Outsourcing: There is No Free Option
The cost of doing church business operations yourself or through volunteers doesn’t always show up in a financial report. But those costs are real and they can distract you and even keep you from the ministry you love. Auxilio is an excellent solution to meet that need and free you up for your calling.
Imagine you’re planting a church (some of you don’t have to imagine!). You’re gathering a team of people around you and planning for all the parts that really get your imagination singing: meeting new people, getting the word out about your new church, sharing the gospel, holding bible studies, developing leaders, designing worship services and front facing communication pieces like the website, and on and on and on. And oh yeah, figure out how to accept donations, become legal and keep the books.
Or perhaps you’re a growing church and you’ve hit that tipping point where the gifts and skills available within your church don’t quite meet the expertise needed to handle your business operations which are growing in scale and complexity.
The need to manage church business operations (bookkeeping, donation processing, HR, legal compliance and data infrastructure) is inevitable. In fact, it’s there on day one. As you grow, so will the work of managing these operations. In fact, their complexity is compounded year upon year.
Typical Approaches to Managing Church Operations
As we talk with church planters and pastors, we’ve identified three typical approaches to church business operations. We’ll take a look at them in order from least to most effective:
I can figure it out. Church planters tend to be entrepreneurial by nature. But most pastors aren’t suited, trained or experienced in this type of work. Nor are the church business operations the best use of their time, energy and focus.
I'll get some volunteers. Much like the first, there’s a sentiment in this approach that is admirable. It’s right to equip the body and use the gifts God has provided. But often, the specific gift set you need isn’t present in your church and you’re making do with well-intentioned volunteers who may have some of the attributes and knowledge set you need (He likes math and is trustworthy! She’s very detailed-oriented and faithful, etc.) but not the experience or expertise.
I'll outsource. Some churches have chosen to call upon the gifts that exist in the broader Church to meet their operational needs. If this seems strange, consider that outsourcing is a practice that is normalized in other areas of church ministry such as:
Elder Boards: Many church plants have elder boards that are made up of elders from their sending church or beyond and not just their church plant where those gifts may not yet be developed or revealed.
Musical Worship: If you don’t have skilled volunteers in your congregation, you don’t think, “Hmm, I guess I’ll have to learn to play guitar!” Hiring skilled musicians and worship leaders is a standard practice these days.
Local Ministry Partners: From crisis pregnancy centers to affordable housing ministries, churches often partner with other non-profits in areas that reflect the church’s mission.
Churches need that same level of skill and expertise in their business operations. Yes, outsourcing costs money but there really is no “free” option. The cost of either doing it yourself or turning it over to volunteers may not be financial. But it may cost you time, focus, energy, clarity, accuracy, etc. It may cost you the confidence of your congregation in how their gifts are being stewarded. It may distract you or even keep you from exercising the pastoral shepherding you are called to. Not having the right help in any area of church life can be costly and can create undue burdens and even obstacles to ministry. Church business operations have that same potential if not handled properly.
Outsourcing Options
There are three approaches to outsourcing your church’s business operations. They include:
Project-based. Even if you are not looking for on-going services, using consulting services can be a great way to set your church up with operational systems and procedures that will set a solid foundation and a path forward. Consider hiring experts to build the infrastructure of your church operations for you or others to carry out.
A La Carte Services. There are several companies who provide single or a la carte services of bookkeeping, HR, legal, and data consulting. These can be a good option if you’ve got complimentary gifts and experience for the remaining pieces already in your congregation.
Full-Service. By outsourcing your church’s entire business operations to Auxilio, you ensure consistency and continuity throughout your business practices. By bundling these services together, you maximize on the value, efficiency, gifts and experience provided. This approach also reduces the amount of communication required by you to keep all the facets informed and the system working well.
Benefits to Full-Service Outsourcing with Auxilio
Auxilio takes this full-service approach because we believe it is the best way for us to serve your church and for you to benefit most fully from our service. By outsourcing your church’s business operations in full to Auxilio, you will:
Invest in Quality. Auxilio provides you with a dedicated team of experienced, skilled workers who have expertise in church business operations. You’ll receive focused attention, quick turnaround times, transparency, clear and accurate reporting and a growing confidence in how your church finances and operations are being managed.
Build it right, from the beginning. On a voyage, if your trajectory is off even a tiny bit at the beginning, the further you go, the further off course you are. Church business operations can be much the same. It takes longer to fix problems and undo mistakes that have been compounded over time than it takes to set up and maintain a good system from scratch.
Build for scale. Auxilio will design your systems to not only work well together but to grow as you grow. Whether you’re a new church plant or mature church, Auxilio can recommend solutions that will meet your current needs and your needs for the years to come.
We’d welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the service Auxilio provides. Auxilio Partners go well beyond processing transactions. Auxilio aims to be a trusted partner, well-informed about your community, plans and needs so that we can regularly pray for your church or organization and provide expert advice and strategic planning. If you’d like to learn more, contact us at hello@auxilio.partners. We’d be happy to put you in touch with some of our clients as well so you can hear from their perspective the benefits of outsourcing.