Blog - The Provisum Group

If you take a housing allowance, you may owe a lot more money to IRS than you think.

If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you are a pastor or a leader at a

One Good Thing that Came From COVID-19

Just so we are all on the same page. Covid-19 is a bad thing. Period. Sickness. Death. Quarantine. Closed churches.

The Greatest Church Outreach Opportunity in Centuries

“…explore the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Israelites.” We read these words in the 13th chapter

Digital Evangelism: The Tipping Point

Shortly after World War I, a popular song captured an important question that is relevant again today, “How Ya Gonna

The Levee is Breached, and the Water is Rising

Recently, I was talking with a pastor of a medium-sized church who, like every church in America, was struggling with

Staying Connected While Staying Apart

It has been almost one whole month since my church and many of the churches that we serve here at

CARES ACT Update

I have spent the morning on the phone with bankers and faith-based accounting professionals. What I can tell you now

Corona Virus: How Your Church can Thrive in These Troubled Times.

We are living in unprecedented times. Many local leaders have asked the church to temporarily close her doors for the

Is She “Allowed” in Your Church?

I recently met a young woman I’ll call Katie. She is 23 years old and a single mom. She has

The IRS made changes that will probably cost pastors and ministry leaders money

While the world was counting down to the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service was making changes to the US

Raise More Money

Remember that during His earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven or hell. We aren’t

The Truth About Connecting with Newcomers

You can’t pastor a church, own a company, or be a boss and not have some mercy and grace in

Define Your Brand

When we talk about your church’s “brand,” we are not talking about a logo, a slogan, or a mission statement.

Community Connections on a Budget: 3 Steps

In order to grow, one thing has to happen: The church has to interact with more people. Then we need

A Gift For You

I am humbled that over 60,000 pastors and ministry leaders are connected with me and this ministry. I take the

Is your Church Prepared for New Department of Labor Requirements for Overtime Pay?

At The Provisum Group, we perform payroll services for churches and faith-based charities all over the country. It is our

Six Simple Keys to better Church Communication Content.

At The Provisum Group, we provide virtual staffing solutions for churches and faith-based charities. We primarily provide services in the

Does your church appear in search engines?

The Front Door isn’t the Front Door Anymore

It is no secret that churches in America are struggling with church growth. Fewer people attending fewer services, fewer times

Growing a church in the twenty-first century

Ignore this Person and Your Church Won’t Grow

I was ordained in a faith tradition of spiritual fathers and sons. As I was going through my ordination process,

Church Bells in a Steeple - The Church must make a connection

Why Don’t The Bells Ring Anymore?

Last week I was talking to a pastor in Texas who was interested in learning more about how to grow

Find the persAEvangelist hearts grow churchon with the evangelist's heart and grow your church

Grow your church through the evangelist’s heart

I want to tell you about a recent church service I attended. It was Easter morning. The church was packed.

Do this one thing this Easter and more visitors will come back.

Easter is this weekend, but I don’t need to tell you that. You and every other pastor in the country

Court Brings Closure to Housing Allowance Legal Challenge

Over the past year, I have been tracking a legal battle that has been fought over the constitutionality of the

The Theology for Growth

Since the day Jesus ascended to heaven, Christians have been commissioned to go into all the world and make disciples

The Provisum Group CPAs can help with tax advice

Clergy Compensation Comes Under US Tax Court Scrutiny

I recently learned of another court ruling that further clarifies how clergy are compensated. Now I am no accountant and

The number one thing churches can do to get visitors to come back

A few months ago, I was talking with a pastor friend of mine who was lamenting that his church was

Ministerial Housing Allowance Goes Back To Court

As President of The Provisum Group, I lead a group of talented professionals who manage the finances of churches and faith-based

Update on Constitutionality of Housing Allowances

Late last year a federal judge ruled that the housing allowance received by clergy was unconstitutional. With the passage of

Winners Want To Keep Score

My three adult sons were all year-round athletes in high school. My wife and I were endlessly sitting in hot,

Do Hard Conversations Promote Growth?

Do Hard Conversations Promote Growth? Not always. But avoiding them usually hinders growth. In church business, we are called to

Don’t Just Work In It. Work On It.

In order to become a great leader you must learn to make things better in your organization. The first way

Whose Mission Is It Anyway?

‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:8) Simple right? But over the

Honor the Widow’s Mite

Ministry leaders are responsible to do what Jesus did—to watch over ministry finances. Jesus watched people giving in the

If You Build It, They Will Come… Maybe…

The common error of thought in many churches is, If we build it, they will come. Whether it’s a new website,

Principles for Minding His Business

Minding His Business Principle 1 The greatest cost most churches will incur is “opportunity cost” — the price of doing

Pastors Need (at least some) Business Training

I love how seminaries train our clergy to understand the bible and how to exegete appropriately. Many of these schools

Making Tough Personnel Decisions

Resignations and dismissals don’t necessarily need to be negative. By taking time to pay close attention to the details

You Can Train a Dog to Climb a Tree…But Why?

Church leaders are notoriously famous for hiring the wrong people. Pastors often hire people who are passionate or competent or

Little Numbers Add Up to Be Big Numbers

Your church’s finances are susceptible to an issue called “little numbers”. Little numbers can plague even the healthiest of local

Know Your Costs

Part 1 – On who is your church spending its money Here is a little exercise to try. Think of

How to Raise More Money (Part 1)

Remember that, during His earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven or hell. We aren’t

How to Raise More Money (Part 2)

If you want to raise more money, you need to learn about the different ways that money can be raised

Follow Up

People will visit your church for lots of different reasons, but they stick around because of the relationships they form

Experience is Expensive

The reason for hiring people with experience is because they have had “experiences”. If those people had only victories, they

Four Ways to Grow Respect in Church Business Affairs

In real life, business really must be just business. Business isn’t personal unless someone makes it personal out of a

Post Christian Financial Prep

In the past forty years, The Western Church has gone from being a leading force in a Christian culture to

Friction is Good

Friction is a good and necessary part of life. In ministry, as we make progress in doing what we love—see

When To Test God

Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me

Price Is Not Cost

When we compare potential church projects, we ask, “What is the cost of this?” “What is the cost of that?”

How to Predict (and Grow) Giving in Your Church

One of the most overlooked and under-utilized assets in the church is your church’s database of donors and attendees.

Bring Your Communications Tools Out of the Dark Ages

When it comes to church communications, people’s preferences vary. Some prefer email; others prefer getting their updates via the church

Millennials Will Give Your Church Money (if it’s easy to give)

Christians need to learn to become givers, and the church needs to help them. Most people will not teach

How to Capture Names Without Seeming Pushy

Figuring out how to capture names without seeming pushy is key. In 1936, Dale Carnegie wrote one of the best

A Sailboat and the Kingdom of God

If you’ve ever been on a sailboat, you know that you can set the sails properly, but you cannot make

How to Manage Your Staff So that They Do What You’ve Asked Them To Do

One of the most neglected parts of management, especially in churches, is accountability. And the most neglected part of accountability

The Pearl

Price is Not Cost When your desire is to win people to Christ, then the primary cost to be concerned

Wisdom for Churches Who Need to Purchase Large Ticket Items

Every church needs to buy goods and services. How do you know if you’re getting a good deal? Get bids

How to Work with Top Performers in Your Church

Does your church struggle to get things done? Do you measure performance by how well-liked a person is or

District Court Calls Minister’s Housing Allowance Unconstitutional

I wanted to update you on a court case that may have a huge impact on you and your ministry.

How To Use Auto-Deduction to Improve Your Church’s Giving

Two important options to offer on every digital communication tool your church you uses are: (1) “Would you like

Preaching on Money

Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test

How to Help Low Performing Employees In Your Church

I sympathize with pastors who are faced with the issue of a difficult employee. On the one hand, parishioners

Using Empirical Evidence Can Help Prevent Unnecessary Conflicts

Empirical evidence is the key to keep a cool head in your church ministry. It actually helps prevent unnecessary

How Churches Can Win with the IRS (Part 1)

Churches are not completely exempt from “rendering unto Caesar” what is due. If you are a pastor at church, you

How Churches Can Win with the IRS (Part 2)

As we discussed in Part 1, Churches are not completely exempt from “rendering unto Caesar” what is due. If you

Mentoring: Where Young and Old Collide

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old

Three Hiring Strategies to Increase Business Expertise in Your Church

The church is not a business. The church just conducts business. This is a difficult reality for certain churches to

The Provisum Group Accredited by National Financial Accountability Organization

REYNOLDSBURG, OH – The ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) announced today the accreditation of The Provisum Group of Reynoldsburg,

When Business Acumen and the Pastor’s Vision Collide

If an undertaking is meant to create margin, someone at the table has to talk about such practical considerations as

Conflict Isn’t Always Bad

Conflict isn’t always bad. In fact, it’s often a catalyst for growth. High-capacity leaders have a tendency to create