Wife Sees Me Differently Than I See Myself
Hey Fletch … I have taken the XP-Indicator […]
Oops, Needed a Bonfire Permit
Friday, January 18, 2019
Hey Fletch … One of our youth pastors asked his campus pastor if he could have a bonfire at an event on their campus. The campus pastor granted permission. Neither of them […]
Networking with other XPs
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’m feeling a little dry and out of contact with other XPs. What can you suggest to help me get connected with people leading churches of a similar size […]
Should Our Church Pay for Passports?
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’m wondering if you have any guidance around paying for employee’s passport? It’s not expressly written that employees have to go on mission trips through the church but it […]
Donor Designated Gifts
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Hey Fletch … I heard that if a donor designates a gift made to our church, we cannot provide the donor with a receipt under the theory that designated gifts are not […]
YP—Your Problem
Sunday, January 13, 2019
YP—Your Problem
Sometimes we take someone else’s problem and make it our own. In doing that, we don’t allow them the pleasure and pain of solving a problem by themselves. It can make […]
Pay for a Wedding
Friday, January 11, 2019
Hey Fletch … If a pastor performs a funeral or wedding and is paid directly, the pastor gives the check to our church finance office. I then add it to their salary […]
Which of the 30 Workshops Is Best for Me?
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Hey Fletch … I see that you are having over 30 workshops at the XP-Seminar. I’m already enrolled and am excited to be back. Give me some insight on which ones […]
DOT Number for a Church Bus?
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Hey Fletch … We have been getting a lot of conflicting opinions about whether churches need to apply for a DOT number for the operation of church buses that require CDL drivers. […]
Running a Church
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading the columns for a while. It seems like you know so much about churches. I would say that ‘Fletch knows how to run a church.’
DRF—Thanks for […]
New Year Help on Taxes
Monday, January 7, 2019
Hey Fletch … I heard you say at the Smart Money workshop, “If a pastor has low housing costs, it can actually hurt them financially.” My question is how? Isn’t it beneficial […]
Talk to Your Spouse/Talk to Yourself
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Talk to Your Spouse/Talk to Yourself
How you talk to your spouse says volumes about how you view yourself. Talk to him badly, then you will talk to yourself badly. Talk to her […]
Tax on a Church Parking Lot?
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Hey Fletch … Do I need to pay unrelated business income tax on my parking lot? I heard a lot of noise about this last fall but what was the final ruling?
DRF—The […]
Policies on Appropriate Spending
Friday, January 4, 2019
Hey Fletch … Do you have any policies or procedures which outline appropriate spending? Our SP has a credit card but we haven’t ever put limits on spending. We are currently running […]
Business vs Spiritual Side of Church Leadership
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Hey Fletch … I’m a new XP and struggling with this dichotomy of business and spiritual aspects of what I do. The rest of the pastors get to focus on ministry all […]
Spouse Travel and Expenses
Friday, December 28, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our senior pastor is going to a conference and purchased a ticket for his wife as well. I don’t have any policies regarding spouse expenses. Suggestions?
DRF—The bottom line is […]
Benevolence Gifts for Staff Pastor
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Hey Fletch … How do churches handle Benevolence Fund needs when a staff member is the candidate? The Board is trying to find out how other churches handle benevolence for a staff […]
PEO to handle Church HR
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Hey Fletch … I recently hired a PEO to handle most of our HR services. On the first two payrolls they issued, they collected federal and state unemployment tax. Historically, we had […]
When Do We Need Commercial Licenses for Vehicles?
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Hey Fletch … We use vans in our church. Do we need a commercial license for the drivers?
DRF—Lots of churches use vans. It used to be that the 15 passenger van was […]
How to Review the Elders, Senior Pastors and Staff
Friday, December 21, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church doesn’t have a clue about how to do reviews. We want to review our Elders, Senior Pastor and staff. Can you help us?
DRF—The place to begin on […]
Leading a Church Staff is Like Herding Cats
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’m about to become the XP in our church. I’ve never had a church position before and several people tell me it is like herding cats. Really?
DRF—Popular expressions have […]
For-Profit Background
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Hey Fletch … A friend referred me to you. I’m currently working as a CFO of a church but that is coming to an end soon. I have lots of for-profit experience […]
Resume for a New Job
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am currently the executive pastor and will be transitioning away from this church at the end of this month. I wanted to share my resume with you in […]
Equal Opportunity Ignorer
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Equal Opportunity Ignorer
DRF—Suppose her name is Shelly. She will ignore what you say, your friends say and what her family says. She is physically present in those conversations but not intellectually engaged.
Shelly […]
Maximum Contributions in Affordable Care Act?
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church requires any employee who uses our health insurance to pay part of the premium. I heard somewhere that there is a maximum that we can charge. Is […]
Four Levels of Givers
Friday, December 14, 2018
Hey Fletch … I was at the Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop in Dallas. It was awesome. I’m creating an executive summary of my notes for our directional team at […]
Start-up Manual for New XP?
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Hey Fletch … I was an XP over 20 years ago in a startup role when two churches merged. It has about 1,400 attenders. Since then I’ve been teaching in a university. […]
Renting Church Rooms to the School District
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are in an unusual place. Many times new churches rent or lease space from public school systems. Our county school system is seeking to lease classroom space from us to house […]
Not a Pastor, Can I Lead a Wedding?
Hey Fletch … What does the Bible say about who can perform a wedding? Are they any state or federal laws on it? I’m asking […]
Sermons for the Overfed
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Sermons for the Overfed
DRF—Spiritual overeating is when the amount of teaching consumed is larger than what is put into practice.
Charlie Christian attends church every week and is in a home study. He […]
Two Jobs Pending
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Hey Fletch … Believe it or not, there are two churches that have offered me jobs. One is still getting the offer letter together and I have the offer from the other […]
Understanding the Pentecostal Movement
Friday, December 7, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am in a search of understanding “The Pentecostal Movement.” Can you tell me about that movement? Is there a website or something I can read to learn about […]
Please Support Me
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am senior pastor in Kenya. We face financial problems in our small church. A salary for me is just a dream. We kindly request if any assistance.
DRF—Thank you […]
Tax on Church Parking Spaces
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Hey Fletch … Anything on your radar regarding 2018 tax law that is calling for non-profit organizations to file a 990-T for tax on parking spaces provided for employees? Our CPA has […]
Is It Hard to Launch a Ministry Website?
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Hey Fletch … Who set up the XPastor.org website? I’ve explored the XPastor site and like how it is set-up. I’m currently serving on the board of a ministry. They tasked me […]
Is the Associate Pastor Title Still Used?
Monday, December 3, 2018
Hey Fletch … At the SoCal Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop, I noticed that the title Associate Pastor did not come up. You mostly mentioned the titles of SP, XP, […]
Filter Your News
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Filter Your News
On the internet, the news media makes money by selling advertisements. CBS doesn’t make money when you read CNN. A news site makes money when you see/click on ads on […]
Data on Health Benefits for Pastors
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … I read your column from Monday, October 22, 2018 on “Poll of Church Health Insurance Benefits.” As you have looked into this, were you able to find more […]
Did I Break the Law in Opting Out of Social Security?
Friday, November 30, 2018
Hey Fletch … When I first became a pastor, people advised me to opt out of Social Security. I had been in business for over 20 years and they said, “you already […]
Asking for a Raise
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’m in the process of asking for a raise. However I do not know what is appropriate for my job title, years of experience and location. I need to […]
Calls from Angry Church Members
Hey Fletch … I’m new to dealing with church relationships. Sitting in the Director of Finance chair, I receive calls from disturbed congregants. I struggle […]
Use of Movies and Trademarked Images in Church
Hey Fletch … This may not be in your wheelhouse but I know you have a lot of experience and knowledge! We are doing […]
Slander is Poison to the Bartender
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Slander is Poison to the Bartender
DRF—In these mortal and fragile lives that we lead, it is all too easy to speak poorly of others. Another word for this is “slander.” The words […]
Are Discounts to Church Events Taxable Income?
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are thinking of offering all staff who work 32 hours a week or more discounts to church retreats and functions for which there is a charge. My question […]
Donations for Funeral Expenses
Friday, November 23, 2018
Hey Fletch … I have a question related to a special donation. A family in our church had a very unexpected death in their family. Another family in the church would like […]
House Down Payment for Pastors
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Hey Fletch … I was at the Smart Money for Church Salaries workshop in Washington DC. Michael Martin from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability suggested I ask you a […]
The Role of Care Pastors
Hey Fletch … I want to ask you about the structuring of our adult care ministry. We are a church of two campuses, with our […]
Attorney Needed for Pastor Who Opted Out of Social Security
Monday, November 19, 2018
Hey Fletch … A few months ago we discussed our pastor’s lack of retirement planning. You mentioned you could recommend a non-profit attorney for a consultation.
One of my “strategies” is to help […]
Opt for the Easy and Discover the Shallow
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Opt for the Easy and Discover the Shallow
DRF—Fast food has changed the way that we view time and convenience. I can pull into the drive-thru, order, pay and get my food in […]
Excessive Compensation
Friday, November 16, 2018
Hey Fletch … When it comes to excess/unreasonable compensation, is this something to monitor on a per employee basis or an overall budget basis? I had someone tell me that the personnel […]
Looking for Nine Years for a Ministry Position
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Hey Fletch … What if one has been looking for nine years and submitted resumes to over fifty different churches with very few interviews. What should I do?
DRF—I’m sorry to hear that. […]
Automatic Rollover of Housing Allowances
Hey Fletch … At the Smart Money for Church Salaries […]
Outsourcing Financials Roles
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are considering outsourcing our financial roles. Any insight on this? Pros / Cons?
DRF—I answered a related question on August 29, 2018 in “Would We Save Money by […]
Fell Off Church But Now Want to Become a Pastor
Monday, November 12, 2018
Hey Fletch … God has showed my calling to many and I’m starting to see it. I fell off church due to a bad relationship. I’ve been through so much and learned […]
Your Lack of Planning Is Not My Emergency
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Your Lack of Planning Is Not My Emergency
DRF—Before the days of office copiers and home printers, the print shop was king. To get three hundred copies of a document, they would make […]
Paid Time for Classes
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Hey Fletch … If a church requires its ministry staff to attend a course, such as a discipleship class, after hours, 3 hours a week for 12 weeks, is the church required […]
More on Churches Renting Office Space to Counselors
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Hey Fletch … Let me get back to you on my question and your answer. I was asking about our church renting space to a counselor at below-market rates. I thought you […]
New Leaders and New Decisions
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are bringing in a new leader to a ministry area in our church. We are hoping that this new person can bring fresh insight and make needed decisions. […]
More Questions on Paying Salaried People for Hours Worked
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Hey Fletch … Thank you for your earlier response to my question about how our church is paying salaried people for the number of hours worked. My church leaders are insisting we […]
Are Preschool Teachers Exempt Employees?
Monday, November 5
Hey Fletch … Our church has a preschool with part-time teachers. We have been treating them as exempt employees, as they are teachers. They don’t get paid for working after hours, home visits […]
Parenting Is the Process of Letting Go
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Parenting Is the Process of Letting Go
DRF—The most control that you will have over your child will be in the first year. When they learn to crawl, control begins to wane. Then […]
External Investigator for Sexual Misconduct
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Hey Fletch … I read the “Hey Fletch” column about a policy for handling accusations against a pastor. At the end you said, “I would add to these a policy statement on […]
Receipts for Purchases Are So Late, Part 2
Friday, November 2, 2018
Hey Fletch … I read the question about receipts being turned in to the church within sixty days of the expense. We also have a staff member who is turning in late […]
Attorney’s Perspective on Designated Funds
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading about designated funds and I’m still confused. Do you have a tax expert or attorney who can also comment on the issue?
DRF—We have done several “Hey […]
Could Someone Else Lead This Ministry Better?
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’ve been in my role at the church a long time. I suppose that I’m a little tired … never had a sabbatical or taken much of my vacation […]
Not Reporting All Hours on a Time Card
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Hey Fletch … I hope your ongoing national workshop tour with Smart Money for Church Salaries is going well. I have a question for my church. We have a part-time hourly administrative […]
Cancel the Job Posting
Monday, October, 29, 2018
Hey Fletch … We need to cancel our job posting on XPastor. We placed a job on XPastor for a three month period. Exactly three months to the date, we have filled […]
Wash Your Hands
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Wash Your Hands
DRF—Every parent has said this repeatedly to their child. “Go to the faucet, use soap, and wash your hands.”
I took this for granted until the city of Austin had silt […]
Interim Pastors
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am an intentional interim pastor working with Interim Pastor Ministries. In the past 7 years, I have served 4 different churches, 3 of which had their pastor […]
Do Not Harden Your Hearts in Rebellion
Friday, October 26, 2018
Hey Fletch … I need your help with Hebrews 3:12-15. I think God, through the writer of Hebrews, is warning against unbelief and hardness of heart. Is there a better way to […]
Overtime for an Administrative Assistant on a Retreat
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Hey Fletch … We have a full-time youth pastor and a part-time youth administrative assistant. We have a youth retreat coming up and we are trying to figure out how to pay […]
Preparing for a Senior Pastor Resignation
One day, you may have the conversation. This is one of those ultimate conversations in your ministry life. It may come out of the blue. You may have some signs it is coming. You may […]
Announcements for Benevolence Offerings
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Announcements for Benevolence Offerings
Hey Fletch … I read the recent “Hey Fletch” column about the benevolence offering for the woman with cancer. I get that donations cannot be earmarked for a specific […]
Can We Pay Exempt Staff for the Number of Hours Worked?
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Hey Fletch … For exempt workers, is it required that they receive a regular salary payment, independent of the number of hours they work? If they work under 40 hours, we currently […]
Poll of Church Health Insurance Benefits
Monday, October 22, 2018
Hey Fletch … I promised to send you the results of our poll of 18 churches. Here is the file with what we found. What do you glean from the findings?
DRF—Thank you […]
Where Was the Man when He Jumped off the Bridge?
Where Was the Man When He Jumped Off the Bridge?
DRF—Prof. Norman Geisler introduced me to this logic riddle. If you answer, “on the bridge,” the retort is “that was before he jumped.” If you answer, […]
I Didn’t Get the Job
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … The church decided to go with an XP from a really large church. So, I didn’t get the job. Do you have any thoughts for me as I’m stinging […]
How to Determine a Salary at a New Church
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am currently a pastor and am up for a new position at another church. I am going to have another interview with the Finance Committee soon and wonder […]
New XP in the First 100 Days
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Hey Fletch … I was recently promoted inside my church to the XP role. I’m looking for a recommendation for a book that deals with the transition to a new role in […]
Renting Office Space to a Marriage Counselor
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Hey Fletch … A licensed professional marriage counselor who attends our church wants to rent a room so he can see clients in a location that is on the opposite side of […]
Policy on Allegations of Staff Misconduct
Monday, October 15, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am doing research to update our policy manual and personnel handbook. What policies can you point me to that pertain to allegations toward a staff person about physical, […]
I Was Standing There Following You When You Walked Away
Sunday, October 14, 2018
I Was Standing There Following You When You Walked Away
DRF—Sometimes you hear a phrase and it sticks with you. My wife and I were at Disneyland more than 25 years ago. We […]
Co-Pastors or Peer SP-XP Teams
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am chair of a committee and we are in the initial stages of discerning the future direction of the congregation. Our current structure is to have a senior […]
Millennial Wants Impact
Friday, October 12, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’m a young millennial and working in a great job. The money is good, the business is fine and I’m learning a lot. Yet, I’m wondering how my life […]
Pastor Doing Outside Consulting Work
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Hey Fletch … Do you have any articles that deal with pastors doing freelance work? This might be coaching or consulting that is outside of their formal church work. How does this […]
Learning Online To Be an XP
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Hey Fletch … I see your online courses have credit hours. Does this lead to some type of certification? Are there any discounts for bundling? Thanks for your assistance!
DRF—XPastor’s online classes are […]
Gifts for Retiring Staff
Monday, October 8, 2018
Hey Fletch … We have had some long tenured staff who are going to retire. With previous people who have retired, we have awarded gifts in varying amounts from $3,000-$5,000 to retirees. […]
The Best Place in Life Is Not Being on a Church Staff
Sunday, October 7, 2018
The Best Place in Life Is Not Being on a Church Staff
DRF—How can you say that? I was on a church staff for 35 years! Pastors often think that the only place […]
Hiring an African-American XP
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’m a Senior Pastor and we are looking for a proficient African-American XP. We don’t know where to go to find good candidates. Can you help?
DRF—It is so nice […]
Thoughts About Moving On
Hey Fletch … I have been feeling that I should move on from this senior pastor position. I’m not a pushy person. But to stay, […]
The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Hey Fletch … I just finished reading “The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team” by John Hawco on XPastor. You posted his entire dissertation and it is awesome! Thanks so much […]
Receipts for Purchases Are So, So Late
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church staff can purchase items from their own funds and then be reimbursed. This happens a lot with youth trips and out-of-town ministry. We have a policy that […]
Church Hired Someone Else
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Hey Fletch … After a long process, I learned that the church is not going to hire me as the XP. The are hiring someone else. The church wants to keep me […]
More on Designated Funds
Monday, October 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … Thanks for your answer to my designated funds question. Let me submit another question. Someone brought an article today with the ideas of “restricted” and “designated” funds. The gist […]
Don’t Hire Friends Because They Are Friends
Don’t Hire Friends Because They Are Friends
DRF–Hiring a friend often occurs because you know and trust them. You like them. These are great attributes—knowing, trusting […]
Program, Policy and Preaching
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’m a new Senior Pastor. I love the role and thought that most of what I would do would be preaching. While the preaching is going well and the […]