What is your role in congregational budgeting?
Pastors make three observations about their contribution to this planning process.
What is a pastor’s role in budgeting and making annual church financial plans? Interviews with 20 pastors by Teleios turned up three observations about what pastors do during number crunching time.

Impact of turbulent economy is muted
Churches may not feel the pain – yet. Twenty churches talk about the effects so far.
In times of economic turbulence, charitable giving has held fairly steady in recent history. According to Giving USA, on average, such giving only fell 1.3 percent nationally during the past five recessions which reach back to the mid-1970s.

Using budget time to discern the value of your ministries
One church shares its discernment process for determining a ministry’s fate.
Is it time to pull the plug on a ministry or committee in your congregation? A program once full of energy and vision has slowed to a crawl. Only an echo remains. But memories and emotions about the ministry swirl like a cloud around decisions on its future.

Resource reserve
Important budgeting topics and resources for you and your finance committee.

What’s new at MMA

• Seven things young adults need to know about money
  A new faith-based presentation for college-age youth on how to use money in responsible ways. Email MMA’s church relations office for information.

• Retirement planning for pastors
  Email MMA’s church relations office to learn about our new retirement seminars specifically for pastors. Consider Mennonite Retirement Trust to help you and church staff save for retirement. (For primarily Mennonite Church USA)

• Creation Care: Keepers of the Earth
  Encourage your congregation to care for God’s creation with this new book
  especially for Sunday school or small group study use. Read more.