Pastor, send this to your leadership or financial team from me. I want to help you learn some of the best practices of great financial teams!
Dear Financial Team,
I want to thank you so much for your investment into your church. I know you have jobs, families, and all sorts of responsibilities. I want to introduce myself. I am Casey Graham. My job is working with churches all around the country to help them increase operational giving. Our company wanted to write you a note and say thank you for what you do and give you a few tips going into the 2011 budget year. Frankly, I have talked with a lot of financial teams and boards over the years and through my experience, I have found some common themes from the BEST financial teams that might be helpful.
1. Trust your leaders to make decisions
The best financial team members have TRUST over SUSPICION. It is very easy to act like you trust the leader, but deep down you really don’t (ever heard of Judas?). I am praying this week for you. I’m praying that you will trust their decision-making abilities and give them the freedom to make decisions for the direction of the church. Should you push back if needed? YES! However, if you are always pushing back or thinking of the glass half empty or just plain negative, take some time to evaluate yourself. I want to encourage and challenge you to trust your leader with everything inside of you. Trust his or her ability to make the best decision possible. When you disagree, that’s fine, but don’t be disgruntled.
Be a guardrail, not a brick wall!
2. Pray for your leader
Let’s be honest. How much do you pray for your leader? I know we all get busy and forget. I want to ask you right now to pray for your leader. Pray for the pastors and staff in your church. Pray that your heart will be to help them win at all cost! Pray for them right now.
Be a pray-er, not a problem.
3. Think about the big picture
Great board members get the big picture. If your head is constantly in the day-to-day of the church budget, you will miss the point of your role. Your role isn’t to micro-manage a budget, but to help guide the church into the future. Your seat is a seat of influence, and you should think about the future more than the here and now. Yes, I know you may be wired to think about details, and YES, that is needed. But think about the big picture because the details don’t matter if you don’t see the future brightly! Asking a pastor or leader detailed questions all the time will drain their vision! Look into the future with your leader and dream together!
Be an energizer, not a drainer.
4. Serve your leader well
Jesus didn’t call us to be big shots; he called us to be foot washers. The heart of the best board member is to extend a helping hand to the leader. Let me ask you one question: how can you practically help your leader today? What can you do to lighten their load? Don’t sit around a table and think that is great. Lead something for your leader and lighten their load today.
Be a towel bearer.
5. Stand by your leader
Great financial teams stand by their leader when the times are good and bad. Is it tough right now? Are you guys tight financially? Let me challenge you to do something: GIVE MORE! The tighter it gets, raise your giving more and more. The more you give to something, the more you will love it!
Be more generous now!
6. Leave well
I have seen situations where the best board members just need to leave. I have seen church leaders make continually poor financial choices that put the church in a very bad situation. People on that financial team were unable to stand by these decisions because they disagreed and had to leave. If you truly can’t stand by the decisions, just leave well. Don’t cause a fight or try to take people with you. The way to leave well is to keep your mouth shut to anyone not directly related to the situation. Speak honestly to the person you need to and then leave quietly. It is OKAY to leave your leader at some point if you disagree; just do it well.
Be a peacemaker.
I love all of you deeply and wanted to write a note to spur you on to more good work for the Kingdom. I hope this helps!
