As church leaders, we must be good stewards not only of our volunteers but also of our budgets.

Bob Thune wrote about this from the church planter’s view, but the same principles apply to us as well:

A few months ago a church planter I know had to close up shop. As I scrolled through his fire-sale ad on Craigslist, I couldn’t help but wonder: did he really need all this stuff? If he had allocated funds differently, could he have stayed in the game a little longer and reached a place of viability? It’s not my place to question his decisions; “before his own master he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4). But I’m concerned that lots of young, starry-eyed church planters are easy prey for the salesmen of church-plant capitalism.

How would your church be different if you decided to select a soundboard with only a few extra channels, rather than double what you need? Or, if your church opted for a nice building, not a brand new one that costs 3-5x more? Something to think about, especially for church leaders that are starting off a new ministry or planting a new church.

Rea