9 Finance Questions For Every Church Planter
Most church planters don’t plant a church because they love finances and administration. Typically church planters feel a sense of calling to share and show the Gospel in a particular place. They are motivated by a call to Gospel ministry. They envision preaching, disciplining, and shepherding people. This is mostly a good thing! When I started my church planting journey almost 14 years ago, I knew little about what was needed financially and administratively. I knew the basics that our church plant needed funding but had no idea about everything else that came along with that.
As a church planter, you should be focused primarily on the work of Gospel ministry. Still, there is a reality that you must ensure you also have administrative and financial structures that allow your church to grow with your vision. You don’t need to be an expert in church finance, but you must know some essential aspects. To help with this, I have compiled a list of nine finance-related questions every church plant should consider. We also created a free PDF resource that helps you answer these questions and points you to helpful resources (see the end of the post). This is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully, it puts some of the most important financial tasks on your radar.
Are you set up correctly with the state and federal authorities?
Have you filed the proper tax exemptions with the IRS and state?
Do you have what you need to set up a bank account?
Do you have an online giving platform to receive and track donations?
Do you understand minister’s tax and have your housing allowance set up correctly?
Are you tracking donations for year-end giving reports?
Do you have a budget that can grow with your church plant?
How will you track and code expenses?
How will you teach a biblical view of giving/stewardship in your church?
Church Planting is no small task. There may be more administration and finance than you anticipated! You don’t have to figure all of this out today, but hopefully, it gives you an essential checklist to think through as you get started. There are probably people on your core team or with your sending church who can also help you think through this.
As always, the team at ChurchBiz can help if needed. We created a free PDF below that helps you begin to answer these questions while pointing you to helpful resources. We love church planting and are passionate about financial administration so that you can stay focused on your ministry!
