As church leaders, we often define what our church is about through carefully worded mission and vision statements. These crucial documents concisely explain what our church is called to be and do, providing clear direction that staff and members can rally behind. These statements are staples of the modern Christian church.
While mission and vision statements are important, and getting them right is crucial, they both take a backseat to the most important church document:
The budget.
More than any other church document, the budget explicitly defines what we are doing right now, where we are heading, and how our church’s mission and vision are actually playing out.
Here are three reasons why the church budget is the most important document.
The budget is the action plan for accomplishing the vision.
As previously stated, our mission and vision statements are intended to be aspirational. They thoughtfully capture what kind of church we want to become and what we feel God is calling us to do now and in the future. It takes work and requires intentional effort to fulfill these aspirations.
But if we do not align the budget with the mission and vision, those statements will look more like dreams. The church budget is a direct reflection of our strategy. If the budget is not explicitly moving toward the church’s goals, we’ll never reach them. It takes deliberate effort to point the church’s resources toward the things that are most important to us.
Many churches post their mission and vision statements online and in their bulletins to broadcast what they are about and to hold themselves accountable. The budget also plays a vital role in maintaining accountability. This is one of the reasons we should create our budgets transparently and make them easily accessible to the congregation.
The budget reflects how your members can be involved.
It is not always easy for a congregation to connect their tithes and offerings to the tangible things the church is doing. Especially if their main exposure to the church is through weekend services, congregants may assume that’s what their offerings primarily go toward.
The church budget is an opportunity for us to show the congregation exactly what they are participating in when they entrust us with their resources. We can even translate the budget into giving terms. How much of every dollar goes toward each ministry or function of the church?
The budget serves as a clear reminder of the power and importance of their generosity. It also affirms where the church’s heart is so members can commit to putting their hearts there too.
The church’s ministries touch people’s lives and have a direct impact on your community. A good church budget shows the congregation how they are part of that process.
The budget keeps your aspirations grounded.
If a church can accomplish their mission in a single year, it is too small. Mission and vision statements are aspirational because they are intended to provide direction for years to come. The church’s mission is a marathon, not a sprint.
A budget forces us to think about the mission in stages and steps—what are our specific objectives, and how do we move from where we are to where we want to go? We do not have unlimited resources to throw into every ministry, team, or project that is advancing those goals. A budget helps us prioritize the facets of the church and set realistic expectations for what we can accomplish each year.
Take the time to budget wisely.
Creating a church budget can be a straightforward process. However, a common mistake is not taking budgeting seriously by failing to connect the church budget to the church’s mission and vision. Whatever the church’s mission is, the budget is critical to completing that mission.
