What If Churches . . .

managed their money the same way they teach individuals and families to manage theirs in the Dave Ramsey financial seminars they promote?

Comments

  1. They should.

  2. The churches I’ve worked for (minus one) do.

    • Sam-in your experience is there a difference between the effectiveness of the churches that do and don’t?

      • Wade,

        By all means, YES.

        Think about it – if it’s hard for one single family to get a handle on their financial life, how much harder is it for an organization of tens of families – or hundreds of families?

        It takes leadership, vision, and lots of sacrifices. The churches that are willing to have this kind of leadership (which often isn’t democratic, since democracy is not found in the Bible), willing to focus on a singular vision, and make hard sacrifices financially are also the ones who are able to this systematically across the spectrum of their ministry. Their preaching, c hildren’s ministry, custodial team, small group leaders, counselors, and every one else all do their ministry with the FREEDOM of knowing what the vision is both for their budgets and their ministries.

        What a powerful witness it is when a church, instead of closing its doors and defaulting on a massive building loan can instead “tell its money where to go” as the leadership of the church listen to the Holy Spirit and follow its lead.

        Bottom line? As a church treats its money, so it also treats the imporance of its vision and mission on the earth.

  3. Tony Jones says:

    I wish we would…I am conducting my
    4th FPU class and so far 3 times as many
    people from the community have attended
    compared to our church members. It is God’s
    money..Why don’t we act like it ?

  4. Wouldn’t that be a crazy way for churches to do things?!

    Unfortunately, my first thought is that if the church I currently work at were to do this I would be out of a job because staffing is our biggest expense (well over 50% of our yearly budget) and I believe that my position is the one that they could most do without.

    Second thought is that if that were to happen it would be my own fault because I’m the one in the church that beats the drum for financial responsibility in the home and in the church. And there’s a part of me that would be okay with that.

So, what are you thinking?