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By unSeminary: Do you lie awake and ponder how your church will meet its budget for this coming year? Are you wondering how to increase the generosity culture at your church? Is there a gap between the vision for which you believe God has called, and the funding your church […]

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By unSeminary: Do you lie awake and ponder how your church will meet its budget for this coming year?

Are you wondering how to increase the generosity culture at your church?

Is there a gap between the vision for which you believe God has called, and the funding your church currently is generating?

As church leaders, there is a connection between our beliefs on generosity, fundraising, funding, giving, and what happens in our churches. We must identify inherently negative ways of thinking and replace these thoughts with the mindset God desires of us. These negative mindsets can creep in over time, without us even realizing it. We need to actively align our philosophy on financial matters at our churches with what God would have us consider.

I’ve pulled together five negative mindsets I’ve seen within my own life that I’ve needed to uproot and address. These beliefs are also at play in other church leaders. I’ve wondered whether these mindsets are ultimately the cause for other churches’ lack of progress in this area.

Simple Silver Bullet Solution

As leaders, there’s a real temptation to attempt to find the silver bullet to this problem.

It’s tempting to think that simply delivering the right message on offerings or having an impactful year-end campaign would solve all issues pertaining to generosity and the finances at our churches. The reality is that there is no single silver bullet to funding issues at our churches. We are attempting to disciple people connected to our church into leading a generous lifestyle. That takes consistent work and a unified approach over time.

We need to continue to lead our churches towards a lifestyle of generosity.

A single sermon series would not be sufficient to accomplish this objective. We need to maintain a consistent focus on this for an extended period. Effort applied on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis will, over time, create the kind of desired change in our churches.

Our vision can be fully funded and arrive at the point where we have the resources required to accomplish what God has called us to perform. Some churches reach this stage because they applied consistent strategies over an extended period. There is no silver bullet to the issue of funding.

Too Afraid to Challenge People and Ask Them to Give?

I get it. Money is hard to discuss.

This reality is peculiar to our culture. It seems like we can easily discuss the most intimate of human relationships, even talking about sexual relationships. However, we get defensive when thinking about discussing money. People’s approach to their finances is at the very core of how people perceive themselves. It’s critical! We need to find a way to overcome this—whether by abolishing this mindset, using humor or simply calling out the fact that it’s a difficult topic to discuss.

Over the years, many church leaders have found a way to lean in and discuss money, ultimately challenging members to live in a more Jesus-centered way concerning their money. These leaders have been afforded incredible opportunities and accelerated growth on the other side of this approach.

Our ability to persevere in discussing money and generosity, and challenge people in this regard, is directly connected to people’s desire to grow in generosity. This approach will impact how funds are generated at your church.

It’s Unspiritual to Talk about Money.

One of the biggest lies propagated among church leadership is that it is unspiritual to talk about money.

This belief comes from a strange disconnect between our views on faith and its impact on our lives. It’s a dangerous notion that, somehow, our faith only exists between our ears, that it’s only about what we think, about developing the right thoughts and having the right ideas. Some believe it not about how we live, and in this case, what we do with our money. This mindset has led some of us to the point where we believe that it’s somehow unspiritual to talk about money and generosity.

Jesus is clear on this: how we invest our lives and how we invest our money reveals much about what we value in life. [ref] Challenging people to think correctly about money, be generous, and lead generous lifestyles is at the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. At the core, Jesus challenged us to live another centered life. In a world so obsessed with money, there are few other, more obvious ways to a centered life, other than being generous and donating your resources to help others get connected with Jesus’ teachings.

Discussing money is incredibly spiritual, plus it is one of the things that people worry about all day long. Striving to ensure that people understand biblical teachings about money, and helping them apply those lessons to their lives, will accelerate your membership’s spiritual growth.

You Feel Like a “Used Car Salesman.”

Why is it that when we consider discussing money at a church, the stereotypical picture of a used car salesman comes to mind?

You know that guy: he’s little and slimy, his hair is greased back, he wears a bad suit, and he’s just trying to rip you off. Why do so many people possess this mental image when considering whether to discuss money in their churches?

Part of the reason that this is the case is that there have been “slimy car salesmen” in the name of Jesus. They’ve ripped people off and used their money for nefarious ends. There is no lack of evidence of church leaders who have abused this privilege and honor to help people with generosity and help them move into a more generous lifestyle.

But here’s the thing, you are not a slimy used car salesman. You’re not attempting to help people grow in their generosity because you want to get something from them. You’re doing this because you want something for them. You want to help people transition into a more generous lifestyle. You want them to experience the freedom and exhilaration of a fuller lifestyle through giving. You are not trying to extract cash out of them so that you could fund some new crazy plan at your church. You’re not a used car salesman. You’re a messenger of the peace of Christ, and this is a critical aspect of the conversation that must be communicated to our membership.

Your Personal Finances are in Chaos.

Are you drowning in debt?

Are you living your life with no margin?

Are you not being generous because of the financial decisions that you’ve made?

Too many pastors are living less than paycheck-to-paycheck. We’ve structured our financial lives in such a way that we’re struggling, and we’re not giving generously, and that’s ultimately driving us into debt. This issue of debt is an epidemic among church leaders nationwide.

If this is the case in your life, I strongly recommend that you get help in this area. Whether it’s Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University or Joe Sangl’s Financial Learning Experience or Good Sense, you can take control of this area of your life and get things right in your finances at home.

Too often, people aren’t generous because they have too much debt.

What is debt? Debt is simply living beyond your means. It’s not trusting that God will provide, and it’s leveraging other people’s money to live the lifestyle you want to live. The antidote to an active debt lifestyle is generosity. It is a tool that will break the debt mindset, because what is generosity at its core? Generosity, at its core, is saying that God will provide. That I’m going to give up this money to help someone else, and that I believe that God will provide for me. Maybe the thing you need to do is to be more generous.

Listen, I understand that living and life costs a lot of money, but this might be a wake-up call for you to get your finances in order, to help you speak more clearly and with conviction to your own people and, ultimately, see them take steps towards generosity.

Are you looking for more help to raise more funds for your ministry?

We’ve put together a few resources to help your church build even more in the area of generosity, providing an important example of what you do as a church leader. This free download includes an MP3 and PDF.

MP3 // Increasing Your Church’s Generosity Culture with Steve Stroope // Steve started as the first pastor at Lake Point Church about 40 years ago and has since passed the baton to Josh Howerton. Lake Pointe began with a launch team of about 60 people and has grown to eight campuses with over 15,000 attendees. In this interview, Steve offers practical tips on how we can increase generosity at church.PDF // 5 Free Resources to Increase Your Church’s Generosity // Each of these resources can be used and implemented to help your church see ever-increasing levels of generosity. This “read to apply today” PDF is a great tool get the conversation and action rolling with your team!

Click here to download these two resources and access the information to help your church increase generosity.

Download PDF Article

 

Source: 5 Negative Church-Leader Mindsets About Funding

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]]> Funding Future Facilities https://church-planting.net/funding-future-facilities/ Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:00:14 +0000 https://newchurches.com/blogs/funding-future-facilities/ www.newchurches.com

Home > Blog > Funding Future Facilities Funding Future Facilities By John Muzyka Today’s economy requires churches to have specific funds set aside for ministry and facilities. For a church plant, the start-up phase requires support from outside groups and it requires the planter to be a good steward of […]

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Home > Blog > Funding Future Facilities

Funding Future Facilities

By John Muzyka

Today’s economy requires churches to have specific funds set aside for ministry and facilities. For a church plant, the start-up phase requires support from outside groups and it requires the planter to be a good steward of the limited funds available. From the beginning of your church plant, I encourage planters and their leaders to set aside funds for future facilities.

Part of being a good steward requires discipline in how we use ministry funds to accomplish the work of the church. As guests and members tithe and engage in ministry, they trust that the leadership of the church will use that money in the best way to further the kingdom. A healthy budget at the start, written down, will guide you and serve you well as you grow.

Church planters often ask, “How much money should we be saving?” This question has generally come after we have discussed setting up a building fund. The answer to the question is not a set answer for every church. Each group is different and every budget is unique. My response for most churches is “Save every dollar you can”. You can’t be wrong to start by saving 10% and setting it aside as savings. Later on, it may not be a building fund; it may be a rainy day fund.

If you are saving money specifically for a building fund, I encourage the church to set a consistent amount aside each month to show discipline in setting aside funds. This will help when a lender sees that a church has consistently paid a lease or a mortgage plus put away a consistent amount for the future. Moving into a lease space may require significant funds to renovate a space and if you are preparing to purchase then you will need to have 20 – 30% in cash to get a loan.

Categorize your Spending

In any discussion of saving cash, it is wise to make sure you understand your spending allocation. Let’s categorize your spending into three buckets: Staffing, Facilities and Programming. Having a plan, on paper from the start will help you set aside funds as you grow.

• Staffing – This is generally 50% of a church budget. Early on in a plant you may intentionally keep this cost low by being vocational and having volunteers as opposed to paid staff. If you can keep staffing low, then you can better invest in the ministry programs and the location you secure.

• Facilities – A healthy target is 25% of your budget. Many people will use a number closer to 33%, but that will tend to put more pressure on your budget. Again, if you can reduce the staffing expense, then you may be able to allocate a little more for your facilities.

• Programming – These are the ministries that you offer. For example, community events and curriculum will cost money. This may also include supporting other ministries or church plants that are important to your church.

Looking at the three buckets above, it is important to point out that you can surpass the suggested percentage in one bucket and make the other two work, but if you go too high in two buckets then the remaining bucket will suffer. The following example is a real story.

XYZ Church had been open for 5+ years. During that time they were able to use a great location for $1,500 per month.  Early on I met with this church and explained that the market area was expensive and recommended they save cash for a future lease or a building purchase. The pastor explained that their mindset was “every dollar in, every dollar out”.

I encouraged him to increase his facilities expense by paying the church building fund a consistent amount every month over and above the $1,500 they spent for their Sunday rent.  Fast forward 4 years and the perfect building, a building this church prayed for became available. The owner was willing to offer Seller Finance. However, the Seller reviewed the church finances like a banker would. In the end the Seller could not reconcile the church’s financial position and would not finance the deal. 

This church had a strong income of well over $500,000 per year. Their facilities bucket was less than 3.5% of the budget and everything else went to staffing and ministries. The end result was that the church did not have the ability to qualify for a loan. Had this church set aside the extra $10,000+ per month that a healthy church would have, they would have saved $480,000+ over 4 years. With that money in the bank the church would not have missed this opportunity.

A Building Fund

The funds that you set aside are often considered to be a “building fund”. It is critical that your church leadership understands that not only do you need to have cash set aside for capital improvements or a purchase, but the church must also have cash set aside for at least 6 months of reserves for the ministry to run. Most lenders will require a church to have a reserve fund that will sustain a church during a downturn in the economy.

Many church plants and young churches are spending every dollar on ministry and are stretching to make ends meet. As these churches grow, many seek to add staff to handle the growth.  There is great wisdom in keeping expenses low and setting aside money as early as you can to prepare to house the new growth.

This discussion can be a daunting one for many churches. I encourage every church I work with to get a clear understanding of their financial picture. If you need an advisor to meet with you and help you get a financial plan together, contact me and I will assist you in getting to the right person for your ministry. It may be a CPA in your church or a CPA that serves churches every day.

Either way, it is critical to your ministry that the finances are in order and that the ministry plan has a corresponding financial plan to meet the needs of the ministry. As a Pastor, there is a great responsibility to guard the gifts given by the people and to best use what is brought to the storehouse to the Glory of God and to accomplish the mission that we have been given. Seek wisdom and counsel so that each and every financial decision is missionally directed and ministry driven.

Source: Funding Future Facilities

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]]> Nine Systems Within a Church Planting System https://church-planting.net/nine-systems-within-a-church-planting-system/ Sat, 08 Dec 2018 10:00:40 +0000 https://newchurches.com/blogs/nine-systems-within-a-church-planting-system/ www.newchurches.com

By Ed Stetzer: Looking across the spectrum of church planting networks and denominations, there are nine basic systems that make up a typical Church Planting System in a North American church planting network. Prayer A prayer strategy is the lifeline of any church planting network. One example of this is a […]

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By Ed Stetzer: Looking across the spectrum of church planting networks and denominations, there are nine basic systems that make up a typical Church Planting System in a North American church planting network.

  1. Prayer

A prayer strategy is the lifeline of any church planting network. One example of this is a regular prayer time, such as the way that the C2C Network staff and planters pray every day at 10:02 according to Luke 10:2, asking the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His field. Other networks mobilize their existing churches through the web, social media, or postcards to pray for new or potential church plants and planters.

  1. Recruiting/Discovery

The best recruitment and discovery strategies don’t just focus on attracting potential church planters from outside the movement—they also focus on making disciples from within the movement who will one day plant churches. A recruitment strategy often provides a clear pathway for someone who feels called to church planting but needs help discerning how to respond to that call.

  1. Assessment

The assessment process is often kicked off with a pre-assessment process, which allows the network to get to know the potential planter. There are various ways assessments can happen today, from online applications to video interviews to the more common approach of utilizing a multi-day assessment center. Assessment philosophies can range from helping candidates discern their church planting calls to assessing the levels of financial partnerships with the candidates.

…

*This article is an excerpt fromBest Practices in Church Planting Systems that I wrote with Jeff Christofferson, Daniel Yang, and Daniel Im. Download the e-bookfor free.

 

Source: Nine Systems Within a Church Planting System

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]]> Episode 257: Financial Support Options for Church Plants https://church-planting.net/episode-257-financial-support-options-for-church-plants/ Tue, 13 Mar 2018 09:00:02 +0000 https://newchurches.com/episode-257-financial-support-options-for-church-plants/ www.newchurches.com

by NewChurches.com: What are the best financial support options for funding a new church plant? In Episode 257 of the NewChurches Q&A Podcast, Daniel and Ed discuss various ways to fund new church plants. Here’s Blake with today’s question: What are different financial support options for a brand new church plant? […]

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by NewChurches.com: What are the best financial support options for funding a new church plant?

In Episode 257 of the NewChurches Q&A Podcast, Daniel and Ed discuss various ways to fund new church plants. Here’s Blake with today’s question:

What are different financial support options for a brand new church plant? What are the pros and cons of those options?

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Cautions and considerations for different funding options.
Different funding models such as Full-Funded, Reverse-Tier, and a Shared Partnership Model.

Shareable Quotes (#NewChurches):

“There are a lot of resources to fund your church plant if you cast a compelling vision.”–
“Not every job is a good job for bivocational ministry.”–@danielsangi 
“Bivocational planting is not a penalty, it’s an opportunity.”–@danielsangi 
“You will soon find that your denominational support comes with strings attached. If you receive this support, you will be required to participate in denominational functions. This can be frustrating. Officials will busy themselves with programs that focus on the forest while you try to nurture a single, small-tree.”-Ralph Moore

Additional Resources:

Read this post about Church Planting and Funding Facilities
Learn more about Daniel and Ed’s book, Planting Missional Churches
Check out Daniel’s new podcast, IMbetween Podcast on Marriage, Parenting, Faith, and Everything In Between

Help us Multiply the Mission:

Please subscribe
Leave a rating and review on iTunes
Ask a question by clicking Send Voicemail on the right hand side of NewChurches.com
If you’re on a phone or a tablet, then go to www.speakpipe.com/newchurches to download the app and record your message
When you’re recording, introduce yourself and your context in about 15 seconds and then record your question for 30 seconds

The post Episode 257: Financial Support Options for Church Plants appeared first on NewChurches.com – Church Planting, Multisite, and Multiplication.

Source: Episode 257: Financial Support Options for Church Plants

The post Episode 257: Financial Support Options for Church Plants appeared first on Passion for Planting.

]]> Episode 250: Funding Multisite https://church-planting.net/episode-250-funding-multisite/ Tue, 06 Feb 2018 10:00:05 +0000 https://newchurches.com/episode-250-funding-multisite/ www.newchurches.com

by NewChurches.com: What does it cost to go multisite? In Episode 250 of the NewChurches Q&A Podcast, we share an excerpt from our Moving Toward Multisite Course where Geoff Surratt goes through different options for going multisite and helpful considerations in regards to funding. In this episode, you’ll discover: Important questions […]

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]]> www.newchurches.com

by NewChurches.com: What does it cost to go multisite?

In Episode 250 of the NewChurches Q&A Podcast, we share an excerpt from our Moving Toward Multisite Course where Geoff Surratt goes through different options for going multisite and helpful considerations in regards to funding.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Important questions to ask when considering going multisite.
Practical tips and insights on funding a multisite model.

Shareable Quotes (#NewChurches):

“When looking at the cost, it’s always good to look at what the cost is of doing nothing.”–@GeoffSurratt
“What does it cost the church or Kingdom of we do nothing?”–@GeoffSurratt
“Most often multisite is less expensive than building a bigger building.”–@GeoffSurratt

Additional Resources:

Check out our course, Moving Toward Multisite
Take a look at these 12 Steps of a Multisite Launch Timeline
Read What to Reproduce in a Multisite Church

Help us Multiply the Mission:

Please subscribe
Leave a rating and review on iTunes
Ask a question by clicking Send Voicemail on the right hand side of NewChurches.com
If you’re on a phone or a tablet, then go to www.speakpipe.com/newchurches to download the app and record your message
When you’re recording, introduce yourself and your context in about 15 seconds and then record your question for 30 seconds

The post Episode 250: Funding Multisite appeared first on NewChurches.com – Church Planting, Multisite, and Multiplication.

Source: Episode 250: Funding Multisite

The post Episode 250: Funding Multisite appeared first on Passion for Planting.

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