This is a session on church finances that seminary probably didn't provide.

John Ashworth, President of The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, joins host Mitchell Bruce for the first episode of Far More. John has spent years sitting with Alabama churches of every size, and he walks through what financial health actually looks like for a church, the blind spots he sees most often, and the one change he would ask every church to make this year.

In this episode:
- Where to start if your church has never reviewed its financial health
- The estate-planning gap in most congregations, and what it costs the church
- How a legacy ministry works, and why the church has to own it
- Reserves: what to consider — what that money should be doing
- Financial controls most churches assume they have and don't
- Ministerial payroll, bookkeeping, and the retiring volunteer problem
- The stewardship principle underneath and the model it provides

Chapters:
00:20 Welcome to Far More
01:51 Meet John Ashworth
04:52 TBFA Professionals
05:48 Disclaimer
07:18 Where to start a financial review
09:19 The biggest blind spot: estate planning/legacy ministry
12:00 What a legacy ministry looks like in practice
13:22 Why the church has to own it
14:11 Profile of a church positioned for what's next
16:00 The reserves tension: hold back or put it to work
18:25 Church money vs. personal money
19:29 The Consistent Mistake: Fraud controls and bookkeeping
21:25 Ministry Accounting: what it actually does
23:50 One thing to change this year
26:00 The stewardship principle underneath all of it
28:29 Closing

Have a question about your church's situation? Use the 'Connect with Us' button at tbfa.org

The Baptist Foundation of Alabama is a Cooperative Program ministry of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, serving Alabama Baptist churches, ministries, and individuals since 1940.

The information discussed on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, legal, or tax advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Listeners should consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Far More is produced by The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. More resources for more ministry.

Far More is a podcast from The Baptist Foundation of Alabama (TBFA) for everyone who embraces the call to stewardship that God gives, especially those who carry the weight of leading a church in stewardship. Each episode, host Mitchell Bruce, Director of Marketing and Communications for TBFA, sits down with pastors, ministry leaders, TBFA staff, and others doing that work across Alabama for genuine conversations about crucial elements of things like church finance, generosity, legacy, and what it looks like to be faithful with what you've been trusted with.

This short trailer introduces the show and where it's headed. Follow us to stay tuned and updated when episodes go live. Special features will be posted in between regular episodes as well.

Listen, then go deeper:

•   Learn more about the Baptist Foundation of Alabama: www.tbfa.org/the-foundation

•   Podcast hub: farmore.buzzsprout.com

•   A question or a guest idea? [email protected]

Far More is produced by The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. More resources for more ministry.