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Conference Scheduling and Budgeting
By jason | April 24, 2008
As I’ve been thinking to the future for our budgeting purposes and the fact that we are in a huge conference season, one of the things that I’ve been kicking around is how we budget in such a way to provide opportunity for our staff and others to attend conferences. I think giving staff an opportunity to attend conferences is a good thing and can be vital for growth and development of the staff.
Often churches provide budget money for staff to attend conferences. I think this is extremely important and positive to do on so many levels.
- It allows staff to move out to the 30,000 foot level to reflect on life and ministry away from the day-to-day grind.
- It affords the staff an opportunity for growth and development that will not only benefit the congregation but will revitalize them personally.
- It allows the staff to have the experience of someone shepherding their hearts, even if for a brief time. Staff give and give and they need moments where they receive.
- It affords the staff an opportunity to be around peers from other congregations. This is good personally and organizationally.
- It allows staff the opportunity to learn from best practices. Let’s face it the conference circuit is chalked full of those who have strong ministries, we can learn from them.
There are many more I could list off but 5 seems like a good number.
So my question is, How should a church determine what they budget for conferences? (And maybe even to hear how churches are doing it currently.
A corollary is, How many days should staff be allowed in a year for conferences? (I’m assuming they should not have to take vacation time for conferences to a certain point.)
I’d love your feedback. What do you think. Chime in.
Topics: Budget, Leadership, LifeConnection |
April 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I think 5 days should be allowed a year (including missing a Sunday if necessary). I had 1000 a year for continuing education at my last church (but we had over 800 in regular attendance and a budget at 1.3 million). I do think it is a great investment in the church to send a group. If there is anyway to budget that in (or make the case that you have and to solicit funds, showing how this will help the church) to send a team (two or more) to a conference is so helpful. It is a great team building exercise and a chance to debrief together when you have down time, plus the chance to get away together is important as well.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
The best way we have found to budget for conferences is that we pick one major one before the fiscal year begins and get all the cost figured up. Last year we went to Catalyst and choose to go before our budget year started so we could submit and ask for the exact amount needed. We do one conference where we go as a team and this is very important for us.
We then have about $1000 between three of us to do one or two local conferences where the cost of travel and the conference is minimal.
When it comes to the days off we do not have a set number but we are accountable to others who will keep us in check if they see us taking too much time to go. The budget kind of keeps that in check anyway.
That is how we do it, hope it helps.