There are dozens of mistakes that pastors and church planters make. For example, lacking theological clarity will bury you (and by the way, saying “I don’t do theology” is just another way to lack theological clarity). Leading like a bully will get tons accomplished in the short run, but eventually that will wear down those you lead. Refusing to lead and trying to be everyone’s buddy will exhaust you and frustrate everyone that you try to influence. Being unwilling to take the time and energy to think through the financial needs required to fund your vision is just dumb.
Fortunately, Casey Graham and Joe Sangl have made that mistake harder to make. In Funded and Free, they give you 50 brief chapters of no-nonsense financial strategy for your church. Their goal was to write an accessibly, easy-to-understand manual for church-leaders to use. They accomplished that goal.
My only regret is that in making it so accessible and n0-nonsense, many of their strategies didn’t get fleshed out and not enough examples were given. I’d like to hear more stories of church’s experiences having used these practices, but even without them, this book is Church Finance Gold.
Pastor, don’t be a dummy. You can’t afford NOT to get this book into the hands of your finance team. Do it now.
