Budget Nuts 'n' bolts

I finally got the first draft of a completed budget done for The Loop. It's based on percentages, rather than actual numbers, since at this point I have no idea what our "income" for this year will be.

When I looked for "help" out on the web, I was surprised to find that almost all the helps for setting up a church budget were not very helpful! They started with all kinds of assumptions that don't pertain to us. EARLY priorities were things like: "Rent an office." Hmmm... not part of the plan. "Moving expense for the church planting pastor." Nope, don't need that. One website said "staff salaries could be greater than $100,000." I'm still laughing about that one.

So... instead of basing a budget off of all these suggestions, I started with a blank piece of paper. What is on the heart of God that should be reflected in a budget?

I found the answer in an unexpected place. I've been reading chronologically through the portions of the Old Testament that go from the beginning of the captivity (the book of Daniel) through the end of the Old Testament (Malachi). In Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi, God has alot to say to the people about what to do with their giving. THIS is where I started for putting together a budget, rather than the suggestions that are "out there." I'm not sure how with will play out in the long run, but it gave me a good place to start!