One of my first decisions as a staff pastor was whether or not I needed to purchase myself a new MacBook. I had inherited an old one from the prior kid’s pastor. It worked fine but was kind of slow and full of all kinds on files I would never...
Accountants love spreadsheets, and most accounting software programs can generate dozens of options. You’re probably not an accountant and all those reports might look like they were written in an ancient forgotten language! Have faith! We want to help. The good...
My wife and I suffered through an IRS tax audit a few years ago. It was not fun. We learned a lot during that season. The biggest lesson was to save receipts in an organized way. You can’t claim what you can’t prove. You can’t prove what you...
We have an herb garden at our house. The plants thrive when I take time to water them, remove weeds, and add fertilizer. They die off quickly when I don’t. Church staff is the same way. Good leaders cultivate a soil for their team to grow...
The Boy Scouts have a saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” I believe that. Only one winter campout wearing uninsulated shoes to teach me that lesson! Are you planning the financial future of your church? It is so easy to focus on the needs of...
It’s college graduation time. A fresh group of young men and women are looking for their first positions in full time ministry. Here is something to think about: Ministry help is hard to find, but should you risk your resources on someone that has never been paid...
I’ve managed various kinds of business for more than 30 years. I love doing it and feel pretty competent. My son owns two barber shops. Imagine if he asked me to manage them. No problem. What if he then told me I also had to do...
I once gave a volunteer permission to purchase hot dogs and buns for a summer picnic for his small group. I figured he would shop like me, head to the discount store and purchase eight packs each of the $1.49 buns and dogs. (They all taste the same, just...
Online giving and digital payments have become essential tools for churches. Platforms like Square and PayPal make it easy for ministries to receive donations, event registrations, and other payments quickly and securely. However, one common mistake churches...
It happens every year at tax time. A pastor calls us asking for help because they owe far more in taxes than expected. The questions are always the same. What can I do? How did this happen? Often there are no easy answers to the first...
