Church Budget Checklist

A faithful budget does more than cover expenses — it helps your church live into its calling. In our recent article, Putting Together a Church Budget to Accomplish Your Goals, we explored how vision comes before numbers, and how income, expenses, and communication should all reflect your congregation’s mission. The checklist below puts those principles into action, offering a clear, step-by-step guide to help your leadership team align resources with ministry priorities and communicate impact with both clarity and confidence.

1) Start with Vision & Mission

☐ Define your church’s vision — what God is calling you to accomplish this year.☐ List your top ministry goals (e.g., discipleship, outreach, missions).

☐ Share goals with leadership and get agreement before budgeting.

2) Set Ministry Priorities

☐ Identify ministry areas (children, worship, missions, discipleship, staff, etc.).☐ Ask each ministry leader to list priority activities for the year.

☐ Determine what funding each ministry truly needs to achieve its goals.

3) Estimate Income

☐ List all revenue sources (giving, rent, fundraising, grants).

☐ Review past several years of income to detect trends.

☐ Adjust for growth expectations and community/economic changes.

☐ Note any special events or one-time gifts expected this year.

4) Estimate Expenses

☐ List all expenses needed to support ministry goals (salaries, utilities, supplies).

☐ Make sure expenses connect to your vision and strategic priorities.

☐ Provide detailed line items (not just lumps sums) so it’s clear what each dollar does.

☐ Compare expenses with your projected income.

5) Balance the Budget

☐ If expenses exceed income, revisit priorities:  

• Reduce items that least impact your mission  

• Postpone non-essential projects

☐ If income exceeds expenses, decide how to use the surplus:  

• Fund ministries more fully  

• Build reserves or designated funds  

• Invest in outreach or facility improvements

6) Build in Transparency

☐ Prepare a budget summary that’s easy to read (not just numbers).

☐ Explain how major giving supports ministry outcomes (story + numbers).

☐ Share the budget before final adoption with key committees or the congregation.

7) Communicate Regularly

☐ Include budget updates in monthly Treasurer’s or Finance Reports.

☐ Provide a short narrative with numbers — explain what’s happening, not just figures.

☐ Celebrate successes (e.g., goal-related outcomes funded by giving).

8) Review and Adjust Throughout the Year

☐ Compare actual income & expenses against the approved budget monthly.

☐ Adjust areas where income or ministry needs change.

☐ Decide well before year end if reserves, loans, or rebalancing ministries are needed.(Tip: schedule quarterly budget-review meetings.)

Optional (but highly useful)

☐ Create designated funds for special initiatives with clear purpose.

☐ Build an emergency reserve line item to handle unexpected costs.

☐ Consider adopting best financial practices for internal controls (e.g., segregation of duties, policies for cash handling) — this strengthens trust and accuracy even beyond budgeting.

Quick Tips

✔ A budget is more than numbers — it’s a mission tool that helps focus resources toward God’s calling for your church.

✔ Always involve ministry leaders — they help avoid blind spots in expense projection and accountability.

✔ Clear, stories-plus-numbers communication builds trust and generosity in your congregation.