Sweaty December: A Prayer for meeting the budget
December is winter where I am, yet it’s a sweaty month for many church treasurers and finance people with a December fiscal year end. They are anxiously wondering: will the organization meet the budget, that is to say will donations match ministry goals?
Annual drama of the church budget
If you’ve read my book, you’ll recall that Peach Blossom Church promotes pre-authorized giving so that church giving is more predictable throughout the year. Peach Blossom Church wants the Christmas pageant to be the only drama in December, not the annual drama of wondering if the church will meet the budget.
Budgets are not why Christians give
Christians give in grateful response to a generous God. The spiritual discipline of giving forms part of our discipleship, like prayer. Christians should be generous disciples all year, just as we regularly pray. That’s the theory anyhow, but it could be that some folks at your church are praying hard right now and hoping for a burst of giving.
I’ve been in meetings with distressed church leaders in this situation. (Full disclosure: I’ve also been the distressed leader…) Good stewardship includes good stewardship of people. Sending an already anxious treasurer up in front of the congregation can be distressing. It’s not a personal failure for the finance team if the congregation doesn’t meet the budget. If you speak hockey, it’s like blaming the goalie; unfair and not helpful. The church needs to be good stewards of church finance people.
Prayer
If you are in this situation, I’m praying for you. Is there someone you could ask to pray for you also? Pray that your congregation will receive what it needs. Pray for the wisdom to set budgets that honour God and respect people. Pray for good stewardship of money, time and people. Pray for the courage to ask for what you need in this situation (I’m writing a book on the man who asks for three loaves of bread in Luke 11 and the story is never far from my mind!)
I don’t know how your year-end will go. I do know that God never, ever gives up on us and I cling to that promise. May you find peace and hope and joy in this sweaty December.