Storytelling Budgets: A Fresh Way to Look at Financing the Work of the Church

Create a "storytelling budget" as a simple and effective way to focus on what God is doing in and through your church's ministry. This turns the budget process away from the tyranny of dollars and toward an opportunity for growth in grace. With this approach, your budget tells what God is doing in your lives as an active faith community.

A storytelling (or narrative) budget is a presentation of your church's ministries, and the cost of each ministry, illustrated and authenticated by stories of the people whose lives have been touched and transformed by your ministries and generosity.

Included in this packet, all from Barnabas Foundation:

• Susan Moser's article, "Storytelling Budgets"
• Sample "Ministry Budget Plan" booklet
• Sample congregational letter, introducing a "storytelling budget"
• Sample timetable for developing a church budget
• Further communication helps, including a sample quarterly congregational letter