Mission Driven Budget Podcast

Why AVL Matters in Your Church - Joey Cottle

 Welcome to Episode 6 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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Connect with Joey Cottle

Check out Joey's Substack blog here!

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @joey.cottle
Twitter: @the_JoeyC

Visit LifeMission Church in Olathe, Kansas


Links From This Episode:

• What's So Important About Worship - Robert Morris 
• The Contemplative Pastor - Eugene H. Peterson

Notes From This Episode:

1. If you feel pressure between being a pastor and getting all the AVL details right, prioritize being a pastor. Connect with people. Eugene Peterson said, "Leisure is not the quantity of time, but the quality of spirit." If being a pastor first means that some of the tiny details don't get done, that's OK.
   
   
2. The point of AVL is to capture people's attention and focus it on Jesus. That's it. "Get people to Jesus, then stop." Keep your AVL costs under control by spending only what you really need to capture attention and point people to the gospel.  AVL cannot sustain a relationship with Jesus. There are much more important things to spend money on.
   
   
3. Build relationships with local AVL vendors. Don't just shop online for the big stuff. Relationship opens the door for access to better equipment and better service when you treat your vendors right. Paying full price when you can could lead to price breaks on large purchases later on.
   
   
4. "Sometimes, when it comes to AVL, churches throw stewardship out the window." It's easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest technology. Avoid the "bigger better faster" mentality, because that's how you burn people out. People aren't machines. Repeating point #2 - there are more important things to spend money on than a great lighting package.
   
   
5. Some tips on managing a pastor's salary:
   • If you can, get salaried. This allows for flexible work hours when needed.
   • Budget. Budget. Budget. There are tons of budgeting options out there. No excuses.
   • Take advantage of a Housing Allowance. This allows you to deduct a significant portion of your taxable income. Talk to your lead or executive pastor TODAY.
   • Build a side hustle if you can.
6. "If churches are going to be employers, they should be the best employers out there." The church's mission is about people, not profit. You have to make a profit, yes, but it shouldn't be your primary focus. Err on the side of taking care of people financially, especially when they're moving out of your organization.

The Power of Reinvesting into Your Church - Solomon Adair

 Welcome to Episode 5 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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Connect with Pastor Solomon Adair & Inspired to Live Church

Inspired to Live Church

Instagram: @inspiredtlc
Twitter: @inspiredtlc
Facebook: @inspiredtlc
YouTube: ITLMinistries

Reciprocity Message Link: Principles Series - Reciprocity

 
Notes From This Episode:

1. If you are currently bi-vocational and looking to work full-time for your church or nonprofit in the future, start planning now. The worst move you can make is suddenly taking a full-time salary from a budget that isn't ready for the added weight. If your organization's budget isn't ready, start by introducing a slowly growing stipend for a few years and set a target date in place to go full-time. That way, your budget won't have a heart attack when the time comes!
   
   
2. Don't let the fear of perception stop you from teaching about sensitive topics like money in your church. Pastor Solomon came to his own realization about this, "Why am I allowing voices that don't matter dictate what's happening inside the authenticity of our church?" Withholding biblical wisdom because of your own insecurities is selfish and ultimately hurts the people you are called to serve.
   
   
3. The principle of reciprocity, or sowing and reaping, is at work in every area of our lives. In particular, money is directly impacted by this principle. Reciprocity is a cycle. It doesn't just stop once the "harvest" is collected. That harvest is reinvested so it can produce even more next time. When teaching about money, it's important to emphasize the motivation behind generosity and good money management.  Pastor Solomon says, "Sometimes we come to church wanting to be a minimal giver and then we ask God for maximum blessing." Generosity is about being a blessing to someone else, not blessing ourselves.
   
   
4. Reciprocity is also the link between an organization's leadership and the organization's financial health. If a leader has an unhealthy relationship with money, there's a good chance their organization's finances aren't healthy either. This is especially true in small organizations where there isn't a large board or leadership team to maintain accountability. Are your organization's finances unhealthy? Start by looking at your own money habits first.
   
   
5. Numerical growth in a church does not guarantee a healthy finances. Healthy finances stem from good decision making and being disciplined with what you already have. Learning to invest in people, educating them financially, and teaching about generosity are highly effective ways of generating financial health without a surge in membership. If steady numerical growth comes, it will come as a result of investing in the people you have now, not by a flashy advertisement or publicity stunt.

How to Give Up Control Over Your Church - Stephan Kilgore

 Welcome to Episode 4 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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Connect with Stephan Kilgore

Instagram: @stephankilgore
Twitter: @stephankilgore
Facebook: @stephankilgorefb

Revive Church

www.stephankilgore.com

 
Notes From This Episode:

1. As a pastor, the vision God gives you isn't just for your personal gain or influence. It's for the next generation. Are you willing to be faithful to serve the people God has called you to serve, even if you don't see that vision come to pass with you as the leader? Are you willing to build a foundation for the leaders coming behind you?
   
   
2. God's vision for a local church may be communicated through senior leadership, but the vision belongs to the entire church, not just the Sr. Pastor, board, elders, or deacons. Communicate vision as "our" vision. God instructed Habakkuk to "write the vision down and make it plain," so that people could carry that vision with them in their daily lives. A leader who constantly uses language like "my" vision robs people of ownership in the vision and mission of that local church.
   
   
3. Unity in values and capacity for vision is key when raising up full-time and lay leaders in a local church. Regarding finance managers or treasurers, some questions to ask:
   • Do they have the same financial values as church leadership?
   • Do they manage their personal finances well?
   • Do they have a vision for stewarding the church's finances?
     
     
4. Money is not ours. It does not belong to us. It does not belong to the church. It belongs to God, and He has entrusted us to manage and invest those resources well. Like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, God blesses those who produce gain for His kingdom with what He has provided them.
   
   
5. Ultimately, debt is a burden, shared by everyone - the pastor, the board, the staff and congregants of a church. Everyone is fiscally responsible. A significant amount of freedom accompanies operating a debt-free church or nonprofit. You don't have to worry about raising enough money to meet a monthly payment. Assets are not at risk. Leadership is free to focus solely on fulfilling the mission of the organization.
   
   
6. Leaders struggling to relinquish control should ask themselves two questions: "Who hurt me?", and "Who am I trying to prove myself to?" Control issues stem from being hurt by someone whose opinion you value and trying to prove them wrong. Instead, shift your thinking to "Jesus healed me.", and "Everything I'm doing is about Jesus." Then, you can begin to let go of that need for control.

How to Manage Small Church Finances - Mirna Pena

 Welcome to Episode 3 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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Connect with Mirna Pena

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @mirna__pena

Hill City Church

Notes From This Episode:

1. Finance management doesn't have to be complicated. Stick to the basics. You need a way to track income and expenses, a process for building and maintaining your budget, and access to a profit and loss report. Software like QuickBooks Online is cheap, easy to use, and includes everything you need.
   
   
2. A healthy relationship between the Senior Pastor and financial decision makers, whether the board or a finance director, is critical to maintaining healthy finances. Each must learn how the other thinks and operates to balance the church's overall approach to financial management. The Senior Pastor brings vision to the table, and the financial director ensures the vision is funded in the most effective way possible.
   
   
3. Accountability and communication are the foundation of great finance systems. Relational trust with other department leaders allows the finance director to balance needs and wants. Tough financial conversations can be held without animosity because both people are focused on the good of the organization, not just their own desires.
   
   
4. If your church is new in town, don't try to start a brand new movement. Instead, start by connecting with city leadership and get involved in what's already happening in your city. Residents and city leadership will notice, and, as they get to know you, will start reaching out. Like Hill City Church, your city's leadership might even connect you with people they already know need help, saving you and your team valuable time.
   
   
5. DO NOT make financial decisions by yourself. The best decisions are made with input from multiple trusted individuals. Lean on your team for their input, and don't be afraid to ask for it. Are you a small church pastor and don't have a team to lean on yet? Find someone inside or outside of your church that you can trust, and run decisions by them first.

Church Planting Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them - Chris Faggins

 Welcome to Episode 2 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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Connect with Chris Faggins

Email: [email protected]

All Social Media Platforms: @cbfaggins

Believer’s City Church

Super Quick Disposal Services

Notes From This Episode:

1. Just because God gives you a big vision doesn’t mean you have to create it by the next day. Don’t try to force your own path to fulfilling the vision. Be patient and let God show you the way.
   
   
2. Stop and drop. Don’t wait to take action until the boat is sinking. Sometimes church leadership doesn’t shut down unhealthy things soon enough. This might mean you need to stop an unproductive area of ministry or stop renting that facility you can’t afford. Shutting down unhealthy activities NOW will prevent more damage in the long run.
   
   
3. When God calls you to plant a church, He’s not calling you to just preach at people. He’s calling you to teach people. A big mistake pastors can make is not teaching people about giving and personal finances because they’re afraid of losing people. What they don’t realize is that teaching people how to manage their personal finances is an investment. That investment not only draws people closer together as a church, but people develop even greater financial ownership of the mission and vision.
   
   
4. Don’t invest too much money into a temporary facility. You should absolutely make the space look nice and fit your needs. But, remember, whoever rents the facility after you is going to tear it all up to fit their needs. Save money by not splurging on tons of upgrades you can’t take with you.
   
   
5. Play the long game. Invest financial resources for long-term impact. Don’t spend money for the appearance of success. Churches have real success because they have been faithful and consistent for many years. Your church plant won’t achieve that level of impact overnight.

How to Engage High Wealth Donors - Jack Clark III

Welcome to Episode 1 of the the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Check out the Mission Driven Budget Blog.

Connect with Jack Clark III
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-clark-iii-4521a920/

Check out the Buggie Huggie: https://buggiehuggie.com/

Notes From This Episode:

1. The road to fundraising is not glamorous. Meeting face-to-face is the most effective way to engage high wealth donors.
   
   
2. A great cause generates interest in your organization, but great character makes your organization worth the investment.
   
   
3. If their heart is right, high-wealth individuals in your church probably won't voluntarily voice every financial inefficiency they see. Make sure to ask trusted business leaders and high-wealth individuals in your congregation about areas that they see need improvement.
   
   
4. Building for the sake of building is wasteful. Make sure your reasons for building are directed toward your mission.
   
   
5. As any organization grows, it may outgrow the people you started out with in their current roles. For the sake of the mission, work to move those who have been loyal in the early stages of growth to roles that better fit their skillset. Offer the opportunity to learn new skills and prepare them for a new role.

Are you tired of preaching under financial stress? Do you struggle to invest generously into your church's mission?

On the Mission Driven Podcast, I sit down with business leaders, pastors, entrepreneurs, and financial directors to discuss powerful budgeting and fund-raising strategies that will help you generously fund your mission.

Our first conversation drops on Monday, August 2nd! Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on new ways to fund your mission.

Also, check out the Mission Driven Blog at www.missiondrivenbudget.com for powerful budgeting and fund-raising strategies to help you fund your mission.