Five Key Elements in Creating a Church Budget that Increases Giving

Written by Keith Hamilton

As I sat around the lunch table with a group of pastors discussing how to increase church giving, I heard a lot of interesting comments. One pastor commented that one should always smile when asking for money for the church budget. Another remarked, “Tell church members you are going to start reviewing their giving records.” Of course, both of the men were joking. Using the church budget as a tool to increase giving is assumed by many church leaders as the best way to raise additional income for the church. However, giving seldom increases just because the church has adopted a budget. Several key elements need to be in place before your church budget increases giving by your church family.

1. The church budget must tell the church’s story.

Basic Budgeting for Churches

A detailed church budget will, at best, only motivate a few individuals to give more money to the Kingdom of God. Most individuals are turned off by a detailed church budget rather than motivated by its facts and numbers. However, a church budget that tells the church’s story of excitement and ministry will motivate church members to give beyond their current giving levels.

The church budget should be presented as a highlight of the church’s ministry, and not an afterthought on Wednesday night. The budget presentation should include special choir performances, PowerPoints, ministry presentations, and a lot of enthusiasm in telling the church’s story.

2. The church needs to adopt a verse for the coming financial year that is the theme of the church’s budget.

Every Sunday before the offering is taken, the verse should be repeated by the congregation. Often, this verse will become an offertory doxology. The verse should remind believers the importance of giving to God and furthering His church’s plan for reaching its community and world for Christ.

3. The church needs to have a “Prove the Tithe” Sunday in conjunction with the church budget adoption process.

For instance, if the church budget was adopted in December, then the pastor and other laymen would share short stewardship and tithing testimonies during January. During the first week in February, the church would celebrate “Prove the Tithe” Sunday with a special emphasis on ministries the church is planning to accomplish during the year through its budget. Once again, the church budget should tell the church’s story.

4. The church needs to involve church members in dreaming new dreams for the church through the budgeting process.

At the beginning of the church budget development process, the church should set aside a Wednesday or Sunday night to gather the membership to let them share dreams with the budget committee. While the budget committee cannot possible incorporate all the dreams in a church budget, it should try ton incorporate at least a few of the new dreams. (Maybe the committee will even be able to let a few of yesteryear’s dreams die, too.) If the committee is not able to incorporate any of the new dreams into the church’s basic budget, the committee should develop a challenge budget that incorporates several of these new dreams. Once the basic budget is met, then the additional income will go toward the new and exciting challenge budget.

5. The church must not only develop a budget that tells the church’s story but ensure that the budget also tells the story of Christ.

The church must create a budget that maps the church’s vision of reaching and ministering to a lost and dying world. Members must feel that the church budget will make a difference in the lives of others. The church budget is not about numbers, but people. Most church budgets should be no more than three pages in length. A more detailed budget can be developed by a budget committee later. The church budget should be a simple document that any twelve year old could read and understand what his church is trying to do in the world. This is a hard task, but obtainable.

A church budget can be a tool that encourages members to increase their giving to the Kingdom of God. My pastor friends should find comfort that God can even use “a bean counter” in developing a church budget that can help reach the world for Christ.

About Dr. Hamilton

Keith Hamilton, D.Ed.Min, CFP, CRPC is with the Georgia Baptist Convention. He has written several publications on establishing church designated funds, managing your household finances, and protecting your church and ministry from identity theft. Check out www.churchfinancialservices.org for more help. Other articles by Keith...

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