- - And the Lord direct your heart in the love of God as you continue to faithfully serve Him - -

Links on our Website include:      HOME  |  ABOUT  US   |    OUR PURPOSE   |   SITEMAP   |  COMPUTER FUND ACCTG  |  HELPS   |  GLOSSARY 

         TO:  Interested Onliners   
                                                                                                        FROM: Jim Bramer, Retired Auditor-CPA                                        
          RE: For the month of April 2007                                                                                               FILE:  0204-07/jrnl   

Purpose:  To help your  Ministry Finance Team  be more effective plus assist Christians to control their spending
INTERNET RESOURCES:  1st Website and 2nd Website

03 -  Fiscal Fuel Matters  (03)

        Life-changing, or sustaining, Ministries need to use a variety of "FUELS.". I like to view finances as one of the "FUELs" needed to be righteously used, or expended, to accomplish a Ministry's purpose. Very simply .... it takes money (a necessary FUEL) in order to get things done!  There are not only Cash/Money fiscal "FUELs",  but other non-Cash fiscal resources like facilities, equipment, materials and access to tools. For some Ministries these non-Cash assets may be in the form of sums due the Ministry for services provided.  But suffice is to say, the Ministry needs to prudently use these God-provided resources, or FUELS,  as it judiciously ---

M)arshals  ---- First you must rightfully 'obtain' money', or garner the FUEL. 
M)anages ---- Then you MUST prudently manage and efficiently use such resources as FUEL in carrying out the purpose of the Ministry.
M)aintains ---  Land, Buildings and Equipment is FUEL that is spent now and is applicable to a longer period of time ...   make the very best use of these resources.  Sometimes the FUEL is temporarily not used ..manage money deposits  prudently.  Be righteous about 'hoarding' ... the FUEL needs to be properly consumed. 

        These efforts take responsible human beings who carefully use their "Gift of Administration" and proper tools/systems as the Ministry covers the two economic areas of resourceful  funding and purposeful spending.  Of course, task clarity, structure and instruction as shown in   0074  is needed in appropriately making use of all these "FUELS."

04 - Pray Daily for your "Ministry Finance Team"  (04)

        You, of course, need to pray each day for the effectiveness of your overall Ministry.  But the emphasis here is to daily pray for various aspects of your Ministry Finance Team  as these folk carry out their unique responsibilities.  You might print this out, personalize for your own Ministry, and then provide copies for your next MFTeam meeting as you daily pray beginning with the suggestions below.

Sun  - - - -    Each member and their relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
                           >>  For a close, daily walk with Him
                           >>  That each member will be consistently nourished through God's Word
                           >>  For victory over worldly temptations and sin
Mon   - - - -   General Ministry Finances, etc
                            >>  For a healthy budget system-dollar expression of known planned Ministry goals
                            >>  For the right amount of income -- via appropriate Fund Raising methods
                            >>  That the staff will have their needed Salaries/Benefits.
                            >>  That people who are Ministry Buyers will live within their buying limits
                            >>  For sufficient controls so there will will no stealing or embezzlement
Tue   - - - -    MFTeam  committee matters
                            >>  That all members understand their individual role
                            >>  That they identify and appropriately deal with Most Important Financial Issues
 Wed   - - - -  Family of each MFTeam member
                            >>  When married a strong marriage relationship
                            >>  For good relationships with biological and extended families
Thu    - - - -   Physical and emotional needs of each MFTeam member
                            >>  That "work" is placed in the right perspective
                            >>  For good physical, mental and spiritual health
                            >>  For the Lord's comfort through times of stress
Fri    - - - -     Communication regarding Finances
                            >>  For healthy verbal/written communication of financial facts
                            >>  That constituency will have and understand such information.
                            >>  That each MFTeam member will share so all can understand
Sat    - - - -    Governing Board and Finance matters
                            >>  For a healthy relationship with their MFTeam
                            >>  For an effective Voluntary Board Treasurer
                            >>  That each Board member knows the essential financial facts
                            >>  For appropriate use and safety of any Ministry facility

05a - Pastor X and his Email Management

      Not too long ago I learned how Pastor X  manages his Email,  Since I was quite impressed, I asked him to write below about this.  Of course, this could apply to any busy Ministry executive.

        This is Pastor X sharing  .... during the past 10 years or so Email has become a very significant part of my communication process.   Therefore, I MUST appropriately manage it.    Natalie (my very special Administrative Assistant) and I go about this in the following way:

   A> My usual email comes from both internal and external sources and is addressed to  "Pastorxxxx@ABChurch.org."    It does NOT come to my desktop here at the Church,  or it goes directly to Natalie's desktop.   Of course,  I can access her desktop in case of her absence.  She categorizes such Email according to my definitions of  "NOW,  LATER and JUNK".   Then she handles it in the following manner:   
        NOW:  She forwards them upon receipt to my desktop where I immediately know that I have Email that I should take action right away. 
        LATER :  She regularly places them in our shared files on the Church's computer network that I access at the appointed times during the day.
        JUNK:  She removes upon receipt.
    B> She also originates her Email messages to me and handles per the above NOW and   LATER categories.   I regularly access and empty the LATER shared folder contents and place such Email in areas on my desktop for personal management.   Or I have arranged folders/short-cuts on my desktop in my own personalized manner so that I can take task action or defer --- but not forget.  I also utilize something like the "Up-File" system mentioned when go here  i0906."
    C> If  the applicable person needs to Email me direct, and by-pass Natalie, then that pre-approved person uses  "Matilda@ABChurch.org."  ( Matilda is my deceased Mom's name).
    D> Since we immediately know on our desktop when we have Email,   she uses it to also communicate to me when I have the door closed in a  "Do not disturb"  mode.  This could happen, for example, when a communication comes in and she believes I should know about it right now.  This practice has greatly reduced interrupting inter-com phone calls and allows me to appropriately interact with people in my room.

   I trust you find what we are doing helpful as you apply something like this to your unique Email management process, etc.

 06 - Church Adult Groups and Finances (06)

    Maybe you can identify .....  the Adult Classes at your Church takes a weekly offering and they use the proceeds for their personalized endeavors - often a project that they identify with, etc.  They also have a variety of Class Events where they collect money as Class participants pay for its costs, etc.  Ask us about how to handle monies collected for funerals of Class mates. etc.  Our recommended Adult Class finance policies include at least the following:

1>  They do NOT have their own checking account.  Why:  this requirement lends credence to the need for the Board of Leadership to be in control and not the Adult Class per se.
2>  If the Adult Class's projects include funding a Missions Committee's endeavor (like a special Missionary project or even providing the monthly support for a Missionary, etc.) they must have advance approval of the Missions Committee (or the Board of Leadership's approval, etc.).  Why:  again, the Board of Leadership, or the applicable sub-committee, must ultimately be in charge.
3>  The money for an Event (or social activity, etc.) of an Adult Class does NOT flow through the Church.  Checks are made payable (or cash is given) to the Event Coordinator and NOT to the Church.  Why:  such monies are personal expenses and this process reduces the possibility that such money is claimed as a tax-deductible donation or it is a part of the Church's giving records.   

 07- Annual "Phiscal"  Exam --  (07)

        No doubt many of you filed your personal tax returns during this month of April.  Many often also use this time of the year to look more in depth into their personal finances.  
        I advocate that Christian Ministries should use the month of April to annually take a "Phiscal" exam (as apposed to our periodic personal physical exam)  during a portion of a Board of Leadership/Ministry Finance meeting.   I trust the following will help you do this meaningfully..

			S U B J E C T:			STRONG	OKAY	WEAK
			FISCAL OVERVIEW:
A>	Apparent Fiscal stability					______	_____	_____
B>	Debt management					______	_____	_____
C>	Realistic Fund Raising					______	_____	_____
D>	Staffer Funding					______	_____	_____
			BOARD MATTERS
E>	"Independent" Nature					______	_____	_____
F>	Board is properly fulfilling its
		responsibilities re finances				______	_____	_____
G>	A functioning non-staff volunteer
		Treasurer				______	_____	_____
H>	A functioning Board Finance
		Committee				______	_____	_____
I>	Ministry financial planning
		and projections				______	_____	_____
J>	Overall protection of Ministry
		tangible assets.				______	_____	_____
			REPORTING & MANAGEMENT
K>	Adequacy of financial reporting
		including Actual to Budget				______	_____	_____
L>	Management of your Accounting
		system.				______	_____	_____
M>	Special Fund Accounting					______	_____	_____
N>	Effective use of a Computer system
		for finances.				______	_____	_____
O>	Attention to Cash Flow Management					______	_____	_____
			TRANX PROCESSING SYSTEM
P>	Cash Receipts, Disbursements
		Purchases, Payables and Bank
		Reconciliation.				______	_____	_____
Q>	Payroll					______	_____	_____
R>	Accounts Receivable					______	_____	_____
S>	Special Funds					______	_____	_____
T>	Fixed Assets					______	_____	_____
U>	Overall distribution of work functions
		for internal controls.				______	_____	_____

 08 -  Emphasis should be "Why"  money is spent -- not "How"  (08)

        This applies to either Christian Believers or to Christian Ministries.  Reminder:  the real meaningful issue is "Why" we righteously spend our money as we take disciplined action within context of applicable Spending Area limits.  "How" we spend our money is NOT a significant issue ---  be it Cash, Check, or Plastic (CrCard or Debit Card) or Online Payments.  Please go to the resources found at  www.qbuxbox.org  and to go to  0204   for more information along these lines.

Links that are "NOT"  via Jim Bramer                  

>>  Ideas of how to Improve your Board meetings  >>  ACH Processing Improves Cash flow >> Church Management System (CMS) - Blog   >> Collaborative software  >>  ECCU Sweep system   >>  Attorney Frank's - Rules for Restricted Donations

This Month's previous Editorial - "For What It is Worth" rendered in September 2006

Issues related to "Where" and "Why" we have money  - http://www.bcidot.org/fwi/0933-06.html

Current "Ministry Finance" Truism

   TRUISM --  A fundamental Truism is that  ALL  Ministry finances MUST  flow through the Board of Leadership in a unified manner --- especially with respect to Churches and Schools who often have sub-groups.  A way of enabling this is that NO sub-group of a Ministry has its own Bank Account, or all money flows through the pooled Bank Account - see information found at  0006.   
    You will find more information about Ministry Finance Truisms when you go to  0069 . 

Prayerful Thots :

    Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for your Word found at Psalm 51:10 where I read:  "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  My prayer, Oh Lord, is that all of us would strive for these qualities.  In Your Name, Amen