01 -  SUGGESTED EMAIL PROTOCOL  (01)    

    As to your reaction by EMAIL to any sensitive or perceived sensational/emotional topic ----- it is recommended that you sleep on it and not answer immediately. A recommended general principle --- never write anything in EMAIL that you wouldn't feel comfortable announcing loudly in a crowded room.   Or prayerfully cogitate before you hit the SEND button.

02 -  ACCOUNTING  SYSTEM ESSENTIALS or FUNDAMENTALS  (02):                

    You should periodically clean out your old files ..... throw things away, right !!   Well, in this process I came across some 'stuff'  that was shared in a November 1977 Client Bulletin - seems just as relevant today.  If you have Ministry Finance responsibilities, ask yourself:

•   Does our Accounting System provide timely information so decision makers can be make them?
•   Does it give readers adequate and timely  "where are we"and "where have we been" information?
•   Does it show trends or provide a means for comparison of where we are in relation to where we should be?
•   Can the system be managed by the applicable Volunteer or Staffer?
•   Does it provide a means of Financial Internal Control over all of your financial resources?
•   Does it enhance accountability of all of your financial resources and obligations ?
•   Does it satisfy necessary record keeping for taxing authorities and internal and external auditing?
•   Does it show where assets came from and where they went for a "Period of Time?" 
•   Especially in relationship to what was authorized in advance (Budget)?
•   Does it reflect the status of Assets and Liabilities at a certain "Point in Time?"
•   For Ministries,  does it clearly show you the status of both Restricted and Unrestricted Monies at a certain "Point in Time?"
•   Does it bespeak a financial message; does it articulate Ministry Finances to those who should know?

   If any of the foregoing is answered in the negative, you should make the necessary corrections.

03 - More Info about the Scrip Fund Raising program (03)

A Scrip Funding Program is a philanthropic partnership among the following participants:

01>  Merchant  (like the XYZ Grocery Store)
02>  Buyer (like someone who is a parent at a School or a Church constituent)
03>  Scrip Entity (One who handles the Scrip transactions).
04>  Ministry (Mostly Schools and Churches)

A probable Scenario goes something like this: 

a>   The “XYZ Grocery Store” offers a Scrip discount of 6% via the Scrip Entity
b>   Buyer gives a check payable to Ministry for $100.00
c>   Ministry obtains a “XYZ Grocery Store” $100.00 plastic card (or cash equivalent piece of paper) via a Scrip Entity acting on behalf of the Ministry and the Merchant
d>   Ministry pays this Scrip Entity $94.00 for the said “XYZ Grocery Store” $100.00 plastic card and the Scrip Entity sends it to the Ministry
e>  The Buyer picks up the “XYZ Grocery Store” $100.00 plastic card from the Ministry and it is spent as would any other $100.00 at the XYZ Grocery store.
f>   The Ministry has $6.00 (the difference between the $100.00 received and the $94.00 paid out) which some Ministries show immediately as Income
g>  Other Ministries place the $6.00 in a Buyer's account and the Buyer decides if the $6.00 goes to
            --- pay off “Personal Obligations” they have at the Ministry or
            --- they make a $6.00 donation to the applicable donation area of the Ministry. 
h>   “Personal Obligations” of the Buyer to the Ministry usually are "Tuition/Fees" at a School or "Event Costs" at a Church.
j>    We believe that the $6.00 used by the Buyer to make a donation to the Ministry is tax deductible. 
k>  Since #100.00 was paid out by the Buyer and $100.00 worth of product at the XYZ Grocery Store was ultimately received, there are no other tax issues involved. 

            Please go to the following web pages for more Scrip Information: 
                                    http://www.bcidot.org/all/0101-02.html
                                    http://www.bcidot.org/all/0064-01.html
                                    http://www.bcidot.org/all/0188-01.html  

04 - QBooks Online Edition (QBOE) Matters (04)

            I recently asked a fellow Onliner why they choose web-based QBooks Online Edition (QBOE) and I was provided with the following answer: 
               I selected QBOE because I thought:

   a)      It would be a plus to be able to work Online wherever I happened to be: lunchtime at work, travel etc.
   b)      The Assistant Treasurer could go online and take care of things if I would be unavailable.
   c)      I could restrict access and lighten my load by having office staff enter the bills and I could just pay them and do reports. I thought it would be more economical than buying multiple licenses of QB since we had no way to network between the office and my home where I do most of the work.
   d)      It would be a good way of making financial info available to the Department Chairpersons who have online capabilities..

      The negative is that I did not consider the possibility that I would need multiple desktop QBooks Pro companies.

05 –   Most Important Financial Issues – MIFI – Issues:  (05

    Ten yars ago I shared the following dialog with a fellow Onliner.  The topic “Most Important Financial Issues –MIFI” seems just as relevant now as at that time: 

From: Onliner:
            You recommend that we concentrate on the important finance matters before us as a Ministry. Please elaborate, Jim. 

     From Jim:
                        Recently my wife wrote me a note; the words in the note contained 'i's and 't's. But, since I knew exactly her frame of reference, she did not worry about 'dotting' the 'i's or 'crossing' the 't's.  My “Ministry Finance Team – MFTeam” analogy, is that sometimes we get lost in all of our financial report numbers and statistics (dotting the ;I's and crossing the 't's) and we do NOT concentrate on the important 'stuff' they are telling us.  

From: Onliner
            I agree, Jim, as a MFTeamate, I want to use these numbers as 'fodder' for making timely and good Ministry decisions. I believe I know what you mean, but remind me once again the use of the term "MIFI".

            From: Jim:
                        OK, MIFI stands for M)ost I)mportant F)inancial I)ssues in the life of the Ministry. It is imperative that the MFTeam concentrate on these MIFIs and not get side-tracked by the least important. 

From: Onliner:

            I hear you, Jim ..... and I agree. Please help me as a Ministry leader to do this. Please remind me again, from your perspective, just what are the major responsibilities of our MFTeam? 

            From: Jim
                        An excellent place for the MFTeam to start on this MIFI topic is for them to concentrate on such matters as:

                                                                 --- Financial Facts --

            Financial information MUST be timely and be understood; MFTeamates must know appropriate Ministry Finance activity and status history in order to make rightful decisions. Much of this is accomplished by making use of efficient computer finance systems and/or tools. MFTeam meetings MUST contribute to effective communication about relevant Finance Facts. Prepare in advance; insist that finance issues be forthright, and that decisions are well documented and clearly understood.

                                                     ---Mutual Expectations ---
            Be certain that all MFTeam members understand and accept their specific finance responsibilities. Be sure nothing 'falls between the cracks'.

                                        -- Finance Policies and/or Procedures ---
            I believe that the MFTeam must conclude and write down Financial Policies. By the way, I like to define a "policy" by what you 'always do' or by what you 'never do', within a certain set of circumstances. When appropriate, such matters can be preceded by some written perspective or philosophy on the issue under consideration ----- hopefully all such policies end up in a 'Finance Policy Manual'.

                                            --- Operate within your Income ---
            The MFTeam must see that Ministry Income is obtained in order to meet the necessary Ministry Expenditures. Then see that each Ministry "Dollar Accountability Group-DAG" lives within its income.

                                                   --- Finance Credibility ---
            Keep financial promises with staff and vendors; plus have and maintain proper financial relationship with Ministry constituents. Know and honor the required IRS and other governmental requirements.

                                           ---   Resource Enhancement/Safety ---
            Fiscal resources should be protected. Establish and maintain appropriate financial internal controls. See that residual fiscal assets are prudently utilized and invested. Use credit advisedly; pay your debts as agreed. 

From Onliner:
            Aha, if we are going to be useful as a MFTeam, it looks like we have our work cut out for us!!!

            From: Jim
                        That’s true, but be sure and delegate to the staff as much of the needed ‘Grunt Work’  and 'Transaction Processing'  as possible.   Your MFTeam Chairman should learn to know what is most important.   Further, in my judgment, your MFTeam minutes should clearly state and rank your MIFIs.  Encourage your Board to have periodic "Long Range Planning" sessions so you can integrate related financial aspects.

From: Onliner:
            Thank you, Jim.  Like you, I have attended meetings where we seemed to have a 'Micro-Manage' mindset and often did NOT view the current and anticipated "relevant issues". I will use some of this material to 'jump start' our MFTeam so we appropriately deal with our MIFIs. 

This Month's previous Editorial - "For What It is Worth" Written April 2000

                        Web based applications or Application Service Providers     

Current "Ministry Finance" Truism

     Below is one of the Truisms found when you go to  0069 .
    FINANCE GOVERNANCE - the Ministry 'Board of Leadership' is to have a finance governing structure that begins with the Board Treasurer. It might include a 'Board Finance Committee', but it needs at least a 'Ministry Finance Team', composed of minimally the Ministry Chief Executive, the above Treasurer and the Computer Bookkeeper.

Prayerful Thots :

   Lord, I would ask that You be with my precious 92 year old Mom in Portland Oregon who recently had a debilitating stroke plus my care-giver sister Stella and her family there.  Help us, Lord, to better appreciate our struggling family members.

     This "Blogger" like monthly endeavor (99) allows me to share some personal comments/thoughts as to Ministry Finance issues plus matters concerning Righteous Personal Finance for Christian people.  Please go to  0200  for further explanation and links to earlier JIM's JRNLs.  The four digit links  xxxx  and some  "Click Here" info contained herein come from www.bcidot.org sources. 
    If you would like to receive the next monthly JIM's JRNL during the first week of the subsequent month,  please join the following Yahoo Group:   ---- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JIMsJRNL/.    Caution --- the non  www.bcidot.org  web links that I reference herein do NOT necessarily imply my endorsement.  Further, if any of these links do not work, let us know which one at Jim@bcidot.org.  Lists of our  www.bcidot.org  articles (or Web Docs) can be found at 9703.  9704  9705. 9706 and 9707

 Probable "Ministry Finance Lingo", or "Frequently Used Vocational Terms" used herein, appear below:

            BLVR =  Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, CBA = Church Business Administrator, CBAer;  CMS = Church Management Software/System;  CPA = Certified Public Accountant;  GAAP = Generally Accepted Accounting Principles/Practices;  GPFund or GPF = General Purpose Fund; MFTeam or MFT= Ministry Finance Team;  QBOE = QuickBooks Online Edition;  QBooks or QB = Quickbooks; RPFin  = Righteous Personal Finance , SPFunds or SPFs = Special Purpose Funds

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This document was updated last on:  August 13, 2007