Customer Reviews

Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders

5 star:		(6)
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This book cuts to the chase! This will help you with the proper mindset for money in the church. Then help you prepare a simple budget. Most churches get too detailed on budgets that confused the congregation and really helps no one on the committee. Stay simple and clear. Also this book gives some great ideas on Capital Campaigns that are worth the price of the book. Get this book today... help you church be better financially tomorrow!

Just finished Money Matters in Church by Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Stroope. I read it for two reasons, one, it was assigned in my lead pastor coaching network and, two, for help in an upcoming series at Revolution.

It is by far the most helpful and thorough book on the topic of money, stewardship and the church I have come across. Malphurs is a professor, so he brings with him a host of knowledge on the theological end of the spectrum when it comes to this topic and Stroope is a pastor of a growing church that is able to help apply the concepts in easy ways for pastors and leaders to use.

The book covers topics like what stewardship is, what the Bible has to say about money, how a church chooses a bank, good banking habits, creating a strategic budget, funding new facilities and ministries, paying staff members, how a church chooses what benefits to pay for, how to deal with debt and how to run a capital campaign from beginning to end.

Like I said, thorough.

They actually leave nothing out when it comes to this topic. What makes the book so helpful is that most pastors, unless they have a business background have very little clue on how to do this aspect of a church. Yet, it is incredibly important. Without money, a church will die very quickly. While most people don't want to hear that, it is reality and something that more leaders need to think about.

For me, as a lead pastor I have the tension that as the leader of Revolution (along with the staff and elders) I am responsible to God and will be held accountable for how money is used at Revolution. I am held responsible for how we use the resources that God entrusts to us. These resources are not only valuable because of where they come from but also for what they will be used for. They can't be wasted. Too much is at stake.

I think the parable is not only true for individuals but is also true for churches. God entrusts more to churches who can handle more. It is that simple. When it comes to people, resources, finances, if we will waste them, why would God give us more of them?

This book was a great reminder of some things, as well as something I got a ton out of. I highlighted so much as we are thinking through some of the policies they talked about in the book. Definitely worth picking up and passing off to your financial team (which I've done).
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This book fills a giant hole in church leadership books - how to handle money, increase giving and raise big dollars for big projects. Co-author Steve Stroope is my mentor and friend, but he and Aubrey Malphrs deliver the goods in this book. This book is the best book I've read on church stewardship since Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn.

High praises for this book. This practical guide covers dozens of considerations that I wish were specifically addressed in Seminary. One of the rarely stated facts that many pastors face is the lack of exposure to some of the practical aspects of "overseeing" a ministry. Truthfully, most of us pastors are self-trained in areas of finance, campaigns, and budgeting as we work through the challenges of ministry on our own. Unfortunately, though I learned many great things in Seminary from an incredible faculty, some things like these were rarely discussed.

The authors walk a reader through a well-rounded approach to financial management (stewardship) in the church. From requiring the pastor to develop and articulate his own theology of stewardship, to structure of committees, boards, budgets, and planning for capital expenditures. Particularly helpful were the subjects that are on many leaders' minds but are difficult to bring up in conversation without sounding "ungrateful" or "self-serving," like compensation, budgeting, management of day-to-day ministry expenditures and so forth.

I intend to provide a copy of this book to my key leaders and take my own finance team through a study of these principles. In many ways, I think it will prove to be affirming to our current practices while also providing opportunity to consider areas for improvement and implementation.

I would strongly recommend it to every pastor and key staff leader who are involved with finances. Some might criticize the focus on such subjects while proclaiming that if we all just "love Jesus" everything else will work out. While dependence on God's guidance through the Holy Spirit and His Word are of primary importance, I believe that God can use this book to aid pastors in developing a culture of stewardship among God's people.

There is a lot of helpful material on church finances in this book for pastors, assistant pastors, deacons, treasurers, and other church leaders. It is divided into three parts: (1) "Creating a Culture of Giving"; (2) "Managing Your Kingdom Resources"; and (3) "Conducting a Capital Campaign." Some of the chapters within the three parts contain detailed, practical suggestions, including on developing donors and even building a relationship with a bank. Many recommendations are tied to Scriptural references. A few faults: some of the chapters (e.g., the one on taxes) are thrown in without a lot of substance; some of the chapters are wishy-washy on good practice (i.e., some churches do this, some do that, and you'll just have to decide); though the authors profess to have pastored small churches in their careers, the book is largely geared to large churches, or even "mega-churches" (e.g., some recommendations assume that many people will be available to assume particular roles, whereas in small-to-medium sized churches the people who could otherwise fulfill those roles are busy engaged in the church's other ministries); and parts of the book seem merely a build-up to Part 3 on capital campaigns (both authors provide consulting services to churches conducting capital campaigns). That said, the book is written and organized well, and leaders dealing with finances in churches will glean wisdom from it.

This is an essential book for pastors and church leaders. Every pastor needs this book in his library. This book should be kept close at hand. Buy copies to give away to other pastors, especially those in their first full-time ministry positions. The wisdom within these pages will prevent all kinds of grief and will provide resources to fund ministries that change lives.

I appreciate the practicality of the book, as well as the appendix on "A Theology of Financial Stewardship", but find the former draws on the latter much less than one would expect in a book written for evangelicals. Examples:

Chapter 2 implies the a gift's size indicates the donor's level of sacrifice and potential gift of contributing. This does not harmonize with the parable of the Widow's Mite (cf., Luke 21:1-4).

Chapter 5 implies a ministry's "return on investment" is the financial gifts it elicits rather than the glory it brings to God (cf., e.g., Psalm 86:9).

Chapter 6 implies that normal giving need not be sacrificial by distinguishing capital campaigns as a time for people to "give sacrificially (above and beyond their normal giving) to the church" (p. 144). It also gives no biblical basis for a capital campaign. Such a basis usually invokes the dubious parallel of the Old Testament's temple with a local church's meeting house (rather than with Jesus and, by faith in him, the Church herself, cf., Beale's The Temple and the Church's Mission).

A great comprehensive guide to money and the church. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion on tithing theology. Many of the principles carry over, I only wish it had more from the perspective of the small church.

Wow! I really need to pass this book along to the leadership in my current church, but I think I would be looked down upon for being so bold.

Mr. Malphurs presents a good argument for Christian stewardship. Unfortunately, he is of a more conservative (read fundamentalist) persuasion than I am. Quoting a blizzard of scripture qsuotes does NOT prove a point. It is like using UPPER CASE to STRESS a point. The argument's cogency depends on the strength of the arguments, not the prooftexts cited. Unfortunately he makes far more use of the latter and too few of the former. Still and all, it is a good read for the busy minister who is constantly bombarded by a church board complaining constantly (or so it seems) about lowered givings and straitened circumstances. This book clearly lays out the difference betwen mere fund-raising. Unfortunately his arguments are buttressed, far too much, in my opinion, by prooftexts rather than solid debating points. Still, for many churches, this book could be a real God-send in more ways than one.

(Rev.) Gordon M. Craig, B.A., B.D., S.T.M.