Should Your Church Change Its Fiscal Year-End?
If your church uses a calendar year-end of December 31 as its fiscal year-end, you may want to consider changing it. A fiscal year-end such as May 31, June 30, July 31, August 31, [...]
New Book Helps Nonprofit Boards Improve and Streamline Financial Oversight
Mike Batts is one of our workshop leaders at the 2018 XP-Seminar. He is a noted leader in the nonprofit and church financial arena and author of five books. Mike has just released his latest [...]
Church Insurance Infographic
One of the most important decisions an Executive Pastor will make for his church is insurance coverage. Do you know what to look for when shopping for an insurance policy for your church? Are you [...]
Purposeful Budgeting Infographic
Virtually every church sets a budget. Is your budget aligned with your purpose and vision? Who can help you best define and set your budget? Kirk Morgan created this infographic using his class notes from [...]
Internal Controls Infographic
What are internal controls? How do you begin to implement ICs? Kirk Morgan created this infographic using his class notes from two of XPastor’s Online Courses--Operations 103 (Finances, Part 1) & Operations 104 (Finances, Part [...]
What I Learned from a Certified Fraud Examiner
We’ve all seen the tragic headlines about churches becoming the victims of fraud. To borrow some real-life examples: “Father and Son Pastors Plead Guilty to Stealing $3.1M from Church,” “Nebraska Archdiocese Sues Nun Accused of [...]
Seven Financial Stewardship Principles for Churches
A common, biblically-based theme in the church world is that parishioners should be good stewards of the money God has entrusted to them. Especially emphasized is the principle of Christians paying tithes and giving generously. However, stewardship [...]
Church Embezzlement
The numbers just did not add up. A few years back I was working with a church that was struggling financially, yet their giving was strong. They shouldn't have been struggling to make budget. I [...]
Employee Accountable Expense Reimbursement Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and opportunity profiles. Below is the Employee Accountable Expense Reimbursement Policy and Procedures [...]
Cash Receipts and Disbursements Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is a Cash Receipts and Disbursements Policy of Westwards Community [...]
Benevolent Fund Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, Review Forms and policies. Below is the 2011 Benevolent Fund Policy of Old North Church [...]
Benevolence Policy and Form
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review form, applications and policies. Below is the 2012 Benevolence Policy and form from Southbridge [...]
Benevolence and Financial Assistance Policy and Procedure
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Benevolence and Financial Assistance Policy and Procedure of [...]
Benevolence Application
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Benevolence Application from Northeast Bible Church of San [...]
Care Fund Policy
XPastor tries to help churches out by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, employee handbooks, review forms and policies. Below is the 2005 Care Fund Policy of [...]
Care Ministries Assistance Policy
XPastor tries to help churches out by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, employee handbooks, review forms and policies. Below is the Care Ministries Assistance Policy from [...]
Finance Committee Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Finance Committee Policy from Northwest Bible Church in [...]
Suggestions for Writing Church Policies
Every XP deals with church policy. Some of you love them, others tolerate it, while others avoid it like a plague. But every church needs them. When writing policies for your church, keep in mind [...]
Credit Card Policy and Forms
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Credit Card/Debit Card Policy and forms for Village [...]
Credit Card Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Credit Card Policy of the First Church of [...]
Salary Administration Plan
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Salary Administration Plan for Kempsville Presbyterian Church of [...]
Eight Key Aspects for Writing Your Financial Policy
When it comes to operating a church, a foundational document is the Finance Policy. If a poorly written Finance Policy is executed well, then the Policy can strike fear into any staff person. If a [...]
Caesar Takes a Pastor’s Salary
Few issues are as misunderstood, abused and confused as the tax implications of a pastor’s salary. The issue is so different from compensation in the business world that some CPA’s have given errant advice to [...]
Year-End Giving and Cash Reserves
As we’ve been talking with churches about cash reserves, the topic of year-end giving has been cropping up in the conversations. Now is certainly the time to be thinking about it. An Evangelical Christian Credit [...]
When to Finance or Not: Are You Ready For Debt?
The attendance is climbing and the membership is growing. Each Sunday you notice there are fewer empty seats. With three services already in place, you wonder how many more people you can accommodate without having [...]
Borrowing and the Church
Borrowing money has become a way of life for many. And credit use raises more than a few questions: what does the Bible say about money? Does church financing have a place in building the [...]
Every Church Needs a CFO
I once heard a good definition of a CFO: “Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand.” There is some truth in this statement. However, in actuality, [...]
The Business of Church
There is a distinctly business-like aspect to overseeing a church: churches have assets to manage, employees to pay, and members who rightfully demand accountability for their financial contributions. The business side of church leadership is [...]
Employees that Qualify for Minister’s Taxation
Determining who qualifies as a minister for tax purposes can be challenging---and misclassification can be costly. This article will help you properly classify your ministerial staff and avoid the risk of back taxes, penalties, and more. In the [...]
Should Your Church Use Corporate Credit Cards?
The church’s credit card bill arrives and you look at it with dread. It has so many charges on it, and you only have five receipts in the folder. You know you’ll have to pester [...]
Dashboard Indicators for the Church: Why They are Important, and Where You Should Start
In high school, a friend gave me a ride home from work late at night. We stopped for gas and I noted that her oil light was on. When I asked her about it, she [...]