One thing that you cannot afford to ignore as a Senior Leader, is the finances of your church.
I know people will tell you the church is not a business, it is a hospital. However, let me ask you a question. What does it take to run a hospital? It takes a trained medical staff and money.
Here are a few things that I've learned (sometimes the hard way) the past few years as a Senior Pastor.
1. Don't be afraid to talk and teach about money.
It is not our job as pastors to get people to give money to the church. It is our job as pastors to help people begin experience the freedom that comes from loving the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, strength, as well as loving their neighbor as themselves.
There's not much more in this world that has the potential to ruin a persons heart than money. Because of this, scripture has much to say about money and how we steward it. Even though people get funny when you talk about money, love them enough to talk about and teach biblical truths on this topic on a regular basis.
2. Help people get out of debt.
One of the biggest reasons people don't give toward Gods kingdom is, they think they cannot afford it. Most people are so bogged down with debt they are living check to check and totally stressed out at the end of every month. I don't know that God has called everyone to be rich, however, I do know that God wants his children to have peace in their heart.
As a shepherd it is our job to lead people to the green pastures and still waters that God offers their soul. You need to lead them out of financial depression and into financial peace.
Besides teaching on financial stewardship in your messages, might I suggest you make Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class a small group option for you church. This class does not help people get rich, it helps people become free from the mental bondage of bad thinking in their finances.
Here is a link to FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY
3. Have someone more gifted than you handle the church finances.
As the Pastor you need to have a strong handle on the finances of the church, however, to do that you don't have to handle the finances of the church.
One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is have someone in your church that understands finances, how they work, and how to steward them well take care of the weekly details of your church budget and finances.
Just because you are the best speaker in your church does not mean you are the best at handling money, so get a trusted team trained up, and release them to do what they do best, so you can do what you do best.
4. Be faithful with the small.
This topic is so BIG that I will save the details for another blog. But, here is the bottom line; if you can't be faithful with stewarding and stretching $5,000 per month in offerings, you will never be able to steward $100,000 per month. So take care of the little, and God will trust you with more.
Click the links below for two books that have really helped me. I know they will help you as well.
The Blessed Life - Pastor Robert Morris
The Blessed Church - Pastor Robert Morris