That's why finances are to be handled professionally.

The third mistake pastors make with church finances is non planning the finances like they plan other church activities. You need a budget. Sure I know that is a bad give-and-take, but get used to it because information technology's not going away. A budget is not a square you lot fill and say, OK, I accept one and and so put it away in your files. No, it is a road map for the twelvemonth and you have to follow it in club to accomplish your goal. One time you have the budget, then you lot need a plan for following that budget throughout the twelvemonth. If you lot are non on budget, find out why, make the necessary adjustments and get dorsum on track. If y'all don't, you will run out of money before you run out of yr. A good accounting system is needed to rail your income and expenses. All of that takes fourth dimension, and is a fourth dimension stealer from the pastor's prayer and ministry time. If you are non a financial good, then delegate that to a qualified person only call back you lot cannot delegate responsibleness. Every bit the pastor the last responsibleness remains with you.

The fourth fault pastors make is trying to be too spiritual with the church finances. Many of us have heard the leadership in Bible schoolhouse talk about "faith checks". There are places for religion, and your church finances is i of those places, just when information technology comes to writing a bank check, you better accept coin in the account to cover it because your bank doesn't operate on organized religion. They piece of work in reality. I know because I was a broker and bank examiner for 25 years. If you want cooperation from your banker, talk to him in real terms. Share your dreams and goals with him. Then go to your advisory lath and talk faith and make plans for your church.

If you are going to aggrandize or purchase a edifice or add on to your existing building, this is where you and your advisory board talk organized religion. Get God'south plan. And so past faith accomplish out and receive the manifestation. Then get back to your banker and talk reality.

Having been a pastor for 24 years, I know the responsibilities you have of praying and preparing to minister to your flock. Yous have been trained to do this and it is your calling from God. But the finances of your church are also of import and must be handled professionally. How yous handle the church finances is a witness to the people in your church and community. They are watching and will make judgment of y'all and your church based on your fiscal integrity.

By placing qualified people to assist you in managing your church finances, planning properly and accept an organized operating procedure, you will take stress off of yourself, gain valuable fourth dimension to government minister to God'due south flock in your church building and institute a sound financial base for the church.

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. Information technology is shared with the understanding that neither the writer nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional person services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is fabricated that the data herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal communication or other good assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Source: https://tonycooke.org/articles-by-others/mistakes-church-finances/

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