Church Finances & Assets

[rogindaup]

So here's the situation: We have a new church plant currently meeting in a temporary location, (Township Community Center [Government-owned building],) following a very unpleasant church split last year. This Fall we were blessed to be given an opportunity to purchase a vacant church property (including fellowship hall, sanctuary, kitchen, 3-br parsonage, & small acreage) in another community a few miles away; potentially at a very reasonable price. We are also blessed to have some resources in the bank, left over from offerings collected in the last 12 months -- even after providing upwards of 15k in support of some members & others in the community in need of financial assistance. We see this as evidence of God's blessing on our group's faithful testimony & stewardship of His grace and provision. In fact the church currently has about 10k in the bank; so we are excited about the potential of obtaining property for a permanent location. However some individuals are quite disgusted the church is even considering the purchase of property & relocation to a different community; given that there is still unmet need & financial hardship for so many in our present location. Those individuals hold the position that the church ought to be giving ALL of its money away to support the sick & suffering; instead of & before considering the purchase of property...

They hold that there is no Scriptural support whatsoever for the idea of a local church buying/obtaining property; while the vast majority of Scripture centers on the idea, value, and importance of giving & sacrificing to help meet the needs of others. This issue is beginning to cause a fair amount of dissension within the congregation; with most in support of moving, while a few insist this is an improper use of the church's money; as well as evidence of poor stewardship & lack of faith in God's great grace, mercy, & faithfulness.

So here's the question: What exactly should our priorities be -- with regard to building up our real estate options & resources; or building up God's people by providing for them in practical concrete ways during times of financial stress?

Any feedback or ideas from God's Word would be greatly appreciated.

[clydewolf]

Rogindaup,

Why was the "extra" money collected?
Was the money collected for a building fund?
Was the money collected for current operations - rent, materials, pulpit supply, etc?
Was the money collected for missionary support?
Was the money collected for aid to the poor and needy in the local community?

Does your Church have an annual budget approved by the congregation?
Each of the above items and probably more should be a line item on your budget.
Then non designated gifts would go to a general fund to be used toward the budget.
Designated gifts would be used for the items designated but beyond the budgeted amount.

Here is a link to some guidelines for Church Budgeting: http://www.bgct.org/texasbaptists/Document.Doc?&id=2533

[4jacks]

I like Clyde's questions. I will add in How is the church managed? Who makes the final decisions? Who represents the legal body of the church? These are all important questions. The most important question which you asked "What exactly should our priorities be" has to be decided by what ever group or body is in charge. That should then be shared with everyone.

You are probably going to find that the answer is going to be somewhere in the middle. The church needs to provide for itself and also have an out reach.

[Dhruv Gupta]

First things first! What exactly is a budget? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a budget as “…a plan for the coordination of resources and expenditures”.

So a church budget is an excellent tool for allocating financial resources and for planning and controlling their uses.

See this page for the three different budget classifications to consider while creating a budget.

See this page for an example of a church budget.

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