One of the biggest issues I see on the operations side of church staff across the country is a fixation on short-term costs. I have been in church leadership for decades, and believe me, I know that churches are NOT swimming in money. That being said, the church needs to function. So why are so many churches traumatized when a big expense hits unexpectedly? Because they weren’t ready for it.
Here’s the problem: short-term bias is often built into the system. Church leaders look at budgets and realize that there’s not enough money for all the things that they want to do (just like everyone’s personal budgets). They don’t want to cut programs – or staff – and just keeping the lights on costs money. So the dollars are overwhelmingly spent in those areas.
But here’s the harsh reality: Churches meet in buildings and ministries require stuff and stuff wears out. A computer is not like a desk. You don’t buy it and then buy a new one 50 years later. You know that the HVAC system is eventually going to break down. You know that the roof will need work at some point. You know that the parking lot will need to be repainted (and eventually resurfaced).
So, what to do? A certain percentage of budget put aside for capital items each year is a great start, and many churches do that. But it’s easy to spend that on mid-priced items (like computers), leaving nothing for the big-dollar expenses. I would suggest a “retirement schedule.” Look at the average lifespan of a computer, and put enough aside for its replacement at that point. But do the same for HVAC, the roof, the parking lot, etc… – and put guardrails in place so that the temptation to spend when an innovative ministry idea pops up doesn’t overwhelm reason.
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