How to Talk to Your Church about Financial Opportunities
Many church conflicts can be traced back to poor communication. This is much more serious when the topic of finances is being discussed.
For example, imagine a church board that 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
The handling of church finances is not only logistical, but spiritual. A church's budget is essentially a spiritual stewardship document. Unfortunately, most church meetings are low 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.
Churches should 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.
Keep a Tight Reign on Information
If the church board is working through financial details and opportunities, it is critical that this information is kept in the boardroom until it is ready to be shared. When information is leaked out in bits and pieces, people inevitably fill in the missing details with questionable facts and rumors. It is not that elders should be keeping decisions a secret, but that they guard the information until it is ready to be shared.
Presenting Financial Information
When presenting information to the congregation, there are some items to keep in mind:
- Help people make a connection between financial information and the opportunities to expand the kingdom.
- Give congregants a chance to ask questions and voice their concerns.
- Make sure the church knows who to approach if they have more questions.
Some people process information quickly; others need to think about it. Encourage people to discuss any questions or concerns they have with the right leaders.
Communication is Key
Even the best strategy in the world will fail if people cannot get on board. Taking the time to make sure that the leadership team puts as much thought into sharing the details and as it did building a strategy will help the people in the pews to ultimately embrace it.
