Does your church have a policies and procedures manual?

Every congregation should have a detailed policy manual to ensure that the services the church provides are consistent with its mission. The policy manual should be reviewed and updated at least every other year.

When I was pastoring, it seemed like every month, we were confronting requests for financial assistance from people within the congregation.

Thank goodness we had policies in place to help us navigate these requests.

One of the most contentious issues church leaders face involves how to respond with love and consistency to financial requests from well-intended members.

Why policies matter

Having policies in place is especially important when there is turnover of leadership. When practices are written down, we can avoid the appearance of favoritism or mismanagement that can happen if we make decisions based on sentimentality.

Below is a list of topics covered on one of our most important but least utilized webpages. I encourage you to visit this site and become acquainted with all that’s available for your church.

The documents on our website are templates you can adapt to fit your own congregational culture and context. Check with a local accountant if you have questions about your state’s requirements related to ideas that may have tax or legal implications.

Church finance manual

Some of the topics on this webpage include:

• Developing a stewardship team.
• Implementing a stewardship ministry.
• The benefit of a year-round congregation stewardship plan.
• Online giving recommendations.
• Church information management systems: software options for the church office.
• Financial literacy options for church members.
• Financial policy templates

Scrolling down on this same webpage, you’ll find templates to help you develop your own polices related to a number of practical issues congregations confront.

Policies help keep requests from becoming personal when church members ask for exceptions to current practices. Here are a few of the topics addressed:

• Responding to requests for above-budget fundraising.
• Designated giving best practices.
• Encouraging and managing bequests to the church.
• Endowments: Are they right for your congregation?
• Education assistance programs for K-12 and college students.
• Short-term mission assistance
• Pastoral salary guidelines.
• Do’s and don’ts for how we handle offerings.