Edition of "JIMs  JRNL"

   (Click Here for "Blogger like" perspective/rationale)   

               - - 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 May 2007                                                                                               FILE:  0205-07/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

      01 -  Personal Finance Issues  

　When you  Click Here you will note that about a year ago I made reference to a special friend who is a local Coach for Crown Ministries  ---  or he works with people who desire to handle their money in ways that are honoring to the Lord.  Ask me for more info about this special person who recently wrote the following about such matters:

    "In order to submit, one must first trust. In order to trust one must know." Therefore, it is important to know (recognize, experience, identify, understand be acquainted with, be familiar with, comprehend appreciate, realize distinguish and identify) God personally.
    There is no physical way in which God promises to guide our lives more than by supplying or by withholding material resources. God is interested in the direction we are going and our stewardship responsibilities to what He has entrusted to us. We must be willing to seek and accept His direction and recognize His guidance.
    Recent discussion of: "How does God NOT use money in our lives” included: 
        >> To cause worry, anxiety or fear, see Luke 12:22-26.
        >> To separate families, see James 4:1.
        >> To corrupt Christians, see Ephesians 5:5. 
    He provides, (I Corinthians 10:13) and He buffers us from our problems and as Proverbs 30:7-9 appropriately expresses a request for good character and for circumstances that will not endanger our character.   I Timothy 6:17, reminds us that God sees and knows our heart and we should not develop an EGO, i.e. “E>dging G)od O)ut”.
    We are only an "Allocator" of what God has entrusted to us. It is imperative we recognize and directly answer to Him. He is in control and uses various circumstances, opportunities and events to mold, shape and form us into that whole and complete person for which we were created. As Christians, we need to entrust and plan according to His Word and leave the results to God or the world will control us.

   02a - If Jim B were a Volunteer Church Treasurer

    When you go to  5089  you will find an in depth response to "If Jim B were a Volunteer Church Treasurer"  issues as I cover at least the following topics:

A>  Internet Church Financial Services
B>  Reporting and Understanding Church Finances - also GAAP at Churches　
C>  Current Finance Activity Accounting Emphasis　
D>  Make full use of Internet and Computer System Tools
E>  Church Finance Policies
F>   Church Finance meetings
G>  Budget and/or Spending Management
H>  Maximize Internal Financial Controls
I>    Manage Bank Balances and Investments
J>   Righteous Personal Finance aspects
K>   Management of Amounts due to the Church/School
L>   21st Century Church Revenue Issues
M>  Pay Bills Electronically
N>   Payroll - Retain Someone Else to do it
O>   Auditor Matters
P>   Church Weekly Counting Information
Q>   FREQUENTLY USED VOCATIONAL TERMS"

    Let me know if you would like access to something similar with respect to these type of of Ministries:  >> Christian Schools, >>   Mission Organizations and >> Camps/Retreats

       03 - Analysis of Revenue to "Special Purpose Funds" 

           I trust you find the grid below of interest as you view information about the types of revenue that flow to a variety of  Special Purpose Funds    What is not included below is Special Purpose Funds  money that comes from participants in  "Self Funded Activities/Events";  which, of course, are personal expenses and are NOT tax-deductible.     Please  Click Here   for more information about "Self Funded Activities/Events.".
 

From Usual Scrip      See 0101
 See 5040  for more info Current Year Tax Ded Tax Ded  
 Ways to Receive Money see 5802 GPFund  Donation Donation   *** More Info ***
      From the GPFund 
Board Discretionary Fund          of Previous Years
Facility Maintenance xxx         See 0088
Scholarship Fund #1   xxx xxx  
Scholarship Fund #2   xxx xxx  
Benevolence Fund   xxx xxx      See 5021
Mission Projects $1 xxx xxx xxx  
Adult Mission Trip   xxx xxx  
Various "SetASides" fr the GPFund xxx          See 0088
Special Projects xxx xxx xxx  
Mission Education  xxx      
Mission Conference xxx      
Local Outreach  xxx xxx xxx  
Adult Group #1   xxx xxx Board Approved
Adult Group #2   xxx xxx Board Approved
"Self Funded Event"  deficits             Via Annual GPFund
     are covered by the GPFund         Depart Budget

      04 - Small Publicly Supported Ministries - ECFA and ASSURORs

          I believe that Small Publically Supported Ministries - SmallMins, (those with some annual income of $500,000 or less) should demonstrate their fiscal accountability, yea, credibility, by being proposed  Associate Members  of the  E)vangelical C)ouncil for F)inancial A)ccountability, or ECFA.   Please go to   www.ecfa.eg  for more info about this Ministry.   All Ministries who belong to ECFA MUST, of course, comply with their standards.  This includes a relationship with CPA-Auditors that is expensive - especially for  SmallMins.  I maintain that ECFA should have Associate Members  that allow ASSURORs to attest to aspects of the fiscal credibility of Small Publicly Supported Ministries.  ASSURORs are less expensive as they provide qualified CPA-Auditor alternatives as set forth within  0192 and referenced in  0922.

      05 - Computerized Mission Agency Matters   

         Maybe you are a part of a  Mission Agency, or serve such a Ministry in some capacity.  In my judgment, it needs to be more "Internet Friendly" as it updates its use of applicable Computer and Internet Tools.  Below are paragraph headings of this writing:  8888.  Please go there for more details having to do with some  "Mission Agency Computerized Matters."

                                                                                SUPPOSED  FACT  PATTERN

                                                                     INTERNET CONTACT SYSTEM 

                                                                          FEATURES and THRUST

                     COMPUTER ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS AND THE "SETTLEMENT"  PROCESS                                                           

                                                                           E C C U  Credit Union 

                                                     Jim B's   OBSERVATIONS

       06 - Unique Ministry Finance Issues

    I have been around Ministry finance matter/issues for some time.  From an accounting point of view, some of these issues are odd as Ministries embrace various operational matters that are unique for Non Profit Organizations (NPOs) like Churches, Mission Organizations, Camps and Retreats and Christian Schools.
    Please Click Here for a discussion of General and Special Purpose Funds - GPFund and SPFunds - matters. A Ministry needs to function within some financial rules/regulations/policies/procedures that are responsive to their unique needs. I personally am convinced that the GPFund must be under Budget operational control and embraces these unique features:                   

>>  Reports must include income as earned - accrual basis of accounting.
>>  Reports must include expenditures as incurred/known - accrual basis of accounting.
>>  Debt Servicing expenditures - Principal and Interest payments
>>  Furniture & Equipment expenditures
>>  Does NOT include Depreciation Expense
>>  Might include SetASides transfers to SPFunds
 

    You can Click Here for perceived GAAP matters that I have divided up between that which pertains to Daily/Monthly operations and that which has a Fiscal year end only emphasis. Please also note the Internal Accrual FinFax Acctg System mentioned in the following paragraph that especially addresses accrual vs cash basis reporting issues.

     07 - Internet Accrual FinFax Accounting System 

        Let me introduce you to what I call the  Internet Accrual FinFax Accting System --  as imbedded within  0935.   The word "FinFax" is an obvious abbreviation of the term "Financial Facts"  as this system attempts to timely get all of the essential weekly information to those who should know.  We do NOT believe reporting of only your "Bank Account" activity is adequate as it does NOT provide all of said "FinFax"   - especially at "SmallMins" -  which are defined as a Ministry who handles some $500,000 or less per annum.

      08 - Self Exams 

         Be it Ministry or Personal, Self Examinations are helpful.  May I direct you to the following resources for this by type below.  For a Ministry, before you view what the  Auditor  has to share, I suggest that (it could be with your  Internal Auditor)  each one in attendance at your meeting should independently fill out a grade report like the samples below.  Be sure everyone understands the terms used, plus be also sure that poor grades are clearly understood.

            Self-Exam matters are also covered within the following links:

Non Jim B Internet Links      

>>  The AICPA NPO Audit Committee Toolkit  
>>  IRS and NPO Comments
>>  Christian Computer Magazine -  pdf
>>  Electronic Giving Programs for Churches
>>  I. R. S.  and designated gifts
>>  An alternative to creating a Private Foundation  

This Month's previous Editorial - "For What It is Worth" rendered in February 2003 :

            Small Churches and Church Business Administrators (CBA) components -- plus sharing one CBAer

Current "Ministry Finance" Truism

    ACCRUAL - a basis of accounting that reflect finances when expensed are incurred and income when earned so a Ministry has all of the known financial facts for those who should know; Go to "More than Bank Balance"  and "CASH" basis below.  Please  Click Here  and also learn about a FinFax Accrual Accounting system.
   You will find more information about Ministry Finance Truisms when you go to  0069 . 

Prayerful  Thots :
              Lord, I am so prone to "Fashion" my life after the things of this world.... help me to "Fashion" my life after you and your Word.

     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 or www.qbuxbox.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  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 QBs = Quickbooks; RPFin  = Righteous Personal Finance , SPFunds or SPFs = Special Purpose Funds

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Click Here for more JIM's JRNLs info that includes topical Indexes by year  - Contact Jim@bcidot.org 

This document was updated last on:  July 05, 2008