MINISTRY OF CHURCH FINANCE - Holston Conference

Making Disciples Through

The Ministry of Church Finance

"We are not at liberty to use what [God] has lodged in our hands as we please, but as [God] pleases, who alone is the Possessor of heaven and earth, and the Lord of every creature. We have no right to dispose of anything we have but according to his will, seeing we are not proprietors of any of these things."

? John Wesley

THE HOLSTON CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

FOUNDATION, INC.

Greetings from the Bishop

Dear Local Church Team Members Related to Stewardship and Finance, I am excited to recommend this manual for your use. It is difficult to overstate the importance of the ministry of money in the local church. Money and its use are spiritual issues, and giving is a spiritual discipline. I commend this manual to you as a guide to the various phases of financial management and the importance of financial health Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr. in making disciples of Jesus Christ. Please make appropriate use of this resource and implement its suggestions and recommendations for the health of your church finances. Yours in continuing to make disciples,

Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the time you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can."

? John Wesley

CONTENTS

The Ministry of Money and Church Finance ..............................Page 1 The Role of the Pastor ................................................................. Page 2 The Role of the Committee on Finance ......................................Page 5 The Role of the Financial Secretary .......................................... Page 10 The Role of the Treasurer..........................................................Page 11 The Stewardship Team or Ministry Group ............................... Page 12 Trustees: Acceptance and Investment of Trusts, etc. ................ Page 14 Endowments and Planned Giving ....................... .............. Page 15

Appendix 1. Local Church Operating Budget 2. Local Church Funds Beyond the Budget 3. Hints for the Offering 4. Substantiation of Donated Property and Stocks 5. Who Needs an Estate Plan? 6. Eleven Commandments for Planned Giving in the Local Church 7. 25 Endowment Ideas 8. Books on Giving and Stewardship 9. Websites for Stewardship

HOLSTON CONFERENCE FOUNDATION

The Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc., is committed to educating pastors, individuals, and congregations about the tools and techniques that individuals and churches can use to get their financial affairs in order. The Foundation is uniquely empowered by The Holston Annual Conference to administer, manage, and invest endowments, charitable trusts and special purpose funds. The Foundation is also charged with encouraging and promoting estate planning/planned giving options for individuals to support their local church and other United Methodist ministries. The Foundation's resources are balanced between managing endowments and other existing funds and seeking new gifts. We work throughout the conference to promote better understanding of the various giving options available to individuals, and to provide an increased awareness of the many needs where charitable gifts can make a lasting impact ministry of the Church.

The Foundation produced this booklet and has other materials available to help you explore various strategies and options related to financial stewardship. We invite you to contact our capable staff or visit our website (foundation) to request additional information.

We are a ministry to ministries and are at your service.

"Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in."

? ISAIAH 58:12

THE MINISTRY OF MONEY AND CHURCH FINANCE

Sometimes, churches are criticized for having too much interest in money. We wish the financial realities would go away. Yet, even though stewardship is usually associated with money, it actually has more to do with our relationship with God. Even Jesus had a treasury and a treasurer, and with the exception of The Kingdom of God, Jesus said more about money than any other subject. The Apostle Paul called for offerings to support the mission of the church.

The focus of the church is on the call of Christ to be faithful in making disciples and being in mission to others. That call cannot be accomplished without healthy financing. We must remember that the main reason for giving is not to maintain the church as an institution. The reason for giving is to meet the need of the giver to share what God has given in order to grow in faith and thereby help the church fulfill its sacred mission. Giving is a spiritual matter and reflects our commitment to Jesus Christ and money is a "Holy Tool" to help make disciples.

The church is concerned with the whole person. The wise stewardship of our financial resources energizes a strong ministry of outreach and assists individual believers to establish and keep a healthy relationship with money and material possessions in their own lives. Stewardship is EVERYTHING we do after we say "I believe!"

Mission of a Local Church "The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs." (The 2008 Book of Discipline, Par. 120, page 87) A congregation with an active and clearly defined financial team assists the church to accomplish its primary task with minimum worry and with maximum hope.

Financial ministry has been an important element of the church from its inception. John Wesley enlisted "stewards" so that every local community of faith would have adequate financial support. From the earliest of times, sacrificial giving has been recognized as a spiritual discipline.

Financial ministry in the church involves a team of people who are dedicated to help the congregation support its mission. The team includes these people and entities:

The Pastor The Committee on Finance The Financial Secretary The Treasurer The Trustees The Ministry Group on Stewardship The Endowment Committee

The roles of each of these will be explored in the subsequent pages.

"Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." ? John Wesley

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