How to Build a Church Budget That Reflects Your Mission

Most church budgets are just last year's numbers plus 3%. In this episode we break down how to build a ministry-driven budget that funds what matters and gets buy-in from staff and elders. We cover tying every line to a priority and defending cuts without a fight. In this episode Start with mission, not last year's spreadsheet The three buckets every church budget needs How to defend cuts without starting a war Timeline: 0:00 Cold open: a church that committed 25% of giving to foreign missions 0:37 Welcome 1:06 Today's topic: building a church budget that reflects your mission 1:34 Why nearly every church budget is just last year plus 3% 1:53 What we'll cover: mission first, then the spreadsheet, then defending cuts 2:27 Start with mission, not last year's budget 3:22 The planning session: 3 to 5 year window and your top three priorities 4:17 The bucket approach: personnel, operations, ministry, and giveaway 5:33 When the giveaway bucket runs away from you 6:53 Outsourcing the mission, and the church with the leaking roof 7:59 Acts 1:8 and the myth of the 10% rule 8:58 How to make budget cuts without starting an internal war 9:15 Why bottom-up budgets become a wish list and a "bloody budget meeting" 9:44 Start from the top down: fixed costs first, then ministry budgets 10:15 Make ministries negotiate with each other before they come to you 11:01 Why going to find a deep-pocket giver is a flawed strategy 11:45 Recap and this week's challenge: name your top three ministry priorities 12:25 Next episode: keeping staff costs under the 50% line