Are you having difficulty developing the resources you need for the church’s ministry?

RESOURCE CHURCHES will assist the church in conducting a comprehensive review of the church’s entire stewardship program. The review will include an analysis and evaluation of the church’s budgets, giving history, audit reports, adopted procedures, and all related areas for the past three years. The review will provide a complete analysis of the church’s current stewardship status and recommendations for improvement. The stewardship review will be based upon an analysis of all the related information provided by the church and a series of interviews conducted by RESOURCE CHURCHES with key church staff, committee representatives and key leaders from the congregation. (Some congregations may want to utilize an optional “congregation survey” to provide a more in depth analysis.) The appropriate church staff or leaders will assist RESOURCE CHURCHES in developing the questionnaire and an appropriate list of interview candidates.

Stewardship issues included in the examination:

• Stewardship Development Leadership
  • Church selection process
  • Orientation & training
  • Pastor & staff involvement
  • Coordinated process for financial planning
• Church’s Mission
  • Foundation to giving & stewardship
  • Comprehensive strategic plan for ministry
  • Clear mission and vision statements
  • Congregational awareness & commitment to plan
• Stewardship Education Program
  • Regular Bible studies for all ages groups
  • Stewardship educational & discipleship opportunities
  • Christian money management emphasis
  • Mission giving promotion
• Annual Stewardship Emphasis
  • Annual stewardship theme & promotional materials
  • Stewardship testimonies, dramas & devotionals
  • Stewardship worship & preaching emphasis
  • Opportunities for individual commitments
• Budget Development & Adoption Process
  • Involvement of church leaders in budget development process
  • Focus upon church’s ministry & mission
  • Use of a budget promotion program
  • Strategy for presentation & interpretation of the budget
  • Discussion time for church membership
  • Appropriate approvals by congregation
• Accounting & Financial Management Procedures
  • Provision of personalized offering envelopes
  • Regular financial and ministry reports to the church
  • Adopt & implement a plan for receiving, counting, depositing, recording, and disbursing church income
  • Maintain appropriate records of all receipts and financial transactions
  • Conduct an annual audit of financial records & procedures
  • Provide appropriate bonding for all persons handling church funds
  • Prepare end of the year reports & employee statements (W-2’s, etc.)
• Budget Administration Processes
  • Administer budget according to church action
  • Implement appropriate approval procedures for expenditures
  • Provide orientation & training for church leaders responsible for budget management
  • Develop an accountability & coordination system for budget management
  • Implement procedures to monitor cash flow needs
  • Make all appropriate government reports and tax deposits
• Planned Giving & Will-making Emphasis
  • Consider creation of foundation
  • Plan annual emphasis for estate planning
  • Teach “life” stewardship

Let us help you get your stewardship program on track.  A comprehensive stewardship review will provide the information you need for sound planning for the future.  Give us a call at (800) 659-7445 or click "contact information" above and tell us how we can help you.