The Power of Reinvesting into Your Church - Solomon Adair  Welcome to Episode 5 of the Mission Driven Budget Podcast!  Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Check out the Mission Driven Budget Blog.   Connect with Pastor Solomon Adair & Inspired to Live Church Inspired to Live Church Instagram: @inspiredtlc Twitter: @inspiredtlc Facebook: @inspiredtlc YouTube: ITLMinistries Reciprocity Message Link: Principles Series - Reciprocity   Notes From This Episode: If you are currently bi-vocational and looking to work full-time for your church or nonprofit in the future, start planning now. The worst move you can make is suddenly taking a full-time salary from a budget that isn't ready for the added weight. If your organization's budget isn't ready, start by introducing a slowly growing stipend for a few years and set a target date in place to go full-time. That way, your budget won't have a heart attack when the time comes! Don't let the fear of perception stop you from teaching about sensitive topics like money in your church. Pastor Solomon came to his own realization about this, "Why am I allowing voices that don't matter dictate what's happening inside the authenticity of our church?" Withholding biblical wisdom because of your own insecurities is selfish and ultimately hurts the people you are called to serve. The principle of reciprocity, or sowing and reaping, is at work in every area of our lives. In particular, money is directly impacted by this principle. Reciprocity is a cycle. It doesn't just stop once the "harvest" is collected. That harvest is reinvested so it can produce even more next time. When teaching about money, it's important to emphasize the motivation behind generosity and good money management.  Pastor Solomon says, "Sometimes we come to church wanting to be a minimal giver and then we ask God for maximum blessing." Generosity is about being a blessing to someone else, not blessing ourselves. Reciprocity is also the link between an organization's leadership and the organization's financial health. If a leader has an unhealthy relationship with money, there's a good chance their organization's finances aren't healthy either. This is especially true in small organizations where there isn't a large board or leadership team to maintain accountability. Are your organization's finances unhealthy? Start by looking at your own money habits first. Numerical growth in a church does not guarantee a healthy finances. Healthy finances stem from good decision making and being disciplined with what you already have. Learning to invest in people, educating them financially, and teaching about generosity are highly effective ways of generating financial health without a surge in membership. If steady numerical growth comes, it will come as a result of investing in the people you have now, not by a flashy advertisement or publicity stunt.