Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple

Summary: Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle can make church giving feel quick and easy—but convenience can come with hidden risks. In this episode, Dan and Greg from Parable unpack why peer-to-peer payment apps can create tangled bookkeeping, donor tracking issues, tax confusion, privacy concerns, and transparency gaps for churches. They also explain the difference between personal Venmo accounts and Venm...

Episode Summary In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple , Kira and Morgan unpack 3 Mid-Year Church Money Moves That Could Make or Break the Year . The conversation walks church leaders through how to pause at the halfway point of the year, review giving trends, check cash health, and realign spending with ministry priorities. Instead of treating a mid-year financial review like a...

Summary Many pastors feel overwhelmed when they look at their church’s financial reports. Spreadsheets are full of unfamiliar categories, long account lists, and numbers that feel difficult to interpret. In this episode of Distilled: Church Finances Made Simple , Dan and Kira explain how church leaders can simplify financial oversight without becoming accountants. Instead of getting lost in compli...

Episode Summary In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple , Kira and Dan unpack what it really means to move from “less math” to “more ministry.” Many pastors feel stuck managing finances instead of leading people, but the real issue isn’t just money, it’s a lack of clarity and systems. This conversation reframes church finances as a tool to fuel mission, not compete with it. By ali...

Episode Summary What can $18 billion in real church giving data teach us about generosity? In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple , Kira and Dan sit down with DeWayne McNally from Mortarstone to unpack insights from one of the most comprehensive generosity studies ever conducted—spanning 661 churches, millions of households, and nearly $18 billion in donations. The data reveals a...

pisode Summary In this episode of Distilled, Kira Echeandia and Dan Pourbaix sit down with Craig Fatt from Injoy Stewardship to unpack a powerful framework for church generosity: the five seasons of church funding . Too often, churches operate in constant “harvest mode”—asking for giving without cultivating the culture that sustains it. Craig explains how healthy church funding follows a natural r...

Summary: Most pastors spend hours figuring out where ministry money should go, but almost zero time ensuring that money actually happens. In this episode of Distilled , Dan and Kira are joined by Craig Fatt from INJOY Stewardship Solutions to bridge the gap between "having a budget" and "having a funding plan". Craig reveals why a budget without a funding plan is like a "car without wheels" and wh...

Episode Summary:In this episode of Distilled Church Finance Made Simple, Dustin Alexander and Jim Sheppard of Generis discuss the critical role of high-level financial oversight in the church. The conversation highlights the value of a fractional CFO, who provides the "financial architecture" and long-term foresight that smaller or mid-sized churches often lack but cannot afford full-time. By leve...

Episode Summary:In this episode of Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple, we kick off a 3-part series with Jim Sheppard, Chairman and Principal of Generis, to unpack one of the most misunderstood roles in church leadership: the CFO.This conversation moves beyond spreadsheets and day-to-day accounting to explore financial foresight—how churches can build the financial architecture needed to support...

Episode Summary: This episode continues the conversation with Mark Venti of Overflow and Generosity University , addressing the common pastoral struggle of talking about money in the church, especially amid congregational skepticism. Mark Venti highlights that Jesus spoke about money frequently, emphasizing stewardship and giving as matters of the heart, not just financial literacy. To overcome fe...

This episode features Mark Venti of Overflow and Generosity University (Gen U) on why church giving often stalls. Mark, a former pastor, believes stagnant growth is due to low trust, pastors being hesitant to discuss money, and a lack of discipleship for younger generations. The solution involves a three-pronged approach: Teach biblical principles on giving. Bring in neutral voices (like financial...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Distilled , Dan and Kira sit down with DeWayne from MortarStone for the third and final conversation in their year-end giving series. Together, they unpack why nonprofits consistently outperform churches in year-end fundraising—and what church leaders can do to change that. DeWayne highlights the key differences: bold asks, impact-driven storytelling, and strong...

Episode Summary: This episode, featuring DeWayne from Mortarstone, focuses on why churches must segment their givers instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. DeWayne explains that a giver's age, generation, and financial capacity—whether they're a top giver or someone giving their first $20—significantly changes their perspective and ability to give. Treating everyone the same can lead to di...

Episode Summary: Host Dan and Kira discuss the critical need for churches to start planning their year-end giving strategy immediately with Mortarstone's Chief of Staff, DeWayne McNally. The major challenge for churches is that their congregations are already receiving communications from nonprofits, which treat year-end giving as their "Super Bowl". Nonprofits are effective because they focus on...

Episode Summary: Budgeting doesn’t have to be a burden—it can be an act of discipleship. In this final conversation of our three-part series with Joseph Plagge from Martus Solutions, we explore the “head, heart, and hands” model of stewardship. Together, we unpack how budgets reflect priorities, how collaboration keeps teams engaged throughout the year, and why celebrating wins makes financial ste...

Episode Summary In this episode of Distilled , Kira and Dan welcome back Joseph Plagge from Martus Solutions to explore how church budgeting goes far beyond numbers—it’s a spiritual discipline rooted in stewardship. Together, they unpack why budgeting should be seen as an act of faithfulness and worship, not just an administrative task. By reframing budgets as tools for discipleship, pastors and l...

Episode Summary Budgeting season doesn’t have to feel like a plunge into the unknown. In this episode of Distilled , we sit down with Joseph Plagge from Martus Solutions to talk about how pastors and ministry leaders can move past the fear and frustration often associated with budgeting. Joseph shares practical ways to reframe budgeting from a dreaded spreadsheet exercise into a mission-driven opp...

Episode Summary In this episode of Distilled , Dan and Kira share insights from Parable’s 2025 Summer Church Finance Survey of over 300 churches. While most pastors believe their congregations trust their financial leadership, the survey revealed a major gap: churches rarely talk about money, disciple in generosity, or equip leaders to manage finances confidently. Dan and Kira discuss why finances...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Distilled: Church Finances Made Simple , we’re joined by Gabe Pelphrey, Principal at Stewarded, to unpack the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and its impact on health benefits for churches and nonprofits. Gabe breaks down what’s changing in the health insurance landscape—including the removal of COVID-era subsidies, new opportunities with ICHRAs and QSEHRAs, and expand...

Summary: In this episode of Distilled , Kira and Dan break down three critical mid-year financial review steps every church leader should take to set up for a strong finish. If your church operates on a calendar year budget, this is the perfect time to evaluate income, cash flow, and your ministry “wish list.” Dan shares practical tips and tools that help pastors and church finance teams make inte...

The American church’s reliance on tithes and offerings as its primary source of income is no longer enough to sustain long-term ministry. In this episode, Dan Pourbaix and Greg Daley of Parable speak with Mark DeYmaz, pastor and CEO of The Church Economist, about the financial disruption already underway—and what churches must do to adapt. Mark explains that thriving churches are expanding beyond...

Every dollar your church spends is either fueling your mission—or distracting from it. In this episode of Distilled , Kira Echeandia and Dan Pourbaix sit down with Parable founder Greg Daley and Church Economics expert Mark DeYmaz to unpack what it means to keep every dollar on mission. They explore why churches often lose financial focus as they grow, where the disconnect happens between mission...

Inflation, recession, declining giving—these are real concerns for church leaders. But what if they’re not the biggest threat to your church’s financial health? In this episode of Distilled, Dan Pourbaix sits down with Greg Daley (Founder & CEO of Parable) and Mark DeYmaz (Pastor, Author, and CEO of ChurchEconomist) to uncover what’s really holding churches back: an outdated economic model. Yo...

In this episode of  Distilled , Dan and Kira kick off a two-part series exploring how to align your church’s finances with its mission. Dan explains what a financial operating system is, why every church already has one—intentional or not—and how Parable’s PFOS helps churches move from confusion to clarity by streamlining tools, policies, and strategy. One Key Takeaway:  An unintentional financial...

In this episode of Distilled , Greg Daley, founder and visionary of Parable, joins host Dan Pourbaix to announce and unpack Parable’s bold new nationwide initiative: a survey designed to hear directly from church leaders about what’s really happening in church finances. Together, they explore the three key areas the survey is focused on— financial management , stewardship development , and account...