Since the budgets of most churches run concurrently with the calendar year, the middle of February is a good time to check how receipts are tracking with expectations. Are the offerings and the anticipated receipts matching pretty well? If not, February is a good time to offer a financial report and to challenge the congregation to keep the giving level on a par with expenses. This can be done in a variety of ways but needs to be handled honestly but with sensitivity in calling attention to the need.
On the other hand, if budget tracking reveals that offerings received have equaled budgeted needs, be sure to express appreciation for the sacrifices and faithful giving of church members!
To this point in our current winter, churches have been fortunate because no weather-related closures have been forced. Since snowstorms are still a possibility, however, some churches attempt to be proactive, reminding members that church expenses do not diminish just because services are cancelled. The testimony of some pastors is that churches respond to this challenge and they report that offerings have been consistent even when snow and ice force cancellations. For most churches, however, this is not the case. When a service is cancelled, giving usually suffers.
February is also a good time to send to those members who did not return their pledge cards a friendly reminder that some statement of what they hope to give during the year will be a great help to the stewardship committee and the church. In your letter, be sure to use friendly, family language rather than cold, impersonal business language.
One thing churches have found to be helpful is to show that the tithes and offerings of their people are being put to good use. Let’s face it. The church is not the only place people can give! If they believe their money is being squandered or spent on low-priorities, many will find other kingdom causes to support. A good diagnostic question to ask before spending church money is, “If the person in the pew, who gave this money, knew it would be spent for this, would they still have given it?” If not, it may be worth asking whether spending priorities should be evaluated.
Mid-winter is also a good time to conduct an energy audit of your church facilities. Working with your building and grounds committee, you can check on and, as necessary, replace weather stripping and seals around doors and windows, replace dirty furnace filters and perform routine and adjust the thermostat when the building is unoccupied.
Most larger churches use programmable thermostats so the heat can be adjusted ahead of time in anticipation of meetings to be held. Some modern HVAC systems are programmable remotely using a laptop computer or smart phone technology. Naturally, the savings such systems generate must be weighed against the initial costs, but in most cases over time the systems pay for themselves.
Years ago, when many church buildings were constructed, energy was cheap and budgets were not so tight. Consequently, little thought was given to making them energy efficient. Since then improvements in efficiency have been apparent. ENERGY STAR ratings indicate how efficient new church kitchen appliances are, and new T8 or T5 fluorescent lights offer savings in electricity, and therefore money as well. Although the installation costs of energy efficient fixtures and appliances may be high, over time the money saved can be spent on higher-priority needs. In some places, grant funds are available to help churches make transitions to more efficient equipment. The need to make your church building as energy efficient as possible is usually evident in cold weeks of February!
This is also a good time of year for the stewardship committee to work with the personnel committee in monitoring healthcare costs. Some plans have already announced in-creases while others are expected to follow suit within the next month or so.
As with other price increases, ideally, additional costs will be absorbed into the church budgeted figures. With many healthcare plans expected to rise as much as 20 percent, however, some churches will be scrambling to find ways to conserve costs. If spouses of church staff members are employed and have health insurance provided, churches can often save money by paying the cost of enrolling church staff members on their spouses’ plans. This is not always a good option, but when it is, the savings can be significant. Naturally, provision must be made to continue coverage should the spouse cease to be employed. In that event, the church would once again move the staff member to its plan and pay to provide health coverage.
To promote savings, some churches have evaluated what coverage they can afford to provide and have either sought a more economical provider, or have negotiated with the staff to provide decreased coverage or a higher out-of-pocket co-pay. While churches have always sought to provide coverage for the staff member and his/her family, some have felt forced to consider providing coverage only for the staff member.
Obviously, a decision affecting the financial bottom lines of staff members is one the personnel committee will need to be involved in as surely as the stewardship committee needs to address the church’s bottom line. Church staff members don’t like it when they don’t have a say in matters that affect them. In this, church families who deal with arbitrary employers themselves, understand this is not a good way to keep staff happy and motivated. If, however, staff members understand the need for concessions and if they are offered non-monetary compensation, usually a way can be found to meet both the needs of the staff and the larger needs of the church.
February is the shortest of the months, but in the stewardship arena, a lot should be happening!
Jim White ([email protected]) is executive editor of the Religious Herald.