I've been asked more than once over the years ... "How much does your church keep in reserve?" My answer? "It depends." I haven’t come across a “standard” as it relates to cash reserves, at least that works for everyone. As church leaders, we know having a reserve is a good thing, but we’re not in the money-saving business. We’re in the money spending business (for the good of the Kingdom, of course). We have to … [Read more...]
Developing A Compensation Program For Your Church
The 5 Important Components Of Any Good Church Compensation Program ... Explained
Every church, regardless of size or denomination, must have a "structured method" of determining fair and equitable compensation for staff. Why? Having a program developed, documented, and readily available for staff to read and understand solves or prevents issues staff sometimes have related to their compensation. Everyone knows where they stand in the organization and they are confident that their compensation is … [Read more...]
Finance Team Charter
The Policy Document Created By The Board Of Elders, Forming A "Finance Committee"
Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish and communicate the Finance Team charter as set forth by the church's Board of Elders. Scope The Finance Team is formed and empowered by the Board of Elders to function as a team of subject matter experts in the accounting and finance area regularly reviewing the church’s financial status, advising the Executive Pastor. To this end, this policy includes specifics … [Read more...]
Church Management Software And The General Ledger
Responding To The Many Church Leaders Hung Up On The "One Application Should Do Everything" Idea
I finally started to "get it" during a recent telephone conversation. My posts over the last year or more on the topic of Church Management Software (CMS) have resulted in many inquiries from readers who are making CMS selection decisions. For the most part, these conversations are with church leaders who have narrowed their search for an application down to 2 options. They are wanting my input on why we selected … [Read more...]