For many years, churches presented their financial statements in traditional accounting formats, including balance sheets, statements of assets and liabilities, and line-item budget spreadsheets.  There is a growing movement in the Church, however, which recognises that these traditional formats are neither well-understood by the majority of parishioners nor particularly faithful to the proclamation of our mission.  These traditional formats still have a place (many are legally required and cannot be neglected!) but for the purposes of communicating the mission and ministry of the Church to parishioners, especially at Annual Meetings of Vestry, another format is both more easily understood and more inspiring.

This format is called Narrative Budgeting, and while it presents exactly the same information as a traditional line-item spreadsheet, it presents it in a much different way.  As the name suggests, rather than a series of line items, a narrative budget categorises types of ministry (for example:  outreach, worship, parish life, etc) and tells a story about the ministry the parish intends to do.  It is proven that parishioners respond better when they can see in a very real way how their monetary investment in the ministry of the Church is at work in the world transforming lives.

If you're interested, below are two Microsoft PowerPoint files which may be helpful.  The first is an introduction to narrative budgeting and the other is the 2010 Vision for Mission and Ministry (Narrative Budget) for the Parish of Tyendinaga.  If you have any questions, or cannot open the files, please contact the Rector.

An Introduction to Narrative Budgets (PowerPoint Presentation)

2010 Vision for Mission & Ministry in the Parish of Tyendinaga (PowerPoint Presentation)