Do you ever have those days when you were busy but didn't feel like you got work done? According to the Anatomy of Work Index, which surveyed over 10,000 knowledge workers around the world, the chances are high that you spend the majority of your time—60% of your day—on "work about work." As a result, the Anatomy of Work Index found that 82% of respondents feel close to burning out at work.

Budgeting season will be most likely be more challenging for church leaders this year. This pandemic year and the financial burden it's created for your church hasn't been easy to navigate.

But here you are. And as the Lord's work continues through your local community of faith, I invite you to consider two essential ingredients related to church budgeting.

How does your church manage all of the information you receive from and about your congregants? Church management systems (ChMS) are designed to help administrators and teams with this. There are so many helpful solutions on the market today, each with their distinct approaches to keeping and managing data.

I remember receiving a Connection Card from a first-time guest. I was not present at the time it was filled out, and I never met the person.

She had indicated on the card that she had been recently divorced. This wasn't a selection on the card; she wrote it in the margin on the card. She also said she was looking for a church. I was moved as I read this card. I didn't know who she was, but I felt honored that she had entrusted this personal info she shared, and I stopped to imagine what her situation might be like.