This post kicks off a series on Setting Up and Aligning a Church Finance Team.

But, first things first.

Committee or Team?

Consider this – Teams score. Committees meet. Teams have objectives aligned with Mission. Committees have a propensity to control.

Teams are better. Way better. Call it a committee if you must, but function as a team.

Now that that’s out of the way…

The first thing to do is to establish the objectives of the team.

It’s important for any team to have a set of goals or objectives in order to have a grounded team and have everyone working toward the same goals. Also, having a clear set of objectives puts needed boundaries in place.

Objectives of the Finance Team

#1 Support the Senior Pastor and the Vision of the Church.

#2 Serve in an Advisory Role to the Senior Pastor.

#3 Steward the Financial Resources of the Church in Accordance with Scripture.

#4 Achieve and Maintain the Financial Well-being of the Church.

#5 Establish and Monitor Funding Strategy and Plans 

Let’s dive in a little more…

#1 Support the Senior Pastor and the Vision of the Church

Having the right people on the team is essential. You simply must have like-minded individuals who believe in their Senior Pastor and are behind the vision of their church.

Listen, I am not saying have a bunch of yes-men on the team, but rather those that fully support the mission and vision of the church. This team simply must desire to see mission/vision fulfilled.

They’re a team to support and protect the Pastor and church, and as such…

#2 Serve in an Advisory Role to the Senior Pastor.

Proverbs 15:22 NIV reads, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” The ISV reads, “Plans fail without advice, but with many counselors they are confirmed.”

The Pastor needs the Team.

Now, there is a tension to manage here – it’s one of Prudence vs. Faith. Oftentimes, the Pastor is the visionary which requires faith. The Team provides feedback, prayer support and helps to develop strategy to fund the mission/vision. This is a good fit.

The relationship between the Pastor and the Finance Team has to be one of mutual respect and trust. The Pastor wants to seek the wisdom of the Finance Team and the Finance Team wants to follow the Pastor’s lead. The Pastor is not there in a dictatorship roll and the Finance Team is not there to be an Overlord to the Pastor. Unity is the goal within the unit and is to be of paramount importance.

#3 Steward the Financial Resources of the Church in Accordance with Scripture

According to 2nd Corinthians 8:18-21, it is imperative to do what is right before God and man. This is where systems and policy guidelines come into play.

Matthew 25:14–30 teaches us the imperative to use resources wisely.

How do we do this? Keep reading…

#4 Achieve and Maintain the Financial Well-being of the Church

One of the best definitions of Financial Well-being I’ve seen is this – “A state in which one practices wise planning, spending and saving with regards to the financial resources that God puts at one’s disposal.”

Another key component of financial well-being is to the establish and maintain trust. The congregation simply must trust the Pastor, Staff and the Finance Team. This is absolutely mission-critical. To that end, the Team must ensure open lines of communication exist with the congregation. [wrote about this here]

#5 Establish and Monitor Funding Strategy and Plans

This one is probably not on the radar of most Finance Teams and doesn’t take place without intentionality. What better team is there to help the Pastor grow his people in the Grace of Giving than those that are overseeing the resources of the church?

If your church doesn’t have anyone responsible for generosity or church-wide stewardship, then deploy the Finance Team to develop and recommend:

A Funding Strategy

Take a look at the number and nature of the funds the church has. Work thru the church’s philosophy here and make adjustments. Hint – the fewer funds or areas you’re asking people to give to (or to designate to), the better.

A Funding Plan

Take a comprehensive look at systems or programs needed to encourage and promote giving throughout the year. Such as – sermon series, group studies, testimonies, digital giving options, special offerings (limit these) and personal finance ministries.

I’ll write more about these two areas in an upcoming post.

Those are the 5 Objectives of the Church Finance Team.

In my next post, we’ll take a look at the responsibilities of the team.