Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

April is financial literacy month and to help your congregation, we offer five resources to help get you started with the basics. Please share this digest with your parish leadership and extend an invitation to subscribe to ECF Vital Practices to receive Vestry Papers and the monthly digest.

1. Knowledge is Power
Knowledge is Power provides an accessible summary of key provisions in Canon 7: The Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs.

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2. Basics of Parish Finance
Basics of Parish Finance offers a broad overview of the most important aspects of parish finance and how your parish can improve in this vital aspect of its mission.

3. L.E.A.D.E.R. - The Mission Driven Budget
Use the L.E.A.D.E.R. - The Mission Driven Budgettool to invite your congregation to think about the 'why' behind the ministries you engage in and use this information to help build a budget congruent with your parish's mission.

4. Audits: A necessity, not an option
Audits: A necessity, not an option shares what the key functions of a church audit are and the differences between doing an internal and external audit.

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5. What About Endowment Spending Policies?
What About Endowment Spending Policies?explains the difference between the two most common spending policies, an “income-only” policy or a “total return” policy, and why it matters to your church.