Managing a church involves more than it appears on the surface. You’ll need to work on managing multiple functions which were in place before your appointment to the position or developed under your guidance. Take a close look at what systems you might need to implement in addition to what you’re already doing. Here are a couple of systems where you might want to make some changes.
- Accounting
The finances of the church are in your hands, and members of the congregation and god trust you to handle the responsibility. Utilize a system of checks and balances to keep financial matters in order and ensure you know where every dollar comes in and goes out. Two people should always be present when counting the offering and the individual who reconciles bank statements should be someone besides the two people responsible for counting the offering. These changes reduce the chances of fraud and keep finances in order.
- Facilities
Owning a church takes maintenance to remain in optimal condition. A few processes to look into include- Regular cleaning and maintenance of the HVAC system
- Cleaning and landscaping on a continuous basis
- Fixing cracks or holes in the pavement
- Monitoring the condition of the roof
- Replacing old and frayed carpet or cracked flooring
- Risk Management
It’s frightening to think about bad things happening to the church, but you need to be prepared if something does happen. Consider these risk management procedures to reduce the chances of something detrimental happening:- Obtain an updated church insurance quote for adequate protections on the building and its contents
- Conduct background checks on individuals with positions involving money or children
- Create an emergency response plan for fire, attacks, or other natural disasters
- Regularly back up important files and data
- Information technology
Technology is part of our lives more and more. Maintain how you use technology by:- Creating a solid church network
- Store data in a safe place
- Obtain licenses as needed for software programs on a regular basis
- Project management
Churches work on multiple projects through the year. Implement a church management system to handle event hosting and programs. Establish who will be managing each project, how the project will move forward, and use options such as Basecamp, Trello, or Asana to help team members coordinate.
Keep these implementation idea for systems in mind when thinking of how to enhance your ministry.
