How to Deliver a Tough Talk

Public speaking can nerve-wracking. Am I talking too quickly or too quietly? Am I too close to the microphone… or too far away? Then there’s all those faces staring at me. And what about the ones who have already nodded off? Delivering a speech isn’t easy, and it can be even tougher if the subject is money, and you’re the treasurer! Read on to find out what to say, and how to say it well.

I recently had the pleasure of listening to a talk at the end of a service that was delivered by a member of the congregation; the parish treasurer. He was sharing information on parish finances, ahead of a large parish-wide annual meeting at Stranton church, Hartlepool.

And I was pleasantly surprised!

This talk, in different circumstances, could have been awful. It could have been only about the facts, only about deficit and hardships and the need to “get more money in”. It could have been devoid of hope and the Gospel message. But thank God, this treasurer had worked hard with the incumbent to prepare a clear and honest speech that inspired, informed and encouraged. Yes it was about the accounts, but it put the mission of the church at its centre.

He has kindly allowed me to share this with you (I’ve removed some specific details), which I hope you might find a useful resource in the future, especially if you yourself are a treasurer who dreads these annual talks. Here’s how one treasurer got it right.

“As we come towards the end of our teaching on Generous Giving [the vicar] asked me to give a Treasurer’s view on the practicalities and possibilities of Parish Finance in the ministry of Stranton Church.

Of course, our recent teaching has covered generous giving in the widest sense, including prayer, voluntary service, and financial giving, all being parts of our response of faith to the good news of Jesus Christ.  By spending a few minutes now talking specifically about Church Finance I don’t want to downplay the importance of committing ourselves and our time in prayer and voluntary service.

But as Treasurer of Stranton Church I have a particular responsibility to present the finances of the Church in a way that informs members about how our giving directly supports ministry, and can enable us all to better respond in a planned and generous way, knowing that everything we are and everything we have comes from God, and this how we should respond in accordance with the teaching that we have received.

The Church Accounts for 2016 are currently in preparation and will be presented at the annual meeting in April.  In this preview summary of our main sources of income and the ways in which they are being applied, I bring this to you today as an opportunity for prayerful and planned review of your financial support.

If you are a visitor to our Church I hope you will not mind being patient for these few minutes

Just under half of our total income as a Church comes from the regular planned giving of members.  Through Loyalty Scheme, Envelopes, Bank Standing Orders, and Payroll giving.   This amounts to over £x a year, or £x per week.   On top of this, the amount receivable through Gift aid Tax claims was over £x.  In 2016 we also received over £x in bequests which was unusually high, and was the reason for us being in financial surplus, which we will be carrying forward to help meet the cost of renewal of the Church’s lighting in 2017.

We also received lesser but useful amounts of income from open plate collections, appeals for specific mission support, Fees, Signpost Magazine sales, and other sources including insurance claims and an organ recital.  St Matthew’s Community hall generated external income from lettings and other fundraising that more than covered its costs.

These other sources of income certainly helped us to run our buildings and make investments in mission, but the principal use of funds was in meeting our Parish Share payment to the Diocese to meet costs of clergy stipends, Training, Housing and diocesan support which committed one third of our income.  Our next biggest calls on finance were the pay and pension contributions of Lay worker and part time administrator.

We also supported local, home and overseas mission with £x in payments of various kinds including costs of Youth For Christ team. The materials used in services, overheads of Burbank Church, Messy Church and heating lighting and maintaining of the Church building cost a similar amount again.  We also met the out of pocket expenses of staff, upkeep of Clarkson Court and a small staff training budget.

Provisionally we ended the year with a surplus of around £x but this would have been a deficit if we had not received the two generous bequests.

If our income does not rise in 2017 we would certainly be heading for an overall deficit and as we do not hold large reserves to sustain that for long, we would have to decide what areas of ministry we would cut back on.  Our challenge for 2017 is to meet above inflation increases in Parish Share contributions, fund any pay increases for our lay worker Clive and Administrator Trish, and meet the additional the cost of our quinquennial building inspection.

As Stranton is an Anglican Church, there may be some lingering tendency for us to think that somehow our costs are met from endowments and external funds, but the reality is that our investment in mission in this parish is now funded directly through the generosity of members.

If our ministry is going to continue to grow and thrive we all need to review our giving regularly – a problem with standing orders is that they are a bit “File and forget” –they can continue unchanged for years if we don’t actively look at our giving.  But regardless of the method, planned prayerful giving means we should respond with the first fruits of our lives rather than the loose change in our pockets.

So in addition to thanking the members of this congregation who have been loyal and regular financial supporters in the past, I also present something of a challenge to us all, to respond to the love of Him who by the power at work within us does far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, so that to Him may be Glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus, now and for all time.”

If you want to know what the money you contribute to church is spent on, click here.

The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. They decided to set out on their own and leave their mother pig to find their fortunes. They had always enjoyed sports at school so each decided to set up a gym. The first little pig built a gym in the town centre and invited lots of woodland animals to use it. They did and he was very happy. But this little pig was so embarrassed about talking about money that he never charged his members. They used all his facilities and attended his step classes and got healthier and fitter and they never paid a penny.

Within months of opening, the first little pig was in financial ruin and he couldn’t keep the wolf from the door. One day he saw a debt collector van outside his gym. It said Wolf Collections and his heart sank because he’d read fairy tales as a piglet, and he knew he was the first pig. Luckily Mr Wolf, of Wolf Collections, had attended “Mission England” at Roker Park in 1984 and found faith in God. He was now a committed and practising Christian and had really changed his ways. He paid off the outstanding debt on the rented premises, shut the gym and took the little pig back to his home, giving him some sound financial advice on the way. The little pig felt ashamed but Mr Wolf told him not to worry, and he’d always look out for him. The little pig slept in the spare room of Mr Wolf’s flat. 

The second little pig set up a gym on an industrial estate. He always thought of himself as the smartest pig so he charged £200 a month for membership. Unfortunately the creatures living in this area were really poor and couldn’t afford to pay the membership fee. They thought the gym looked great and they really wanted to be part of it, but it was just too exclusive, too expensive. Within weeks the pig was in financial ruin and he didn’t know how he’d keep the wolf from the door. Letters from the bank were left unopened because this little pig hated thinking about debt.

Soon enough he saw the debt collector van outside his gym. He’d also read fairy tales as a piglet and thought nothing could save his bacon. Luckily Mr Wolf of Wolf Collections explained to the second little pig that he only wanted to help. He opened up the letters with the pig and helped him pay off the debt. The second little pig felt so bitterly sorry for his greediness. Mr Wolf patted his pink shoulder and said, ‘There, there. Don’t worry. I’ll always be here to help,’ and the little pig moved into Mr Wolf’s flat just like his brother.

The third little pig was a sensible pig. He wasn’t foolish or greedy. He thought long and hard about opening his gym. He really wanted it to bring the community together so he gathered all his friends and prospective members. He held a meeting in the old school hall that he planned to rent for his gym. He told the crowd about all the weekly classes he planned to run, the personal training he would offer, the healthier lifestyle and all the other benefits of being part of his gym.

Because he wanted to avoid the mistake of his youngest brother, he decided to be upfront about money. It made him really uncomfortable but he felt it was sensible and right. He told them that whilst he wouldn’t charge for membership and there would be no huge joining fee, like at his middle brother’s gym, he did expect his friends to contribute to the running of the gym. Some of the poorer creatures looked at their hooves in embarrassment. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘Just give what you can.’ They loved his gym and his whole ethos and they could see the benefits of being part of it. They were generous in their giving.

Some of the other creatures had plenty of cash and were a bit embarrassed about handing it over publicly as it looked a bit crude. They stared at their paws in embarrassment. The little pig said they could easily set up a standing order through their bank and that everyone was free to pay as much or little as they were able, and that it was all gratefully received, as after all, the only way the gym could stay open was if all its members gave what they could. The animals liked this very much, and no matter what their species, whether they were big or small or herbivores or carnivores, they were ALL welcome to train at the third pig’s gym. They didn’t have to train on their own anymore, they could do it together or even join in classes on an evening. 

When Mr Wolf heard about it, he paid the third little pig a visit. The pig was shaking from his snout to his tail when he saw Mr Wolf as he’d read his fairy stories, but couldn’t quite remember what happened to the third little pig. Luckily, before he fainted in terror, the first and second little pig jumped out of the van to congratulate their kind and sensible brother. Mr Wolf offered to run a spin class free of charge at the gym, and he suggested that the younger brothers ought to help with refreshments and cleaning up. The gym went from strength to strength because all the animals felt part of it and gave generously to its running costs. The third little pig even won a special award for business enterprise and they lived happily ever after. The end.

From the author: Some people might find the third pig’s story a little unrealistic but, then, so much of what we believe and teach as Christians is unrealistic. So much of what Jesus taught was unrealistic. Funnily enough, though, whenever people have taken Jesus’ teaching seriously, amazing things have happened. I guess the question we have to ask is whether the third pig’s story looks like the kind of unrealistic thing Jesus talked about. In this story we probably all see ourselves and our churches reflected in some way in all three pigs and deep down we probably want to be the third pig. We don’t all know a Mr Wolf who can pay off our debt but we do know Jesus who can do rather a lot more than that.

BEFORE YOU GO! You are very welcome (and indeed encouraged!) to use these blogs in parish magazines or as content for Home Groups etc. Please cite the website so others can find their way here.