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2) Spend Throughout the Year. In order to assist with the flow of money coming in, attempt to spend throughout the year. Avoid spending all of your money at the beginning or end of the year. If you spend too much at the beginning of the year, you may have little left for emergencies that come up later in the year. One December, I realized that I had not spent all the money allotted for the music budget. Realizing that the ministry had many needs, I spent the remainder of the budget (a considerable amount) in the last two weeks of December. In January I was asked to attend the budget committee meeting to explain the expenditures. Earlier in the month, the committee had projected any additional expenses that might come at the end of the year. My expenditures surprised them, for their year-end statement was different than they had expected, and I learned an important lesson.

3) Follow Church Procedures. You should follow all accounting procedures that your church has adopted. Each church is different; therefore, you must get to know the system and work within the guidelines.

Bids – Many churches will require you to receive bids or price comparisons on major items (items costing more than a certain amount). If this is the case, follow the procedure, and keep the bids in a file for later reference if needed.

Purchase Orders (PO) – A purchase order is a document from your church's financial officer guaranteeing that your account has the funds to pay for the item(s). For example, if you order an autoharp for $150, you must get a purchase order number from your church, which you would give when placing the order. You would then send or fax the PO to the company if they require it. If ordering by mail, send the purchase order with the order. The PO has two purposes: (1) it assures the company that you have the money in your account and that your organization is willing to pay, and (2) it keeps you from committing to more purchases than you have the funds to cover (every time a purchase order is issued, the account is checked for available funds).

Receipts – Be sure to submit receipts for purchases that require them (almost everything). If you don't submit receipts, don't expect the church to reimburse you. The church will usually pay a vendor when a bill is received; but some churches require you to match a packing slip with a bill in order for the payment to be issued.

I have known ministers who were never reimbursed for travel because they did not provide receipts. Be organized, or assign the duty to someone else. Never pad expense accounts. Be able to show the actual receipt, if needed, in addition to the credit card receipt.

4) Be a Team Player in Tough Financial Times. When your church has budget cuts, freezes, or suggestions to cut-back, be a team player. Don't continue to spend during tough times, and don't expect to be able to spend your entire budget once the curtailing measures are lifted unless instructed to do so.

5) Balance Service, Quality, and Price. Sometimes you can buy an item at a good price, but it is of poor quality and may not provide good service. When making purchases, balance these three priorities.

6) Keep the Financial Person Informed. If there is a problem with a receipt or you've purchased something that you don't need, keep the financial person informed. He/she will probably be willing to work with you if informed of the process early on.

7) Keep a List of Orders and Expenditures. It is easy to forget something has been ordered or that money is committed for a particular purpose. Keep a log of all orders, money promised, and items that will be billed later. Checking the amount of money left in the budget does not mean that you can spend the money. Often, bills take a month or more to arrive. Also, the log allows you to check for items not received, since you can be charged for items that you have not received.

8) Credit Cards. Church credit cards have the same risks as personal cards. Keep accurate records of credit card transactions.

9) Check Packing Slips Against Orders. Sometimes packers make mistakes and do not include everything in an order, send the correct anthem with the wrong voicing, or the correct title with the wrong arranger. These are common mistakes. Always check for quantity as well.

10) Check the Music Library before Placing an Order. I have occasionally failed to check the music library before ordering a piece only to discover that we already have the work. This is not good stewardship of the church's money!

11) Turn in Requisitions Immediately. When paying someone, turn in the payment requisition as soon as you know the expense will occur. This will keep the person from waiting for his/her check for a long period of time. Once I called an organist to fill-in at our church, and he informed me that he'd never been paid for the last time he filled in because I had failed to submit a requisition. The most difficult person to remember to pay is the person who fills in for you when you're away.

12) Maintenance Is also a Part of Fiscal Responsibility. Don't ignore proper maintenance of current instruments, equipment, and the library or other musically related items. This is a part of good fiscal responsibility and stewardship.

cquiring Music

When I was a college student, a professor once said to me, "The most time-consuming and difficult responsibility of the choral conductor is acquiring music." Frankly, I did not believe him at the time. I thought I knew many choral pieces, and I couldn't wait to try them out on a choir. In my first job, I quickly learned that finding music that is right for the choir, church, and budget really is a difficult and time-consuming responsibility. This chapter will help you in this process.

What Music Is Needed?

Choral music is needed for the adult choir, youth choir, children's choirs, and various ensembles. Instrumental music is needed for handbells, orchestra, brass ensembles, wind ensembles, soloists, and others. Keyboard music is needed for the organist, pianist, and other keyboard instruments. Vocal music is needed for soloists. Music is needed in all types of voicing (Unison, SA, SSA, SATB, SAB, TB, TTB, and TTBB). Not only do you need the right voicing, but also the music must fit the particular voices in the group, the accompanist, and the needs of your church's worship.

Where Do You Find Music?

There are many sources for finding music. In order to keep abreast of new materials that are appropriate for your groups, you should utilize many sources.