Budget is Not a Four Letter Word

At this time of year, businesses start working on their budgets for next year. Families start thinking about the possibilities that will come with the new year. It is no different for the church. We must develop a budget and a plan for the next year.

You might prefer to call it a “spending plan” rather than a budget. The first thing that must be determined with any spending plan is how much you have to spend. There is a big difference here between the church’s spending plan and your plan at home. The only way we can guess what our income will be is to depend on the congregation telling us what they plan to contribute. Naturally, economic conditions can change for families – sometimes for the good and sometimes not so good. Our prayer is that those who prosper more than expected make up for those who have fallen on bad times.

The spending side of a budget is the easier part for church budgets because we always know what we have been spending in each category. However, the ministry leaders of an active and alive church like Pleasant Ridge always plan to make each year better. This often requires more funding. You can be assured than any “extra” received will be put to good use.

Please prayerfully consider your planned giving for 2010. God commands us to do lots of things. He always knows what is best for us. Someone once said, “Giving is not God’s way of raising money; it is God’s way of raising people into the likeness of His Son.”