At Good Samaritan Episcopal Church we have started to discern the future of our little church plant. To practice discernment together, we are having what we call “Cottage Conversations”. These conversations are taking place during September and as each group gathers we are asking them to explore the big question of “Why do we exist?” within the context of Good Samaritan’s core values.
 
These core values were determined by a group of 15 lay leaders and Good Samaritan’s staff. This was a collaborative process of transparency and openness. After the Core Values were determined, the group brought them back to the wider congregation to discuss. The following are what the Good Samaritan community has determined to be its Core Values.

Here are five important things about money every pastor ought to know. Any one of them can be difficult to learn depending on your background, life experience and aptitude. This is not a 5 quick tips article. However, over time (in some cases, years) and with practice you'll be better able to lead in stewardship and overall church financial matters.

Pop quiz time! An affluent member of your congregation is touched by the hardships of a family in your community and wants to use her financial resources to assist the family. The most tax-savvy way for your compassionate congregant to help is to: 

​A.) Offer the family free counseling services. She can deduct the price of the fees from her tax return.
​B.) Write the family a big check and make it payable to the head of household.
​C.) Write a check payable to your church and specify that the funds assist the family in need.
​D.) Pray that the family will get a really big tax refund from the IRS.

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​Most people remember Albert Einstein for his expertise in the laws of physics and his theory of special relativity. But it turns out Einstein was also a genius when it comes to articulating rather mundane money matters. The white-haired wizard stated, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn’t, pays it.”

Whether you call it accountability, or transparency, the sharing of parish financial information—including clergy compensation—is an integral component of modeling stewardship in a congregation. A cleric’s compensation is comprised of elements beyond monetary payment and can be described as a compensation package. What makes up the package?

The year is ending, and tax time is near. Clergy taxes can be especially complicated by a dual tax status which designates ministers as both employees and self-employed. We recommend that you find a tax professional with experience in ministerial taxes to help you navigate your 1040, but you don’t have to be an accountant to benefit from these 4 tips to maximize your tax savings.

Are your credit report and your credit score “one and the same?” Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they are two distinct metrics financial institutions consider to evaluate your creditworthiness. Following are some common questions about credit reports and scores.

God established a covenant with us to give us guidelines for healthy living and relationships. 
When being presented to a Bishop for ordination, the question is asked if the manner of life of the person being presented is "suitable to the exercise of this ministry." As clergy, we are to be models of a God-centered life to the people and the communities we serve.