Church treasurers rarely change. If you’re elected church treasurer, that’s pretty much a life sentence. Church treasurers are usually very constant and reliable people so chances are, once they find out what works best for them, it isn’t changing until the end of their life sentence. So, when there is a change in treasurers, a…
Unrestricted, Designated, and Restricted Gifts
Are donor-restricted gifts a blessing or a curse? Often they are a blessing…especially when the church’s leadership is trying to raise money for a cause or project. A lot of churches take special offerings for specific missions (e.g. Mission of the Month). Others raise money for capital projects or to retire debt. But what about…
How can we use the proceeds from selling the parsonage?
With the decline of the mainline church, churches are filling pulpits in creative ways because they can no longer afford a full-time pastor. They are sharing pastors…either with other churches or with other employers (i.e. co-vocational or bi-vocational). What do you do if you find yourself with an empty parsonage? Can you sell it? Should…
The Step Chart on Steroids
The old “Grow One” Step Chart has been around for a long time. A number of churches have distributed a chart similar to this one during their pledge card or stewardship drive. The Step Chart actually was very convicting to me and led me to start tithing. The Step Chart is great for personally conviction,…
Proving your church is a 501(c)(3)
The non-profit status of churches is often a concern among church leaders. It’s actually pretty difficult to lose your non-profit status, but that’s for probably a future post. Also, being a 501(c)(3) is not the same as being a non-profit organization….which is also not what this post is about. What if you had to prove…
Are Churches Tax Exempt?
Who likes to pay more than their fair share of taxes? I have never met anyone who has purposely overpaid their taxes. Churches are the same way…and even more so. For most churches, finances are tight so any money you can save is great. Most people have heard that churches are “Tax Exempt,” but what…
Giving for Farmers & Ranchers
Most churches and pastors will want to completely avoid talking about money and giving in church, and their primary reason they usually give for doing so is, “What about the farmers?” I 100% agree that farmers and other small-business owners have a more difficult challenge in determining what they should give because their personal and…
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