Now that we’ve talked about what the Bible says about stewardship, it’s time to look at how Mars Hill Church puts these principles into practice. The next two blog posts in our series on stewardship will deal specifically with questions about how our church stewards money.
‘How do I know Mars Hill will be a good spender (steward) of the money I give the church?’
Mars Hill has a number of policies set up to make sure we are good stewards of the money entrusted to us:
1. The approval of expenses
One level of approval is required for purchases under $500 and two levels of approval for over $500 to ensure that purchases are reasonable. Additionally, the church’s Finance Department performs a policy review on every expense. In the rare case that a purchase does not comply with our policy, the expense is reimbursed by the person who authorized the purchase.
2. An annual financial audit
Since 2009, an independent CPA firm has performed an annual financial statement audit. We’ve received an “unqualified opinion” every year, which is the most favorable outcome according to auditing standards issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
In the fall of 2012, the church became the 1,700th accredited member organization of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The ECFA “is an accreditation agency dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™, which focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fundraising, and proper use of charity resources.” The intention behind our membership in the ECFA is to make plain our commitment to make disciples and plant churches in Jesus’ name in a manner that is not only above reproach (2 Tim. 2:15), but also humble and gracious (2 Cor. 2:18–21).
Our Board of Elders recommends our annual budget and annual audit. An independent board, the Board of Advisors and Accountability, approves the recommendations of the Board of Elders.
3. Attention to detail with expenses
Our church utilizes a purchasing process, which includes pre-approval for most cost categories. Every nuance (including the vendor, its relationship to the church, and quality of goods requested) is reviewed and then purchased by our centralized Purchasing Department. Having someone with a big-picture view of purchasing ensures we’re buying the right quantities, from the right people, at the right price.
Managers and pastors who supervise budgets are accountable to the executive elders via a monthly reporting process where they discuss the stewardship over their expenses.
Business meal and travel expenses are closely monitored. Mars Hill Church’s expense policy regarding business meals is outward facing, and meals are only authorized if they occur with community partners, key volunteers, and/or ministry contacts. Any business meal over $25 (including tax and tip) requires pre-approval by a director. An independent third party manages travel and provides periodic reports to the Finance Department, detailing a variety of expense-related metrics that help us pick the right vendors when making travel decisions, big or small.
We are accountable to Jesus
Ultimately, your church’s staff knows and takes to heart the fact that we’re ultimately accountable for Jesus to stewarding the resources that we’re entrusted with. Knowing that we’re conduits of people’s worship is significant, and we strive to ensure that every decision we make will serve Jesus’ church well into the future.
This is our third post in Stewardship FAQs: What Mars Hill Believes about Money. In last week’s post, we answered two questions, including, “Why is it important to give to the church vs. another nonprofit?” Stay tuned next Saturday for our final post in this four-part miniseries.
