You don’t need a multi-million dollar budget and a 100-person staff to operate a church that effectively produces disciples. Whether you’re a church plant, a staff of one, or just tight on time and money, your church should take advantage of some simple ways to make the most of limited resources.
- Recruit volunteers and delegate
You might not have the extra funds to hire additional staff, but you’ve got plenty of capable people in your church community that can volunteer their time. You just need to get the word out and make it easy for them to get involved with the right service opportunity. Recruit the right people with the right gifts for each need. Allow them to sign up online, through a mobile app, and on a kiosk in the church lobby. And once you’ve got the volunteers, be willing to give up some control and delegate tasks.
- Integrate your systems
From utility providers to insurance companies, you already deal with plenty of vendors each month. Choosing an integrated suite that includes your ChMS database, website CMS, mobile app, and check-in system will mean one bill and one support team for your church software. Integration will also save your staff from reentering data into each platform and will make giving, connecting, and volunteering easier for your church community.
- Take advantage of free resources
Many companies and organizations offer a variety of resources to churches and other non-profits. If your church is financially strapped, you probably don’t have much of a marketing budget, but Google’s Ad Grants program could provide your ministry with up to $329 of free online advertising each day. And several websites offer free graphics, videos, templates, and much more specifically for the local church. Check out this list for some ideas to get started and don’t let freebies go to waste.
- Give your church community some responsibility
Even with a support staff and volunteers, you can’t do it all. Encourage everyone in your church community to help out by updating their own personal information whenever they move or switch phone numbers. If each person quickly makes these changes from a kiosk on Sunday morning or online whenever they have time, you could redirect hours each week to ministry, not administrative details. You should also task your church community with printing their own contribution statements each tax season. It’s a small, simple step that could reap great rewards for your church.
Don’t let a miniscule budget or small staff keep your church from making an impact. How has your church creatively made the best of limited resources?
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