A church budget names the things so important that the congregation will put money there. It’s a deeply theological document. Think “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…”

This post includes a short video on the Circle of Grace model of giving.

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?

Has your church or charity actually asked its supporters to leave a bequest in their wills to support the good work of the organization?

Let me guess - good intentions but so many things to do! The budget needs money this year, not some year. Special events demand lots of time; reports are complex and time-consuming. There are structural issues. However, people who find asking for gifts in wills to be off-putting remains a big barrier.

Literally the stack of church and money books Lori brought to a class of ministry students.