Banking
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could store our money in a piggy bank so it would be right at our fingertips? But in a world complicated with loans, thieves and online giving, banks are a dire necessity. What are some best practices when it comes to Banking?
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
River Valley Church Receives $400,000 in Crypto Donations
Creating Catalysts of Generosity with Cryptocurrency An interview with Clynt Reddy, Executive Director of Operations for River Valley Church and Engiven. Each year River Valley hosts an annual event called Kingdom Builders, where they [...]
Negotiating and Managing Bank Debt
Debt is a challenge. Let's examine prudent and not so prudent debt. How much can your church afford and how much will make it sink.
Virtual Currency and Charitable Contribution Guidelines in Federal Tax Law
Charitable Contribution Guidelines in Federal Tax Law for Donors of Virtual Currency Valued at Greater than $5,000 Whatever you may think about virtual currencies, one reality is that a significant number of people have [...]
The Mistake of Borrowing Money to Pay for CapX Expenses
The moment has come where your organization is facing significant Capital Expenditures (CapX), this might be a roof or HVAC replacement. But, you have not established an appropriate capital reserve fund. Your roof won’t [...]
Leadership Lessons from a Bank with a Biblically-Centered Culture
Most banks have a culture of profit. What if a bank took a biblical world view that included profit with the biblical principles of honesty, integrity, truthfulness and fairness? The bank created [...]
Turning to Technology to Fill Collection Plates as Churches Remain Closed
As the pandemic continues to affect the traditional methods of engagement, it’s more important than ever to adopt digital solutions to streamline ministry management and boost donor giving The pandemic has affected almost every [...]
Top 10 Reasons Church Loans are Declined
Join Fletch and leaders from Thrivent for an insider’s look into church loans. Both Chris Lewis and Teresa Loker have extensive experience that can pull back the curtain on these issues. When your [...]
Successful Church Project Planning
Getting a church loan is an area that most church leaders find murky and complicated. Chris Lewis from Thrivent has expertise from his years of helping churches with their borrowing capacity. The video [...]
Borrowing Designated (Restricted) Gift Balances
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 Hey Fletch … Our finances have trended downward and we borrowed $20,000 from the unused balances of restricted funds. This caused some controversy on the church board. What is your [...]
Building Campaign that Falls Short
Hey Fletch … Two years ago we launched a building campaign for our church, but we fell short of our goals. Now the board has decided not to expand the building, but rather to [...]
General Fund Robbed by Disaster Donations
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Hey Fletch … I have been a fan of your work and website for several years. I have a question and would love your insight. As a board member, let [...]
Use Technology to Keep Staff Safe and Cash Secure
How do you deliver ministry funds, like Sunday’s offerings, to your bank? A priest in Chicago learned the hard way that making a weekly trip to the bank is a risk that’s not worth taking. According [...]
Negotiating a Loan and Saving $17,000 Per Month
It isn’t very often that you get to save $17,000 per month for your church. I was able to do just that by refinancing my church’s debt while maintaining a strong local relationship with [...]
What If Your Bank Closed Your Accounts Tomorrow?
Things don’t always turn out the way we expect. Some call this Murphy’s Law. Sociologists call it the Law of Unintended Consequences. People who work with money have long recognized this. In 1691 John Locke was [...]
Five Questions to Ask Your Banker
What’s on your XP to-do list as the New Year approaches? Year-end giving, for sure. Which is precisely why another item should be on your list. You need to talk with your banker. Why? The annual [...]
You’ve Been Deceived: Three Myths Pastors Believe About Church Giving Technology
It’s hard to spend half a $5 bill. Yet that’s exactly what happens to many churches when givers want to be generous but can’t. For decades, giving in the church remained a familiar process. At [...]
Purchasing and Financing Existing Facilities Today
When it comes to managing facilities expansion in most dynamic churches, many people think first of building a brand new facility. But in today’s changing world, there are good reasons a church should seriously [...]
Creating a Way for People to Give Online
As a child, I remember my dad placing a check in the offering plate at church on Sunday mornings. As I got older and got a job, I began to be serious about giving and [...]
Mobile Phones and Online Giving
With 87% of the U.S. adult population now carrying mobile phones, (52% of them internet-enabled smartphones), people are changing the way they buy things. According to a survey recently released by the Federal Reserve Bank, 15% [...]
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 [...]