A complete guide to church finance and stewardship for congregations of all sizes
Packed with guidelines, tools, worksheets, and biblically sound strategies for pastors, treasurers, trustees, finance and stewardship chairs and committees. This book introduces basic financial vocabulary and offers concrete help for creating a church budget; understanding financial sustainability, the role of reserves, the importance of personal and congregational stewardship; communicating financial needs; generating money for mission, income planning, and projection; and developing strategies for appeals and campaigns, risk and liability issues, and much more. Includes reproducible pages with worksheets and sample policies.
"I have frequently been asked to teach on stewardship in areas where Bonnie Marden has been coaching local churches. These opportunities allowed me not just a chance to teach but a chance to learn from Bonnie. Her insights into financial stewardship and mission have been spot on for years. This book is a compilation of what she has been doing most of her life. It is a resource every church should use and grow from. I can assure you that you will be better for it. "
--J. Clif Christopher, author of God vs Money, President of Horizons Stewardship
"Wow. This is the useful and comprehensive 'textbook' offering a 360-degree approach to local church finances for congregations of all sizes. From cover to cover, practical church financial management and stewardship information, templates to customize, and useful guidance for finance, stewardship, and trustee committees, pastors and treasurers.
--Sheri M. Altland, United Methodist Communications Foundation, and UMC Campaign Director for Imagine No Malaria
"Having served as a Minister of Administration & Finance prior to my appointment as president of the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina, I have lived the daily challenges of church finances. For this reason, I am grateful for Bonnie Marden's book. It provides a comprehensive yet practical presentation of need-to-know terminology, processes and procedures that are sure to make the work of the local church stewardship leader more complete. In addition, Bonnie incorporates the theological purpose behind the work of the financial leader in the church. This is important because it emphasizes that our work IS God's work! Business principles apply, yet at the end of the day we are about ministry. Bonnie's book is a must for anyone--lay or clergy--who wish to have a more complete understanding of the finances of a church."
--David A. Snipes, President, United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina, Inc.
"Church Finances for Missional Leaders is packed with guidelines, tools, worksheets, and strategies that will help pastors and lay leadership better understand terminology and best principles and practices for giving and stewarding. You'll refer to this book again and again as you encourage faithful generosity in your congregation all year long."
--Marcia Shetler, Executive Director/CEO, Ecumenical Stewardship Center
"Pastors and lay leaders will benefit greatly from this fine, new resource! Bonnie Marden has given stewardship committees a book to read, pastors a reference work to consult, and lay leaders an imaginative collection to study. Here is help for missional leaders, looking for best practices in stewardship. What shines through the whole book is a sense of gratitude, of goodness, and of generosity, all of which bring inspiration and encouragement."
--Robert Allan Hill, Dean of Marsh Chapel, Boston University
Bonnie Ives Marden is a leadership consultant and financial stewardship practitioner. Providing stewardship education through multiple United Methodist Foundations, she also served as the Imagine No Malaria Campaign Coordinator for the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church.
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