How to Manage Church Finances - Mirna Pena

Mission Driven Budget Podcast

How to Manage Small Church Finances - Mirna Pena

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!

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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.