Lean Churches

On first glance to a planter, it wouldn’t appear that financial decisions are spiritual decisions.  Matters of money can seem so bland.  However, if you are planting on a shoestring budget, then every financial decision is a matter of much prayer.  And that is not a bad thing.  The Bible has much to say about money, finances, and good stewardship, so you should make your church’s finances a spiritual matter.

Early in the life of your church and probably later in the life of your church, financial decisions will be difficult.  On one hand, you may want to be conservative with the resources of your church, saving up for a rainy day.  On the other, there are many great opportunities to share some of your church’s resources with those less fortunate, on additional staff, property, and the list goes on and on.  The right answer is probably a matter of balance and will require prayerful consideration and wise counsel to get right.  Move in faith.  God will provide exactly what you need when you need it.  I often wish He’d provide more and more in advance, but His ways are not my ways.

Speaking of wise counsel, most planters I know aren’t great natural money managers.  Perhaps you are, but even if you are, you should have a team of wise stewards making financial decisions for your church.  There is wisdom in a multitude of life experiences and perspective.  You should help them see the vision and help them prioritize, but if the lead pastor is making financial decisions, then it is likely the organization is broken or soon will be.

It sounds crazy, but I believe that your church should establish the priority of giving.  Your church will have to decide how much and what organizations are in line with your mission and vision and are therefore worthy to support, but it is important to give some away.  You may push back and say that you can’t afford it, but I don’t think you can afford not to.  Our plant has given away 10% since our inception.  It was and is still hard… but giving helps the world see the answer to the question “How Big is Your God?”

Don’t be discouraged by what your church does or does not have, and don’t make unreal comparison with churches who are a little older than yours.  I’ve seen God do some absolutely amazing things with few financial resources and I’ve also seen some pretty “rich” churches that aren’t reaching a soul.   Budgets sound boring, but your church’s budget is tangible evidence of your church’s priorities.  And your priorities must always be spiritual.