Articles on Finance
Offerings. Tithes. Stewardship. Generosity. Giving. Sacrifice. Finance. There are many words that we use to describe the money that is received by the church for ministry use. There are also many facets to the Finance Department as they aid ministries by organizing the necessary funds.
Internal Controls: Practical Steps for Churches to Implement
Effective internal controls are vital to helping your church safeguard your resources, ensure financial integrity, and foster trust. We’ll share the latest research on how organizations are affected by fraud and discuss practical steps [...]
New DOL Exemption Standards
With the new DOL standards for managerial salaries, church leaders are asking lots of questions about who is a pastor, are they exempt, what other staff might be exempt. On July 1, the Department [...]
Keeping Your Expansion Project on the Rails
Many factors are coming together to present challenges to current construction projects. During our time together, we will be discussing the most common derailers such as: ill-timed capital campaigns, lack of financial clarity, overdesign, [...]
Artificial Intelligence Brings Legal Liability
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a helpful tool for churches. Many are using AI to ethically research sermon ideas. Others use it to redact a 45 minute message into a 1,000 word article for [...]
Practical Church Risk Management
In many churches, risk management can become an after-thought as the tasks and needs of day-to-day operations take center stage. But this can open the door to unnecessary risks—an avoidable accident, allegation, or other [...]
Church Financial Health, A Lender’s Perspective
Ever curious about what happens to all of the financial statements that you submit when applying for a loan? Or how church lenders view the financial health of your church when you’re looking to [...]
Estate Planning for Churches in the 21st Century
Estate Planning is an often overlooked financial tool when evaluating church funding now and in the future. National surveys tell us that over 65% of our church members don’t have any type of estate [...]
Debt, Financing, and Lending Readiness
Despite uncertainties in the financing market, your church may be in a place where you are considering financing for renovations or new building projects. We’ll discuss what many churches overlook about lending readiness and [...]
Options for Churches Seeking Audits or Other Accountability Measures
Churches desiring to employ an audit or other accountability measure with respect to their financial operations may opt for various approaches, depending on their size, scope, and complexity. Audits and other financial accountability activities [...]
Generosity: What’s Ahead in 2024
Generosity is an action. It is the ongoing activity of giving away what you can’t take with you at the end of your life. To understand it better, Brad will share about what happened [...]
Trademark & Copyright 101: Protecting your Church Brand
In this webinar, we will discuss what trademark and copyright is, the importance of filing for protection, and the trademark and copyright application process. Brianna Nevels, Associate Attorney with the firm, will also be [...]
The Employee Retention Credit—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) started out as a lesser-known relief provision contained in the CARES Act passed into law at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. Over the last three [...]
How to Activate Your Church Buildings for Greater Community Impact
Has your church considered ways you could use your buildings for greater community impact during the week? Join us for a look at how to do this in a financially sustainable way. We’ll discuss [...]
Data Erasure vs. Risk Management
The Clash of Privacy and Protection of Vulnerable Populations Protecting Personal Information Everyone has a story about personal information fraudulently obtained by a security breach, Phishing email scam, or sold by a vendor gathering [...]
Budgeting Effectively During Economic Uncertainty
The unknowns of the economic uncertainty we face—including a possible recession and higher interest rates—can create challenges as well as potential opportunities for church leaders as they work to develop an effective budget. Join [...]
The Path to Financial Peace at Home and Church
Finances are a crucial aspect of our daily lives. We need them to provide for our basic needs, pay our bills, and pursue our dreams. However, it can also be a source of stress [...]
7 Reasons to Offer Estate Planning at Your Church
Most church leaders don’t have a will or an estate plan. So it is easy to see why church leaders don’t encourage congregants to get one either. So many say, “I don’t have enough [...]
End-of-Year Letters Are Vital
Year-end letters are vital to the life of your people and church. They can share stories of ministry and remind people of God’s great work during the year. A number of years ago, my [...]
The Top 5 1/2 Questions XPs Are Asking about 2023 Giving Trends … with Surprising Answers
We had the pandemic and that raised lots of eyebrows about giving. Now we are in a post-pandemic era. There is angst about economic uncertainty and changes in core giving engagement. What is giving [...]
What’s a Pastor to Do When Called to Testify in Court?
Have you ever had a church member ask you to testify in court on their behalf? At some time in your ministry, you will likely receive questions from a congregant requesting your attendance and [...]
Internal Controls From 30,000 Feet
Internal controls are vital in the life of a church’s finances. But, what are they? How can they help staff, give great data and protect against fraud? Mike Lee is an experienced CPA and [...]
Faith Driven Investment Policies for Churches
Doing ministry in the twenty first century is expensive—and that was before the recent bout of inflation. Finding ways to generate increased returns on the resources the Lord has blessed and entrusted to your [...]
Anatomy of a Church IRS Examination
The IRS has just informed you of its intent to initiate an inquiry or examination of your church. What happens next? How do you navigate from here? In this webinar, we will walk you [...]
When Church is Work – 5 Trending Legal Issues for Christian Employers
Making sure Sunday, and every day, runs smoothly at church requires a dedicated team. Whether it takes 2 or 52 to staff your church, you need a solid foundation of employment practices to protect [...]