Ep. 35: Could Someone Steal From Your Church?

Ep. 35: Could Someone Steal From Your Church?

EPISODE SUMMARY Church financial theft rarely begins with a mastermind and an elaborate scheme. More often, it starts with a trusted person, a financial pressure, and a system without enough accountability. In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple, we unpack why trust alone is not a financial control—and how churches can protect their money, their people, and the generosity that fuels their mission. You’ll learn why every financial process should involve two sets of eyes, how technology can create a clear audit trail, and which reports every church leader should understand. We also introduce the Core Four: four simple numbers that give pastors and ministry leaders a clear view of their church’s financial health without requiring them to become accountants. Strong financial controls are not about treating people with suspicion. They are wise guardrails that help keep trustworthy people trustworthy, expose potential gaps, and ensure every dollar stays on mission. ONE KEY TAKEAWAY Good financial controls protect your church’s money. Great financial controls protect your church’s people. No single person should have complete control over the church’s bank accounts, bookkeeping, spending, or reporting. Shared oversight and clear processes reduce temptation, prevent mistakes, and strengthen trust throughout the congregation. RESOURCES MENTIONED Church Financial Toolkit [https://liveyourparable.com/church-financial-toolkit/?pa_utm_source=distilled&pa_utm_medium=episode-summary] A practical checklist to help your church evaluate its financial controls, oversight, reporting, and overall financial integrity. Core Four Template [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RfvKG6RjkaOtEY1PEJkkSfFeUylhRMKjyn7QcF3_-yQ/copy] A simple monthly reporting tool that helps leaders track four essential numbers: * Get: How much income did the church receive? * Keep: How much remained after expenses? * Have: How much cash does the church have? * Gave: How many people gave? Upcoming Parable Book [https://liveyourparable.com/book/?pa_utm_source=distilled&pa_utm_medium=episode-summary] Learn more about Parable’s upcoming book on building healthy financial systems, safeguarding your church’s mission, and keeping every dollar on mission.

Ep. 34: Is Venmo Putting Your Church At Risk?

Summary: Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle can make church giving feel quick and easy—but convenience can come with hidden risks. In this episode, Dan and Greg from Parable unpack why peer-to-peer payment apps can create tangled bookkeeping, donor tracking issues, tax confusion, privacy concerns, and transparency gaps for churches. They also explain the difference between personal Venmo accounts and Venmo for charities, why dedicated church giving platforms are usually safer, and how churches can transition to better systems without making giving harder for their people. One Key Takeaway: Convenience should never come at the cost of clarity, accountability, and trust. Churches need giving systems that protect donors, simplify bookkeeping, and help every dollar stay on mission. Resources Mentioned: Parable Financial Summit and budgeting toolkit: liveyourparable.com/financial-summit [http://liveyourparable.com/financial-summit] Recommended church giving platforms mentioned: Planning Center, Pushpay, Tithe.ly [http://Tithe.ly], and Overflow

Ep. 33: 3 Mid-Year Church Money Moves That Could Make or Break the Year

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple, Kira and Morgan unpack 3 Mid-Year Church Money Moves That Could Make or Break the Year. The conversation walks church leaders through how to pause at the halfway point of the year, review giving trends, check cash health, and realign spending with ministry priorities. Instead of treating a mid-year financial review like a dusty accounting chore, this episode reframes it as a stewardship moment: a chance to avoid December surprises, make confident pivots, and ensure the budget still serves the mission. ONE KEY TAKEAWAY A mid-year financial review is not just about the numbers. It is about making sure every dollar is helping your church move toward lives changed, ministry done well, and financially healthy decisions for the second half of the year. RESOURCES MENTIONED The episode mentions Parable’s budgeting and church financial toolkits, built from experience serving over 500 churches. Listeners can download them at: liveyourparable.com/financial-summit [http://liveyourparable.com/financial-summit]

Ep. 32: Every Dollar On Mission. How to Actually Understand Your Church Finances Pt.2

SUMMARY Many pastors feel overwhelmed when they look at their church’s financial reports. Spreadsheets are full of unfamiliar categories, long account lists, and numbers that feel difficult to interpret. In this episode of Distilled: Church Finances Made Simple, Dan and Kira explain how church leaders can simplify financial oversight without becoming accountants. Instead of getting lost in complicated reports, they introduce a simple framework that helps pastors understand the financial health of their church at a glance. The framework focuses on four core questions: How much did we get? How much did we keep? How much do we have? And how many people gave? By tracking these numbers consistently month-to-month and comparing trends across a 13-month window, pastors can gain a clear pulse on their church’s financial health. The goal isn’t mastering accounting theory. It’s creating clarity so leaders can steward resources wisely and focus their energy on ministry. KEY TAKEAWAY You don’t need to understand every financial detail to lead well. Tracking a few consistent numbers over time can give pastors a clear view of their church’s financial health. RESOURCES MENTIONED * The “Core Four” episode of Distilled (deep dive into Get, Keep, Have, and Gave)

Ep. 31: Less Math. More Ministry. How to Actually Understand Your Church Finances Pt.1

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple, Kira and Dan unpack what it really means to move from “less math” to “more ministry.” Many pastors feel stuck managing finances instead of leading people, but the real issue isn’t just money, it’s a lack of clarity and systems. This conversation reframes church finances as a tool to fuel mission, not compete with it. By aligning every dollar with the church’s purpose and adopting a higher-level, “CFO mindset,” leaders can move out of the weeds of bookkeeping and into strategic, forward-looking decision-making. Through practical examples and real stories, Dan and Kira show how understanding your finances empowers better stewardship, builds trust, and ultimately accelerates ministry impact, not slows it down. ONE KEY TAKEAWAY If you want more ministry, you have to identify where you’re stuck in “more math.” Take time this week to pinpoint the areas where finances are creating confusion, friction, or distraction, whether that’s clunky systems, lack of clarity, or avoidance altogether. Awareness is the first step toward building systems that actually support your mission. RESOURCES MENTIONED * Parable (church financial systems & support) [https://liveyourparable.com/accounting-for-churches/?pa_utm_source=distilled&pa_utm_medium=episode-summary] * Distilled Podcast (for ongoing church finance insights)