Checks and balances (aka internal controls) are procedures that safeguard your church from deliberate or accidental mishandling of money. They reassure the church leadership team and donors that church finances are being handled with integrity and that reporting is accurate. Strong internal controls also protect the finance team from accusations of mismanagement. An annual audit or financial…
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Missions Partnerships are one of the best vehicles a church can use to engage fully in missions. A healthy partnership will contain five elements, and the fourth element is Going There. After giving (Doing Our Share), this is typically the most common thing that people think of when they think of partnership. Due to the…
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A disagreement between two individuals at the church turns violent, a stranger strolls into the church office shouting obscenities, and a man carrying a semi-automatic weapon enters the sanctuary during a Sunday morning service. It is common for churches to believe the events mentioned above will never happen at their location. Many churches in the RMD…
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Does anybody remember flannel graf stories? This was used long before PowerPoint, videos, film strips, and slides. I remember as a little boy growing up near Detroit, MI my Mother and our assistant pastor’s wife used flannel graf to teach us young elementary children Bible stories. One such story was the parable of the Good…
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A few years ago at Ignite, Lt. Col. Brian Daum, an RMD chaplain with the National Guard, introduced himself as a cross-cultural worker. As I recall he said something like, “Members of the military are a different culture. They wear different clothes, speak a different language, and eat different food (MREs).” While there’s a bit…
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Over the next 25 years, the largest wealth transfer in human history will take place as an estimated $68 trillion will be passed on as the Baby Boomer generation ages. Bequest giving is on the rise and this will be an unprecedented opportunity for planned giving. What is Planned Giving? Planned giving is the term used to…
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Years ago, Lori bought a verse on a plaque that hangs on the wall in one of the rooms in our home. It is from Micah 6:8 which says, “…and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I love that portion…
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A couple of months ago Jonathan, Scott, and I were able to attend a culture and legal update led by Gary Friesen, general counsel of the C&MA. Several very helpful speakers were present including Rev. Boyd Hannold, lead pastor of Princeton (NJ) Alliance Church (PAC). Situated in an area that is exceedingly diverse and irreligious,…
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As we move through the holiday season and approach year-end, it is common for churches and congregants to recognize pastors and staff with a love offering or some other type of gift. The gift could be a small amount of cash in a Christmas card or an organized collection taken during the worship service. It is important…
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One of the interesting things about having lived in a variety of places in the United States of America is that each area, state, culture, and zone has its own unique ways, standards, and laws. One of the most interesting uniqueness I have found living in Montana for the last ten years has been the…
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