Developing a Childhood Ministry Budget

By Sue Harmon

Childhood ministry costs money! (So does youth ministry, choir ministry, and all other ministries, for that matter!) Whether your church is large, small, or somewhere in between, there must be funds available if you are going to provide a ministry to preschoolers and children. So how do you decide how much money you’ll need?

1 Base your budget request on your plans for the year. This means you will need to do annual planning before you work on your budget request. Your plans should be based on the vision God has given your church for its childhood ministry. There should be much prayer and collaboration in this planning process, involving leaders from all aspects of childhood ministry. (Click here for more help on Annual Planning.)

2 Research the cost of the activities and programs you have planned. Previous years’ financial records can help you see how much was spent in the past. Make phone calls, check catalogs and search websites to determine the costs of curriculum, supplies, and fees.

3 Inspect the equipment and furnishings in the children and preschool areas to see what needs to be repaired, replaced, or cleaned. Don’t forget the carpet! (Note: Some churches include carpet-cleaning in another area of the budget. If so, that’s one less thing for you to research!)

4 Compile your budget proposal and submit it to the appropriate committee or team in your church. Your plans and research will help you to explain or defend your budget request if needed.

5 Through the year, keep good records of the expenses for each program, project, and event. This will be useful for future budgeting processes!

Click here for a Childhood Ministry Budget Worksheet. After saving the document to your computer, it can be modified to fit your needs. Delete items that do not apply to your situation, and insert additional ones as needed.

Prayerful planning, careful research, and good record-keeping can help you to develop an adequate childhood ministry budget. Fulfilling your church’s vision for ministry to children and preschoolers does cost money, but it will bring eternal results!

Sue Harmon serves on the Childhood Ministry Team at State Street Baptist Church in Cayce, SC.