Good Shepherd Bookkeeping Solutions

06/01/2026

Is your church planning a mission trip this summer?

Mission trips are exciting, but the financial side can get messy fast if there is not a clear system in place.

A couple of simple tips:

1) Keep mission trip funds separate. Donations given for the trip should be tracked separately from the general budget so they are used for the purpose donors intended.
2) Save receipts as you go. Gas, meals, supplies, baggage fees, and last-minute expenses can add up quickly. A receipt capture app or shared Google Drive folder can make this much easier for team leaders.

The cleaner the process is during the trip, the less your treasurer or bookkeeper has to piece together afterward.

We put together a full article with practical mission trip financial tips for churches here:

https://goodshepherdbookkeeping.com/2025/05/23/mission-trip-financial-tips-for-churches/

05/28/2026

What happens if someone on your ministry staff needs extended medical or family leave?

It is one of those HR questions that may not come up often, but when it does, leaders need to know what applies.

For many ministries, that starts with understanding FMLA. At the federal level, FMLA provides job-protected, unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. For many employers, the key threshold is 50 or more employees.

But federal law is not the only thing to consider.

Some states have their own family and medical leave programs, and those state-level rules may apply even when federal FMLA does not. California is one example. A ministry in California may need to consider both federal FMLA and California’s own leave laws, depending on its size, employees, and situation.

The big takeaway: do not assume your ministry is too small or that leave laws do not apply because you are a church or nonprofit.

It is worth knowing:

1) What federal law requires
2) What your state requires
3) How your ministry handles PTO and benefits during leave
4) Who communicates what when an employee needs time away

HR Ministry Solutions has a helpful guide on FMLA for ministries. It is a good resource to review before a staff situation forces the conversation. You can check out their article here:

Can you work another job while on FMLA? Learn how FMLA applies to churches, the 50-headcount trigger, equivalent positions, and unique rules for clergy.

05/26/2026

Most churches see giving dip during the summer, but not every church has a plan for it.

When ministry leaders share expected costs early, the finance team can plan around camp expenses, VBS invoices, reimbursements, and payroll before cash gets tight.

Our latest blog walks through how to prepare for the summer giving slump before it puts pressure on your church budget.

Read it here https://goodshepherdbookkeeping.com/2026/05/20/summer-giving-slump-church-cash-flow-planning/

05/22/2026

One of the most common fund accounting mix-ups we see:

Calling every “set aside” fund a restricted fund.

But there’s a big difference between money the board set aside and money a donor restricted.

If the board designated it, the board can usually redesignate it.

If the donor restricted it, the organization needs to honor the donor’s intent.

That difference matters when leadership is trying to understand what money is actually available.

Before labeling a fund as restricted, ask, “Who put the restriction on it?”

The board? Or the donor?

That one question can clear up a lot of confusion.

Save this cheat sheet as a quick reference for your next finance or board meeting.

05/20/2026

A church can have a solid annual budget and still run short on cash in July.

Summer giving often shifts when families travel, while certain expenses land right in the middle of the slower weeks, such as camp reimbursements, VBS invoices, and insurance payments.

In our latest article, we walk through how to review last summer’s giving, plan for June through August expenses, and separate general operating cash from designated funds.

Read the full post here:

Summer giving often drops while church expenses continue. Learn how to forecast cash flow, review giving trends, and plan for VBS and camp

05/12/2026

Tax scams aren't just a personal finance issue. They can affect churches and ministries, too.

The IRS recently released its 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of common tax scams, and several are especially important for ministry leaders to watch for:

• Fake IRS emails or texts asking you to click a link
• Phone calls using urgent language or even AI-generated voices
• Fake charities created after disasters or major events
• Viral “tax advice” on social media that sounds helpful but could create serious problems

A good rule of thumb: if a message feels urgent, threatening, or too good to be true, slow down before responding.

Churches should make sure staff and volunteers know the basics: don’t click suspicious links, don’t share sensitive information, and don’t rely on tax advice from social media without verifying it first.

Stewardship includes protecting your church’s financial information.

Read the IRS warning here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats

05/07/2026

Many churches assume that if someone has “pastor” in their title, they automatically qualify as a minister for federal tax purposes, but the IRS looks at more than just a job title.

When determining ministerial status, the IRS generally considers several factors, including:

• Whether the person is ordained, commissioned, or licensed
• Whether they lead worship or perform ministerial duties
• Whether they administer sacraments
• Whether they have leadership responsibilities within the church
• Whether the church recognizes them as a religious leader

This matters because ministerial status affects things like housing allowance eligibility, Social Security treatment, and payroll setup.

Before classifying someone as clergy for payroll or tax purposes, it’s important to look at the full picture and make sure the role aligns with IRS guidance. Don't just base your decision on the title alone.

05/05/2026

Most churches don’t realize there’s an issue with their books until they go to refinance or take out a mortgage.

Everything is moving forward… until the lender reviews the financials. Then everything suddenly comes to a halt.

🛑 “We’ll need to get this cleaned up before we can move forward.”

Nothing is necessarily wrong.
The books just aren’t clear or organized enough to support the decision.

So when the lender asks for clean financials going back a few years, what should be a straightforward process turns into delays… or added costs.

We broke down what “clean books” actually look like and why they matter: https://goodshepherdbookkeeping.com/2025/05/06/clean-church-financial-statements/

04/30/2026

If your church doesn’t have a financial policies manual, this is a good place to start.

We put together a short article that includes a simple worksheet to help you actually build one out. It walks through things like donations, reimbursements, payroll, and designated funds.

You can grab it here:
https://goodshepherdbookkeeping.com/2025/05/30/church-financial-policies-manual/

04/28/2026

A lot of churches don’t have financial policies written down.

They have ways of doing things, but not policies. And that works, until:

1) Someone new steps in
2) Something unusual happens
3) Two people remember it differently

That’s usually when things get messy. We put together a guide that lays out the main policies churches tend to need. If you’ve never formalized this, it’s a helpful starting point:

Wondering what to include in your church financial manual? Learn the key policies and procedures every church should document to ensure clarity and compliance.