When your church purchases anything, they are making their purchase with the first fruits people have brought before God.

Just the fact that the money has been given as an act of worship places a responsibility, a fiscal responsibility, on church boards and church leaders far beyond the fiscal responsibility placed on corporate board members, or even members of government. Sure we would like our governing bodies to seek wise counsel, do diligent research, and pray to God before making a purchase.. But again, they are not spending money that has been given, or taken rather, to honor God. As a board member, if you are making a purchase on behalf of your church there should be a lengthy process you go through to make your decision on how to spend God’s money.

Obviously, there are purchases that are going to merit extra scrutiny, counsel, and prayer. If you are putting the decision as to which disposable coffee cups to purchase through a committee, but buying a church vehicle on a whim, you may want to reevaluate your processes.

Below is a list of a few of the largest purchases your church may make and some things to consider when purchasing. These aren’t the only things to consider, but my experience comes from being someone who offers their tithe and offerings to God, from being on the decision end for my church, and as an insurance agent who helps to make sure those purchases are replaced when unexpected events come up.

Staffing Costs

Payroll is not often seen as a purchase, but you are actually purchasing someone’s labor. Also, staffing, in most cases, is the largest portion of a budget for any business and often for churches as well. Many times the wrong people may be put in the wrong positions at a church. It does not mean they don’t have a servant’s heart, or that God cannot use them. It simply means that their unique talents and gifts from God may not align with the church’s needs.

As with many companies these days, a personality profile should be incorporated into the hiring process. Making sure someone is fit to handle the tasks and responsibilities of a position beforehand can save valuable time, money, and feelings.

Church Vans

I already touched on the topic of a church van in the opening paragraphs, but that is because this is an extremely important decision to make for your church.

Many times churches have been given a van. This is a great offering and one to be thankful for as a church. However, as a church, you may want to evaluate your need. As with any vehicle, there will be many maintenance issues which come up throughout the year, as well as the cost to insure the vehicle. In some cases, this donated van only gets used once or twice a year but may take money out of the budget which could be used elsewhere. For your church the best use of a donated van, may be to sell it, and put the money made from the van into an account to help rent a vehicle for the one or two times a year you would need it.

On the other hand, your church may really need a van or bus. You may have an active youth program which makes trips every other week. In this case, the van or bus may be a necessity. So the church may tap one person to search for a vehicle to purchase. Often, they completely overlook the mechanic in their congregation who could help identify what may be a great purchase or spot the lemon.

One of the single most important points when forming a purchasing team is getting church members who have expertise on specific issues involved.

A/V Equipment

Another purchase the church makes which can consume a great portion of the church budget is the audio and sometimes video equipment. The nature of electronic equipment is that it has different levels of quality and the price can ramp upwards quickly. Finding the right people to input their expertise when purchasing new audio equipment can be very tricky. There are car guys and there are electronic guys. The electronic guys have a tendency to think they need enough equipment to run a Super Bowl halftime show when in reality they just need a good PA system that will fill an auditorium that seats two hundred people. I speak from personal experience on that one. If you have anyone in your congregation that runs sound for a living and not just a hobby, these people are usually a little more level headed when it comes to purchasing the right system.

Experts Within

There are many more items which come up throughout the year for a church to consider purchasing. I would just encourage you to look for those experts within your own congregation who can help you make the wisest decision when it comes to spending God’s money.