Citizens of God’s kingdom take seriously our mission to love our neighbors and to share the gospel. Our calling includes the responsible management of our resources, congregationally and personally.
The intersection of mission and money in budgeting supports a church’s commitment to living out its vision. Below is an excerpt of Cara Garrity’s Equipper article, “Money Follows Values.” Read the full article here.
The most effective budgets begin with mission, vision, and values. What is the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation?
You may have heard it said that money follows what we value. Reflect on the budget and financial habits of the congregation. What does it reveal about what has been given value?
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- In what ways has the budget reflected the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation?
- In what ways has the budget reflected values or priorities other than the stated mission, vision, and values of the congregation? Where did these alternative priorities come from?
- How can the budget become better aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the congregation in the upcoming year? What needs to change for that to happen?
You may have also heard the phrase “put your money where your mouth is.” It is meant as an exhortation to align your actions with your words. Don’t just talk about it, do something about it. Prayerful budgeting is one way that we can “put our money where our mouth is” concerning our participation in Jesus’ ministry and living out the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation.
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- What are we willing to do or change so that our budget reflects our mission, vision, and values?
- How will the annual budget support the goals of the Team Ministry Action Plan (TMAP)?
- How will the annual budget reflect the priorities of the Faith, Hope, Love, and Pastor Avenues?
- How do we want to communicate about church finances?
By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator,
Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
