Preparing the Case Statement:
the Financial Analysis

Giving in Grace is based on a single, fundamental belief, that Christian giving is about personal discipleship and spiritual maturity and that giving to support the ministry of the church flows from that. The case statement sets out the case for supporting the ministry of the church. However, misunderstanding of basic financial facts, misinterpretation of the cost centres of local church expenditure and misconceptions around the funding of the local church are always poor conductors of generosity.

Sections Two and Three of the case statement establish a financial baseline and build an accurate picture of the current financial situation of the church. The sample case statement illustrates how the analysis might look. Follow the links below for detailed guidance.

• Section 2a: weekly giving patterns
  A simple Excel spreadsheet analyses patterns of weekly giving in the local church. This reveals a wealth of information and will give confidence and encouragement in addressing financial issues within the church. [more…]
• Section 2a: assess the use of parish reserves
  The same spreadsheet also helps with an analysis of parish reserves. Parish reserves (or the lack of such reserves) is an indicator of the financial health of the church. [more…]
• Section 2b: the parish plan
  Setting a financial target depends on knowing projected expenditure for the coming financial year. A Parish Plan is a basic budget for the church [more…]
• Section 3: financial conclusions
  Section 3 of the case statement provides a simple framework for reflecting on and drawing conclusions from the financial information gathered in Section 2. [more...]