Presenting the budget: Part 4
Friends, if you’re reading this post, then you’re familiar with church budgets. Thank you for sharing your time, talent, energy and money with your congregation/denomination.
Budgeting can be a slog. The leadership team needs to review budget lines and make sure their kids aren’t left waiting at the arena. There are competing interests and understandings. We proceed faithfully and imperfectly.
Demonstrating how to think about money
The church budget demonstrates how to think about money. It’s worth some reflection. (See the first post on the theology of church budgets for a short video.)
If we model open-handed assurance in God’s abundance, we build trust. (See the second post on setting realistic budget goals.)
Of course, a budget has a financial goal, but the budget goals I’m discussing here include:
nurturing generosity
building trust
demonstrating gratitude to God and trust in God
How can we integrate these goals into a budget meeting? Prepare the presenter. Plan the format of the budget meeting. Consider how to handle questions.
Preparing the Presenter
Once the budget has been prepared, it is presented to the membership. This might be stressful for both the congregation and those doing the presenting. How are you praying for the finance team? Provide coaching for person presenting the budget, especially if it might be contentious. I frequently repeat angels’ counsel: “do not be afraid.” The internal condition of the presenter matters; people (and angels!) notice the difference between an anxious heart and a grateful heart.
Meeting Preparation
Publish the budget in advance. Don’t ask the congregation to vote on something they’re seeing for the first time. Have a “pre-show” - a virtual (or real) meeting where people can talk about the details in advance.
The practical details matter; resend the email with the link to the budget! People closely involved in the process forget that it’s difficult to chase down the right documents. (Mea culpa here!) Make it easy for people to participate.
Assume the same level of prayerful preparation as a worship service. A budget meeting can and should include prayer. Why not sing a hymn of praise to begin the meeting? Showing gratitude for God’s provision never goes out of style.
I am a big fan of showing pictures from the past year and thanking people for their generosity. It helps to remind people that the budget is about people and not about numbers.
Presenting a budget is like giving a sermon on money, except people are paying more attention. Remember that not everyone can understand columns of figures. A short verbal highlights reel will be helpful to many! My home church treasurer excels at this (thank you John!)
Handling questions
How will you handle questions? I learned from Dr. Betty Pries that how the first question is handled will set the tone for further questions. Acknowledge the genuine caring of the person asking the question, even if the question feels sharp. Don’t rush. Ask for clarification if needed.
People remember the tone of the budget meeting long after they’ve forgotten the stewardship sermon. Aligning the two can build trust and nurture generosity.
May our generous God guide us on the journey.