Many church conflicts can be traced back to poor communication. The cost of poor communication can be intensified when the topic of finances is being discussed.
For example, imagine a church board has been planning to purchase a building to expand and create new ministry opportunities. Every possible detail might be accounted for, but if the process of sharing it with the congregation isn’t well thought out, all the planning might be for naught.
Here are some tips for communicating financial plans and opportunities in the most fruitful way possible.
Make business meetings an event
Handling church finances is both logistical and spiritual. A church’s budget is essentially a spiritual stewardship document. Unfortunately, most church meetings are poorly attended, and budget conversations are rarely compelling. The better the people in the pews understand the structure behind a church’s budget, the more likely they are to trust and contribute. They become more invested, pay better attention, and are ultimately more generous.
Business meetings should cover last year’s performance against the budget and changes for the coming year. This information should be presented in a way that communicates the church’s plans, aspirations, and goals.
Consider making business meetings an event that should not be missed. Perhaps offer a meal or plan some parallel experience around the meeting. Presenting financial information in a way that members can personally connect with will help them care about the topic.
Share information at the right time
If the church board is working through financial details and opportunities, be wise about how you handle this information until it is ready to be shared. When information is dispersed in bits and pieces, people often fill in the missing details with rumors or speculation. Elders should not keep decisions a secret, but they should guard information until it is ready to be shared.
Create space for dialogue
When presenting information to the congregation, here are some goals to aim for:
Help people make a connection between financial information and the opportunities your church sees to expand the Kingdom.
Give congregants multiple opportunities to ask questions, voice their concerns, and share their suggestions. This can help create ownership and buy-in.
Make sure the church knows who to approach when they have more questions after the gathering.
Remember, you may be presenting information that you and other church leaders have been discussing for quite some time, but it will be new to the congregation. Some people process information quickly; others need to think about it. Encourage people to openly discuss their questions, concerns, and feedback with the right leaders.
Communication is key
Even the best strategy in the world will fail if people cannot embrace it. When you put as much thought into sharing the details as you did into building the strategy, you can help the people in the pews be informed and thoughtfully engaged, which will help them get on board.
