Church Plant Budgeting Guide

There are very few things that are simple about church planting, and budget planning isn’t one of them. Despite the tricky nature of planning a budget for an entity that has yet to exist, it is most certainly an essential task if you want a chance at succeeding.

The Framework

Developing your budget will likely be a collaborative effort between the lead pastor, church staff, an accountant, or even a church planting organization. By creating a budget that reflects your vision for the church, you all know your expectations, limits, and goal to be good stewards of your resources.

Support

Budget planning and fundraising go hand in hand. Before you begin parsing out the details of your budget, you must round up support expectations. For example, you will receive support from a core group of attendees, new attendees, special gifts, and special occasions, etc. You will have supporters who can make one-time gifts, large and small, and others who can contribute on an ongoing basis. In addition, you may find support from a parent church or other churches in your area.

In addition to your support expectations, you will also outline your expenses. Church plants have expenses that generally fall into the following categories.

Staffing

How many staff will you hire? Will they be fully supported or will they need to augment their salary somehow? Will you hire a full staff immediately or hire more as you grow? Staffing costs are ongoing.

Facilities

Most new church plants don’t have their own worship facilities or office space. It is common for new church plants to rent space for worship, such as movie theaters, schools, or community centers. Common facility costs are venue rent, office rent, and utilities. Facilities costs are ongoing.

Equipment

While equipment costs are not necessarily ongoing, it’s not an insignificant cost. Some examples of equipment purchases are office equipment, portable sound system, portable lighting system, projectors, Bibles, paper supplies, carts and cabinets, and a trailer for storage.

Outreach

Outreach expenses should start at the beginning and continue with the life of the church. They can be short-term and short-reaching expenses, or long-term and long-reaching expenses. Examples of outreach expenses are giving to missions, hosting community events, and providing community programs and services. Outreach is an ongoing cost.

Operations

Ongoing operating expenses may include things like office supplies, leadership development, and insurance. Operation costs are ongoing.

You can find a free, helpful budget tool, sample budgets and more tips at freechurchaccounting.com.

The Start of Good Stewardship

Once you create your budget, remember that good stewardship really starts with good accounting and internal controls. Set up an accounting software that is easy to use, and a protocol to control all money coming in and going out of the organization, with multiple financially minded individuals reviewing the records. I recommend Aplos Software’s church accounting software, which is specifically designed with new churches in mind and includes a budgeting app. Plus, you can try it for free, so there is really no reason not to give it a shot.

Remember, budgets help your leaders and members understand the vision and expectations. Plus, the transparency and accountability of good stewardship will improve the trust your membership has in the financial stability and integrity of the new church.

Free Recorded Webinar: Advanced Tips for Budgeting

Since churches focus on accountability rather than profitability, having a budget for your organization is crucial. But landing on the right budget for your organization may take some time and energy. During this webinar, we show you:

• Tips and tricks for creating a meaningful budget
• How to update the budget as circumstances change during the year (sometimes called a rolling forecast)
• How to report on variances in your budget