10 Guiding Financial Principles

I saw this over at
kluth.org:

The following 10 church policies and principles were developed by
Brian Kluth and the church elders for use at Harvest Community
Church:

Preamble

At the church leadership meeting on January 6th, the following
written financial policies and principles were approved. Although many of
these guidelines have been informally in place for several years, we felt
it was important for new attendees/members to understand the following
financial principles that provide a solid foundation that guides our
churches attitudes and actions in financial matters.

PRIMARY SOURCE OF CHURCH INCOME: Harvest Community Church is
dependent on God through the faithful and generous tithes and offerings
of God’s people to underwrite the church’s ministry, missions, building
and benevolence needs.

The rest of it can be found
here but I have copied the content below because it’s so good, I don’t want to lose it if the original site ever goes offline.

10 Guiding Financial Principles

The following 10 church policies and principles were developed by Brian Kluth and the church elders for use at Harvest Community Church:

Preamble

At the church leadership meeting on January 6th, the following written financial policies and principles were approved. Although many of these guidelines have been informally in place for several years, we felt it was important for new attendees/members to understand the following financial principles that provide a solid foundation that guides our churches attitudes and actions in financial matters.

1 PRIMARY SOURCE OF CHURCH INCOME

Harvest Community Church is dependent on God through the faithful and generous tithes and offerings of God’s people to underwrite the church’s ministry, missions, building and benevolence needs.

2 MISSIONS GIVING

Harvest Community Church commits a minimum of 10% or more of Sunday offerings to God’s work in our world, country and community. The church has a Missions Committee and formal guidelines to review all mission requests. Harvest will accept designated missions gifts from individuals in the church that can be passed along to any Christian 501©3 non-profit organization.

3 FINANCIAL BIBLE TEACHING & GIVING POLICY

Harvest Community Church will teach Biblical financial and giving principles through Bible studies, seminars, sermons, etc.. The goal of this teaching will be to help people become financially free in their lives in order to serve and honor God more fully and faithfully. To help encourage people to become faithful and generous givers to the Lord’s work (see Malachi 3:8-10), Harvest will offer a 90-day money back guarantee* for anyone who begins to give 10% or more of their income to the Lord’s work and within 90 days regrets this decision.

• Anyone who begins tithing (giving 10% or more of their income to the Lord’s work) and who within 90 days regrets this decision or feels they have not experienced God’s help in their finances, can request within the 90 days a refund of any monies documented on their church giving statement that were given during this “90 day tithing test period.” Monies given before the 90 days, money given after the 90 days, tangible assets, and undocumented cash gifts cannot be refunded.

4 FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Because Harvest Community Church is dependent on God through the faithful and generous support of God’s people, Harvest discourages the use of fundraising events (banquets, bazaars, carnivals, festivals, bingo, craft sales, candy sales, product sales, raffles, fish fries, etc.) to help meet the church’s financial needs.

5 QUARTERLY GIVING STATEMENTS & FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Harvest Community Church will send quarterly giving statements with church financial, missions, benevolence and/or other financial information and helps to encourage people’s faithful and cheerful giving to the Lord’s work at HCC.

6 METHODS OF GIVING

Harvest Community Church will encourage people’s generous giving by allowing them to faithfully give through whatever means is most helpful to them (examples: Sunday offerings, giving envelopes, mail-in envelopes, stock transfers, gifts of appreciated assets and investments, automatic check withdrawal electronic fund transfers, gifts in kind, etc.). The church will abide by all IRS donation regulations.

7 OVERSIGHT BY A CPA

Harvest Community Church will have a CPA involved in overseeing the church’s financial policies and procedures.

8 BENEVOLENCE GIVING

Harvest Community Church will have a benevolence program that will help people that are attending our church. Help will come in the following ways (depending on available resources, finances and individuals to give financial counsel):

• One-time financial assistance of up to $100 (must be approved by an HCC pastor).
• Needs assessment by a financial counselor from the church.
• Partial assistance with short-term food needs.
• Financial Bible studies and debt counseling.
• Vocational and career testing and guidance.
• Possible greater assistance (dependent on needs assessment, financial counseling, and participation in church financial teaching).

Harvest Community Church will semi-regularly conduct food drives for people in our community who need help. Normally this food will be channeled through an existing ministry that works with the poor and needy in our community.

9 BUILDING PROJECTS & CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

Harvest Community Church will seek to meet its larger financial needs (building projects, equipment, vehicles, land, etc.) through communicating the plans and needs to God’s people and other individuals through letters, presentations, campaigns, visits, etc.. Harvest will accept designated gifts for board-approved building projects or major expenditures. In a desire to experience God’s divine direction and provisions for HCC, the church desires not to use bank mortgages or bonds to meet the church’s capital needs. With board approval, Harvest has accepted financial help of some no-interest loans to help with needed building construction and renovation projects.

10 FINANCIAL RECORDS AND REPORTS

Harvest Community Church will annually communicate its general income and expenses at the congregational meeting in a summary pie chart format. Detailed financial statements will be available at the end of the congregational meeting for anyone who would like a copy. Any individual who would like to review the church’s financial records or would like to ask detailed financial questions is always welcome to schedule an appointment with the church treasurer at anytime.