If you're drinking coffee, put it down because I'm about to type a word that will make chills run down your spine: 

Church Budgets

Hey, at least I warned you ahead of time. Anyway, I've never met anyone whose church was so swimming in cash that budgets were not an issue of contention. Money's tight everywhere. Even if it wasn't, there's just no way that a church budget could ever meet every need and opportunity that comes up. Even churches like FCC, that provide a generous amount for children's ministry, still have children's pastors yearning for more. Simply put, being creative with money, supplies and budgets will always be a critical part of the role of a children's pastor. With that in mind, when it comes to needs and money, here are some questions I ask when money issues seem to get in the way of getting what our ministry needs.

• How badly to we really need it? When I maxed out the church credit card because we needed a ton of Awana uniforms, I had to accept that some kids may have to wait a couple of weeks for their uniforms and patches. When they found out, they were OK with it. Although those items were essential, they weren't essential at that very moment.
• Can we substitute something cheaper, or free? If you wanted to rent a $400 bounce house for an event, is there really that much of a drop-off between that and a $200 one?
• Who already has it? Earlier this year we really needed a new computer. I ended up asking a guy from the church if he knew where we could get one, and it turns out he has a computer graveyard in his garage...end result, we got a functional computer for free!
• What do I need it for? We needed a computer that could run DVD's and slides. The computer we have is not really that great, but it does what we need it to do, and it was free. Sometimes it pays to know exactly what you need, so you don't end up paying for more.
• Who can I talk to, and what do I say, when I absolutely need more? This may be the most important question of them all. Sometimes, opportunities are so good, or the need is so great, that you do need to beg for more money from the pot. When that happens, make sure you know who to talk to, and how to express the importance of what you need. In my experience, nobody wants to deny your children's ministry what you really need. If you can honestly and persuasively point out the crucial nature of a need, people will want to help you meet it.
• Finally, I remind myself that the effectiveness of a ministry does not come from money. It's easy to get distracted, and forget that money is just one more tool in our kidmin toolbox.

That's my list, what about yours? Please comment and let me know how you conquer the budget monster in your ministry setting. Thanks in advance!