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It’s amazing how God weaves such a unique group of people into our ministries, with different skill sets and distinctive strengths, each created with a unique perspective on their contribution to the success of the ministry. In a perfect world, each one complements the other and, as a unified team, they produce a “win” for the ministry. It’s a nice dream. But reality check — we don’t operate in a perfect world or with perfect people.
Some of the most challenging groups of people to unite in ministry operations are development (those who count the money) and finance (those who account for the money). The reason is understandable: they are often two very different types of people, with different perspectives and objectives, and they speak different languages! The divide between those two groups can, at minimum, contribute to miscommunication. At worst, the chasm can trigger unending conflict. Good and valuable people become frustrated, time is wasted, opportunities are missed, and the momentum of the ministry suffers.
Playing nice together is…well, nice.
But playing as a cohesive team is a totally different dynamic!
A team’s unity not only makes for a more peaceable workplace but can also create consistent “wins” for any organization. However, a team is not united by accident but by intentionality. It’s not easy, but it is possible when you begin to focus on some key elements that bridge the gap between development and finance.
Join us in our next webinar as we discuss four key elements that help bridge the divide and help build a highly effective fundraising and marketing relationship. Our guest will be Michael Martin, President of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Both an attorney and a CPA, Michael has served ECFA for more than a decade and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on how implementing these factors can lead to organizational health and growth.
