Small Congregations FAQs
Resources for Small Congregations
FAQ’s about Finances, Generosity and Difficult Times
Where can treasurers of small congregations learn basic guidelines for how to do church finance?
Basic information for all congregation sizes is found in several places:
- Page 26 of a handbook on committees in the Congregational Handbook
- A list of resources are available for Financial Officers in the Congregational Handbook
- A treasurers’ list serve
- UUA Office of Church Finance and
- Annual Program Fund.
Treasurers of small congregations often find themselves feeling alone in what can feel like a massive effort to pay bills month to month. Make sure not to isolate yourself.
- Do regular financial statements for the leadership and membership.
- Contact your district staff person for possible gatherings of treasurers in other congregations to share helpful ideas and moral support.
What resources are available to help the congregation create a culture of generosity and possibility rather than scarcity?
It is possible to create a strong sense of purpose and mission no matter the finances, and it is possible to create a sense of generosity. Here are a few resources.
Beyond the Collection Plate is a book by M. Durall that can be very helpful, especially when read by a group in the congregation who then talks about it.
The Annual Program Fund creates a regular e-newsletter called ‘Generosity and Giving’ which you can sign up for and receive for free.
Various UU publications are listed with articles, sermons, stories of generosity that makes a difference.
Are there resources available to help congregations respond to difficult financial times when members and neighbors are experiencing layoffs or unmanageable expenses?
Yes. Here are some possibilities. First, please let your district staff know how you are doing.
A list of possible congregational responses to lay-offs in bad economic times by Interfaith Worker Justice
A pastoral message from Rev. Bill Sinkford, 2008 President of the UUA
A series of articles to help congregational leaders think about how to stay the course in tough economic times.