How do you get more money for ministry?
Joe Sangl and I have an honest conversation about how to increase givings at your church, why people don’t give and even how bi-vocational pastors can think differently about earning income.
Welcome to Episode 68 of the Podcast.
Guest Links: Joe Sangl
The Financial Learning Experience
Oxen by Joe Sangl
Links Mentioned in this Episode
Special Discount: 30 Days of Hustle
Special Giveaway: FREE Geek Pastor Live Q&A Webinar
Predictable Success by Les McKeown
Good $ense Movement from Willow Creek
New Spring Church Financial Coaching
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
If you’re a pastor, you probably have more vision than you do money. It takes a dose of reality and a strategic discipline to put your church on the right track to financial stability, but it’s definitely possible. Joe Stangl shares his wisdom for helping your church reap the benefits of healthy money management.
- Have a cash flow plan for the entire year. Intentionally build margin to cover slump periods so you’re not chasing the dip the entire year. It starts in January as people start paying the bills from Christmas, and you’ll work all year to catch up. You have to be intentional, and it’s going to take time. It’s a balance of faith and wisdom, but when your pastor knows the church is in a financially secure place, it frees up his time to focus on their calling and prevents him from asking the church for money.
- Designate a “bean counter” on board with your mission. You want to find someone who’s gifted in finance, leverage their skill set and give them authority to be honest about what’s coming in and what’s going out. You need a well-informed “bean counter” on your team who can balance faith and wisdom, but you have to have a pastor who produces beans to count. Tension is going to exist, and it’s always going to be there; however, a financial planner can help foster a ministry’s vision and help plan for what’s realistic.
- Create an online giving resource. The numbers are hard to ignore. Joe says online giving has increased by double-digit numbers month-over-month for the past five years while traditional giving has dropped. Not many people carry cash or a checkbook anymore, and there are several options for optimizing online giving. It may be a slow transition to get your church in the habit, but online giving creates consistency.
