Budgeting: Best estimate or Vision Casting Opportunity?

Many Auxilio clients are in the midst of budget preparation in anticipation of their July 1 fiscal year start. As they consider how to shape their financial road map for the coming year, what’s the best way to approach budgeting? Is a budget a best estimate of income and a breakdown of how it should be spent? What if instead, you considered a budget a vision casting tool for your congregation or nonprofit?

Are there strategic investments your church or nonprofit could make to grow your ministry? Maybe it’s hiring a youth pastor, starting a new outreach, or purchasing or renovating in a building? If God is calling your church or nonprofit to do it, He will provide. He might provide the needed resources without you even asking but often God brings himself glory by stretching and growing our faith. What does a vision casting approach to the budgeting process look like? How do you begin? Here are a few steps to consider:

1. Pray and Discover: Ask God to give you a vision - HIS vision. Ask Him to reveal His plans for your church or nonprofit for the next year, the next 3-5 years, or more. Ask Him for wisdom and guidance. Confess our lack of faith, imagination and understanding of His greatness. When you discern a call, test that call with other leaders. Refine and define it. 

2. Trust and Prepare: If you and your leadership feel God is calling you to something that is beyond your current resources, trust that God will provide all you need. Determine what it will cost and include these costs in your budget. You can do this in a way that is both faith-filled and wise (i.e. not running ahead before God provides). For example, you can wait to begin acting on the new call until a certain percentage of funds are available or until other criteria are met that ensure stewardship of resources.

3. Call Others and Cast a Vision: Begin communicating early to your congregation or nonprofit donors about the call God has placed on your church or nonprofit, the mission (the why) behind it, and the sacrifice and work it may take. Invite them to pray regularly about it and the decisions that are being made. By the time they see a proposed budget, your members should expect to see the costs reflected there and should understand the costs and the goals behind them. A majority of members should be committed and excited to support it. 

4. Communicate and Celebrate: Keep the call before your congregation. Keep praying! Keep your members engaged and well informed. Celebrate milestones and point out fruit along the way, always giving the praise to God. Milestones are important, as big goals are often not met in short time frames. God’s timing is not our timing. Be on the lookout for how God is moving.

5. Implement and Tell the Story: When you are able to put the resources to use and implement the call, continue to tell the story of God’s provision. Encourage others to share how this journey has stretched and shaped their faith. Give thanks often and regularly and seek to be good stewards of the call God gave you and for which he equipped you.

Auxilio encourages clients to make talking about finances a regular part of your church or organization’s life. Often we wait until there is a shortfall in our budget to communicate a financial need. Creating a regular plan for communicating on finances will allow you to both celebrate God's provision and share about needs, whatever the current financial reality. 

Talk to your Auxilio Partner Strategist about a vision casting approach and/or a regular plan for communicating about finances. What might God be able to do through your church or nonprofit if you trust him with your budget process?