Church Administration and Finance Manual: Resources for Leading the Local Church

(Paperback)

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A field-tested, pragmatic, and resourceful guide to the daunting and logistically complex management of local church.

Pastors generally feel equipped to deal with biblical studies, theological questions, preaching responsibilities, and pastoral care. But when it comes to budgets, insurance, fire safety, and church management many find themselves at a loss. Often lay leaders within the congregation flounder with these tasks as well. Here, finally, is the ultimate reference guide for the practical management of the parish.

Originally created as a sourcebook for the authors' week-long course on church management and administration at the Claremont School of Theology, the manual in draft version has been field-tested by hundreds of pastors and lay leaders. Not simply a theoretical resource, the Manual provides suggestions for almost every aspect of parish administration: position descriptions, various financial forms, materials for stewardship and Christian education, building use and safety issues, employee record keeping, and much more. Whether pastors are just out of seminary or well-seasoned in parish life, the Manual is full of excellent guidelines, tools, and forms for improving the management of the parish.

Reviews

"A Resource Manual offers a year-round guidance for the development of leaders with management skills, particularly in the areas of planning and programming. While it covers a wide range of ministries, the Manual is particularly strong in developing fiscal stewardship, legal matters and the care and use of property. Readers will find here a very rich reference volume offering an enormous number of practical suggestions and samples for teaching and the actual practice of ministry. The Manual will quickly become one of the most widely used resources among leaders in local churches."
Bishop Roy I. Sano

"The only hole in what I considered an excellent seminary education was in the area of administration, management and finance. After considering several resources to fill this void I attended the class on Church Administration and Finance led by Otto Crumroy, Stan Kukawka and Frank Witman. The class and manual by Crumroy, Kukawka, and Witman continues to be a very valuable resource for me in my pastoral ministry. Even seven years after taking the class, I regularly refer to it, and find helpful resources for myself and the lay leaders of this parish. This resource stands head and shoulders above all others in administration and finance."
J. T. Greenleaf, Pastor, Ramona United Methodist Church

"I find the manual on Church Administration and Finance to be a valuable resource. As a new pastor there were areas of administration in which I had no experience. I found the samples of letters and job descriptions to be quite helpful in my first appointment. Colleagues have consulted this manual with their own questions regarding finance, committees, and personnel matters. Kukawka, Crumroy and Witman provide information that is based on practical experience rather than theory. This manual is an essential tool for any clergyperson; everyone should have a copy in their library!"
Rev. Jennifer Lower, Associate Pastor, Tempe (Arizona) First United Methodist Church

"This is a very helpful book for the new pastor or the veteran. I have used these materials in my ministry and 'shaped' them to fit my particular church and situation. There are examples and suggestions for almost any administrative function. I found the information very helpful when we started outgrowing our existing building and needed to plan a building program. Starting any policy or procedure from scratch uses a tremendous amount of time. You will save hours by using this book as a starting point. I recommend this book to anyone with administrative responsibilities in the church."
The Reverend Nancy S. Cushman, Central United Methodist Church, Phoenix, AZ

"It is my joy to write a recommendation for the Manual on Church Administration and Finance. I keep it within arms length of my desk because it contains so much information that is helpful in my everyday ministry. The writing is so clear and accessible that I use it as material to teach my board members, my planning committee and my budget committee."
Rev. Galen Goben, Pastor of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Burbank, California

"...a wealth of information on parish administration..."
The Living Church

"It is a wonderful compendium of very helpful resources for parish administration and for faithful and effective stewardship of the church's financial and human resources. [You] have brought together a tremendous collection of tools in one volume. I know that it will serve the church very well and I look forward to sharing these materials with our staff and the vestry and leadership of the Church of the Holy Spirit...I only wish I had this book twenty-three years ago when I was first ordained and trying to lead and administer two mission churches. It would have relieved my wardens and me a lot of stress!"
The Rev. George E. Councell, Rector, The Church of the Holy Spirit

"My pastoral training had prepared me to lead worship and exegete the Scriptures. But I soon discovered how much I didn't know about church business. If only I could have had access to the Church Administration and Finance Manual...I love the book's sample job descriptions, budgets, and mission statements as well as forms to photocopy to create custom documents. If you intentionally seek distractions when it comes time to begin the budget process, this book is for you."
Greg Asimakoupoulos, Your Church Magazine

Author Bio

Stan Kukawka is president of a management consulting company and has 25 years of management experience with two world-renowned electronics companies. Frank M. Witman is a United Methodist pastor. In his last two pastorates, he was involved in the building of new sanctuaries and the raising of more than $2.5 million for debt elimination.