How is the budget created at Doxa?
Our budgeting process begins in May and takes 6-7 weeks before being finalized by the end of June. Those involved in the creation of the budget include our Director of Finances, Finance Administrator, Associate Pastor, and our Elder Board.
Our budget process starts with reports and analysis of the trends in both giving and expenses over the past year, with a particular focus on the previous 4-6 months to ensure we are observing the most up to date trends. We consider church attendance growth, the corresponding growth in giving, and do our best to consider the likelihood of conservative growth in both attendance and giving for the upcoming fiscal year.
All ministry leaders are responsible to pay attention to their budget throughout the year, doing everything in their power to stay under the allotted budget amounts. Each year, they submit a proposal for new budget amounts based on the needs they are anticipating, growth of their respective ministries, and purchases for materials and resources to lead and trust the Lord to grow their ministry. Their proposals are taken into consideration along with reports and analysis of the ministries and are approved as part of the overall budget for the church.
All pertinent information and proposals are brought to the Elder Board for review and evaluation, and are ultimately approved after lengthy discussion together. Once a budget is finalized, our church budget software is updated to reflect the new numbers for ministries and various categories of our budget.
Lastly, it cannot be stressed enough that we rely on the Lord to guide us in wisdom when establishing our church budget. We go forward each year in faith that God can and will provide for us in the manner he sees fit. If you are reading this page, please take a moment now to pray for Doxa’s finances - that the Lord would continue providing through his people for our needs and that all of our stewardship of those resources would be for his glory.