I was a visitor at a worship service several months ago, and among the announcements in the bulletin was this line:

Received last week: $2,238.53
Needed each week: $2,750.00

After the service, I asked a member of the congregation if that deficit announcement was unusual. She said, “No, we’re always behind.” I was shocked to hear this from her.

If you publish this kind of announcement in your church bulletin, or even in the monthly newsletter, please try to get it eliminated. Why? It creates a negative image and does nothing to increase offerings.

Dividing the annual budget by 52 Sundays just gives inaccurate information, particularly during low attendance months. Neither income nor expenditures are exactly the same over the course of the year. Members wonder how they can see a deficit all year and then the deficit miraculously goes away at the beginning of the next year.

How, then, can we improve the image of and adequately report the financial status of a congregation? The amount received can be reported along with a sentence or two about a ministry that offerings help support. I also recommend giving updates in quarterly financial statements rather than bulletins or newsletters for the whole world to see. If I am looking for a new church home, I’m not going to be inclined to join a congregation that advertises it’s in debt.

Transparency is important, so financial statements prepared for council meetings can also be made available for those who are curious or have a need to know about the details of how the money comes and goes. I also recommend to finance committees who absolutely obsess about “being behind” to go to individuals and ask them to make up the perceived “deficit,” beginning with members of the finance committee. That usually gets them off that subject.