Learning Opportunities
Leadership Training
We provide free training for congregational leaders on important topics for congregational finance. The workshops meet 9-12 am on a Saturday. Topics include an introduction to congregational finance (suitable for any officer, particularly to-become treasurers), a discussion of the congregation’s obligation to government with an emphasis on taxes, an introduction to planning and budgeting, and an introduction to congregational financial audits. The next series of workshops begins in the fall of 2019, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 11 Ogden Court, Huntington Station Download Flyer.
Financial Process Consultation
St. Peter’s Business Services team has decades of experience helping congregations design, manage and improve their financial processes. When congregations are in a period of significant reorganization or change, it is particularly valuable to have outside evaluations to guide your planning. We offer a consultation service to evaluate the basic health of your congregation’s financial management and to help you develop a plan for improvement. This is not an audit process, but a high-level evaluation of how your congregation manages its finances.
The process takes only a few hours and includes interviews with 2-4 key persons and analysis of your current financial documents and processes. A written report will summarize our findings. The report will assess four principal areas: quality of the financial process in actual use, your technical capabilities with respect to management and finance, soundness of your management processes, and the basic financial health indicators for congregation. .
Audit Team Training
A 2 hr intensive workshop on self-directed congregational auditing to train a newly organized audit committee. Provides a step by step process and sample documents. Assumes familiarity with Accounting Basics for Congregations. The training is free, only travel costs must be paid
Introduction to Financial Reports for Councils
A 1 hr presentation on basic non-profit financial reports, what they should contain, and simple analysis questions that every council person should understand. The training is free, only travel costs must be paid
Legal and Fiduciary Responsibilities of Councils
A 1 hr presentation on basic legal and management responsibilities. Appropriate for councils or conference meetings as part of continuing education. The training is free, only travel costs must be paid