communicating the life-changing message that happens weekly in church is not only important , but also attracts additional congregants . So far , I haven ’ t heard of a church that didn ’ t want to include more people , save more souls , and grow more tithers .
3 . THE FULL MEAL DEAL In this proposal , it ’ s extremely important to be thorough , to include everything you really need to finish the job , well . This isn ’ t an opportunity to add over-the-top desires . However , it ’ s important to be thorough .
This is the time to share that wonderful comment , “ If we really want to do this right , this is the way we should go .” Don ’ t expect to just use that comment and not get questioned . You should go into this stage with complete knowledge about everything in your proposal , what it will do to better the ministry at your church , and what it will cost . Also , be prepared to answer questions about the value in choosing this proposal .
Like I mentioned previously , most people who are on church council ’ s and finance committees have had their own business experience and they ’ ve had their own experiences making good and bad purchasing decisions . They ’ ll understand that there ’ s a difference between the right way and the way that you might be able to afford . In my experience , this third level of proposal is often what your church will authorize . They might need to move forward in faith because their budget will need it , or they might have room in the budget and realize that doing a job well the first time is better than spreading it out .
BE EMOTIONALLY PREPARED Make your budget proposals sincere and brutally honest . Be prepared for acceptance of the bare-bones approach . That might be what you get . If you ’ ve gone into your budget presentation having done your homework and are well-informed about every aspect of your presentation , there ’ s a good chance that you ’ ll realize a satisfying outcome . I found in budget presentations that , when I am very prepared and have presented three viable solutions to the problem , I can walk away satisfied with whatever results I see from the church . Everybody ’ s intentions are honorable , and everybody involved wants nothing more than to provide a better experience for those who attend your church .
At the very least , budget presentations cultivate the ground for future budget presentations . What you say about your needs and the solutions you propose will not be forgotten by your pastor , counsel , and finance committee . Sometimes , one of them will even approach you later with specific questions about ways they can help you get prepared for the next presentation . Also , in your church ’ s annual budget development , the planners are likely to include your request for the coming year .
No matter what , take the results of your presentation with an excellent attitude that appreciates the thoughts , prayers and experiences of the people who heard your presentation . Church is a long game and there ’ s plenty of time to get things right if you maintain a respectful and pleasant attitude .
A PHASED BUDGET Enter your budget presentation meeting expecting that you might need to salvage what you can out of the process . If the money just isn ’ t there to accomplish any of your budget needs , be ready to present a budget that has multiple phases over a longer period of time , such as six months , a year , two years , or five years . When you make a phased budget presentation you are speaking the love language of most people who geek out over finances and spreadsheets . Rather than walking out empty-handed , you can easily walk out with a plan to accomplish everything in your full meal deal plan , over a longer period of time than you ’ d like , but still you ’ ll be encouraged that there ’ s a plan to accomplish your vision . In the grand scheme of things , phasing your plan in over a few years is financially prudent and exciting .
If you ’ ve worked with a professional designer for a larger scale project at your church , they can be very helpful in developing phases to accomplish a job . They ’ ll know what ’ s most important to start with , they ’ ll know the components that are most cost-effective to install , and they ’ ll know the most efficient order for installation . It ’ s the system designer ’ s job to save you more money than they charge you . That ’ s the only way they can get a good reference from you and continue to provide their service for others .
SUMMARY There are a lot of important considerations in this article . I ’ ve had to cut myself off ( stop writing ) because I could go on and on about various approaches to building a budget for different ministries around your church . The most important part about building a budget is to approach it prayerfully and with a heart that longs to use donated resources very wisely . Everything should be about creating a system that presents worship and the sermon in the very best possible way , understanding that a system that doesn ’ t communicate well to the congregation can cause missed opportunities for souls to be saved .
I sincerely hope that this article has given you some thoughts and ideas about how to put together a budget presentation . This is a very important and necessary process and the way you go about it can make all the difference in the results you see .
Bill Gibson Teacher at Berklee College of Music Online , content creator for LinkedIn Learning , and author of more than forty books and videos about live sound and studio recording . Most recent book releases : The Ultimate Live Sound Operator ’ s Handbook , 3rd Edition , and The First 50 Recording Techniques You Should Know to Track Music . He also recently self-published an eBook / Audiobook combo called Stream Great-Sounding Audio : Guide for Streaming Church Services and Other Events .
BillGibsonCourses . com