Vital Posts

The Balance Between Crazy and Amazing

by Richelle Thompson on November 8, 2010

My diocese is not known to have many money problems.   

But when a committee started drafting the 2011 budget, they realized we were facing a shortfall. Like every church organization, we’ve tightened our belts, frozen salaries, and made tough decisions. Still revenue is down in many congregations, which means mission share – the portion each congregation contributes as part of the diocese – also is down.

The budget committee could have cut 10 percent across the board or slashed a program here and there. Instead, they developed a process that asks the people of the diocese what they think is important. 
  
At convention this week, my diocese will consider a process that requires delegates and vestry members to come together three times over the next six months –to weigh and prioritize mission initiatives, to determine what sources should fund the initiatives, and to craft a transparent, complete, and balanced budget. 

We might be crazy. 

At each step, this could turn ugly (I mean, what if my favorite program isn’t in everybody’s top 10??) Some vestry representatives understand the connection between diocese and congregation; others wonder why we need a diocesan staff at all, save for the bishop to handle confirmations. 

 Or the experience could be amazing, with people feeling empowered in decision-making and emboldened to take risks to strengthen the church and spread the Gospel.   

I pray God stays at the heart of our conversations, keeping crazy and amazing in balance.
What do you think of this process? What new models of budgeting are you deploying?
How are you making the decision of what goes and who stays?

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Comments

1

Elaine Caldbeck on November 8, 2010 at 12:10 pm

At our deanery meeting on this exciting new development -- one lay person, a parish treasurer -- got excited at the possibilities for the Holy Spirit to do new things through this process. Imagine if people decided that whether or not programs happened in the diocese was dependent on their efforts and dollars -- and didn't just count on endowment ... OR ... Imagine if we all grew to know each other better, and to share resources better so we didn't need as many dollars to do the needed ministry ... Doing something new is enlivening

2

Richelle Thompson on November 8, 2010 at 3:07 pm

Elaine -- it's not often that people see the Holy Spirit at work in a budgeting process! I think you're right that the more we engage people in the decision making, the more they'll feel ownership and be willing to participate. So many of our churches struggle because of apathy ... maybe this type of process can help!

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