If preparing 1099s each January feels like one of your least favorite administrative tasks, there’s some good news. Beginning with payments made in 2026, many churches will be required to issue fewer 1099 forms thanks to a significant increase in...
Every church that I’ve ever been involved with had the same hidden dark hole of frustration and shame: The sound closet. Unless your worship leader or tech guy is super organized, it’s probably a pile of 1987 subwoofers, various broken mic stands, and tech items that...
What would your first purchase be if someone gave your church $100,000? Think about that for a minute. Are you really considering the most impactful option? Every church has limited financial resources, so every dollar spent should support its mission. While...
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...
