Understanding
Your
church
family
The local Seventh-day Adventist
Church of which you are a member is
unique in that it extends far beyond
your local congregation.
Through the church structure, you are
connected to over 13 million
Adventists worldwide who work
together to spread the gospel.
This is your church family.
You
Your local church
Local churches
Local
conference
Southwestern
Union
Local
conferences
Arkansas-Louisiana
Oklahoma
Southwest Region
Texas
Texico
Union
conferences
North
American
Division
Atlantic Union
Church in Canada
Columbia Union
Lake Union
Mid-America Union
North Pacific Union
Pacific Union
Southern Union
Southwestern Union
13 World
Divisions
General
Conference
of
Seventh-day
Adventists
East Central Africa
Euro-Africa
Euro-Asia
Inter-America
North American Division
Northern Asia-Pacific
South American
South Pacific
Southern Africa Indian
Ocean
Southern Asia
Southern Asia-Pacific
Trans-European
Western Africa
You
Tithe Distribution
NAD/GC
16%
UNION
9%
SPEC ASSIST
1%
RETAINED BY
CONF
60.75%
RETIREMENT
10.25%
EDUCATION
3%
Your
church
family
CHURCH BUDGET
No church, however small, should be satisfied to operate
without a budget. Financial planning is necessary for the
happiness and prosperity of any family, and this applies
equally to the church family.
Definition of Budget
A plan for income and expenditure over a
future period which is supposed to achieve
stated objectives
Budgeting should not be a crap shoot
Budgeting and Planning
• Luke 14:28-33: "Suppose one of you wants to build a
tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost
to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he
lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This
fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or
suppose a king is about to go to war against another
king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether
he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one
coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not
able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a
long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the
same way, any of you who does not give up everything
he has cannot be my disciple.
Church budgeting
Faithful over a few
CHURCH BUDGETING
Matthew 25:21
King James Version (KJV)
21 His lord said unto him, Well done,
thou good and faithful servant: thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I
will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Church’s must manage
their margins and
mission
CHURCH BUDGETING
Each steward has his own special work
to do for the advancement of God’s
kingdom. . . . The talents of speech,
memory, influence, property, are to
accumulate for the glory of God and
the advancement of His kingdom. He
will bless the right use of His gifts.
From Devotional: Our Father Cares,
pp. 201, 202.
CHURCH BUDGETING
At the end of your life on earth you will be
evaluated and rewarded according to how well
you handled what God entrusted to you.
Author: Rick Warren
CHURCH BUDGETING
Since my money is God's money, every spending
decision I make is a spiritual decision.
Author: John Hagee
CHURCH BUDGETING
The world asks, "What does a man own?" Christ
asks, "How does he use it?"
Author: Andrew Murray
Combined Budget
• The process of lumping all the funds not
designated for conference use to the local
church budget. Providing a plan for all
departments to receive an allocation of
expenditures for a period of time generally a
year
Income
• Estimated income has to come from
somewhere. One must first review his
records of the previous years income and use
this figure as the estimate income for the new
year. Never just hang a number out there to
satisfy pastor or department heads. Be as
sensible as possible. It is always better to have
a surplus than to have a deficit.
Plan
• Planning is essential in making a budget. One
must be aware of the needs associated with
the church in order to make a proper budget.
One must also be impartial in making budget
decisions. It is important that the whole
church be included in a budget. The total
needs of the church has to be considered.
STEPS TO PREPARING COMBINED
BUDGET
1. Identify all Church Operational Cost/
Expenses
No Departmental cost should be
included
Don’t forget church insurance
2. Divide cost by 12 to determine monthly
church budget needs
3. Determine Departmental Expenses
STEPS TO COMBINED BUDGET
PROCESS
4. Work with Pastor and Church Board to
identify essential departments first based on
mission of the church
(e. g. Sabbath School expenses)
5 Work with Pastor and Church Board to
cease ALL special offerings and restricted fund
giving
STEPS TO COMBINED BUDGET
PROCESS
6 Spend ALL restricted funds for each
specified department first before ANY
combined budget funds are used for
the department
7 Pray for unity and trust of all church
departments to this process