Ministry
Accounting
Church Training Center provides recurring accounting services for churches, denominational bodies, church schools, parachurch organizations, and other ministry-related nonprofits. We also selectively serve for-profit businesses whose work supports ministry settings. Our accounting services are tailored to each organization's needs, with clearly defined responsibilities and agreed scope.
Ministry Accounting
What Core Ministry Accounting Includes
Every Ministry Accounting engagement includes the same foundation of recurring accounting services. The work is tailored to your organization’s operations, with applicable services, responsibilities, and workload defined in the agreed scope. Continuity, Capacity, and Shared Stewardship differ in their additional leadership and organizational support—not in the accounting functions available.
Bookkeeping & General Ledger
Recurring transaction recording, general ledger maintenance, income and expense accounting, routine journal entries, and account maintenance to keep financial records current and organized.
Account Reconciliations
Reconciliation of bank accounts, credit cards, and applicable investment accounts to the accounting records, including investigation and resolution of routine discrepancies.
Accounts Payable & BILL
BILL subscription, vendor bill entry, accounts-payable workflows, approval routing, and authorized payment processing. BILL Spend & Expense access is also included. Your organization retains payment authorization and approval authority.
Accounts Receivable & Billing
Preparation and recording of applicable customer invoices, accounts-receivable tracking, payment recording, and routine receivable reconciliation within the agreed accounting scope.
Payroll & Direct Deposit
Payroll processing for applicable employees and clergy, including wage and deduction accounting, employee direct deposits, and recording payroll activity in the accounting system.
Payroll Taxes & W-2s
Applicable quarterly and annual federal and state payroll tax reporting and filings, payroll tax payment arrangements, and annual Form W-2 preparation, with responsibilities defined in the engagement.
Contractor 1099 Reporting
Applicable Form 1099 preparation and reporting for qualifying contractor payments, based on the organization’s records and agreed reporting responsibilities.
Contributions & Giving
Contribution-income accounting and reconciliation of giving-platform deposits and activity to the accounting ledger, helping connect recorded contributions with actual financial activity.
Fund & Grant Accounting
Routine accounting for designated and restricted funds, applicable grant activity, and fund balances, with records reflecting the purposes and restrictions associated with organizational resources.
Financial Statements & Dashboards
Regular Statements of Financial Position and Activities, budget-to-actual reports, applicable comparisons, cash-flow information, and dashboards. Routine report explanations are included, with reporting details established in the engagement.
Year-End Accounting & Closing
Routine year-end reconciliations, closing entries, ledger review, and preparation of accounting records for the completed year. Where applicable, we also track identified potentially unrelated business income and associated expenses and provide accounting records for tax-return preparation.
Accounting Technology & Workflows
Routine accounting-system assistance and workflow support. QuickBooks Desktop is our standard client platform; QuickBooks Online is available at additional cost. Major software projects are separately scoped.
Additional Benefits for Ministry Accounting Clients
Effective Church Leadership Community
Access to the Effective Church Leadership Community, connecting ministry leaders with educational resources, webinars, recorded learning opportunities, and peer engagement under the Community’s current participation terms.
Ministry Partner Benefits
Access to applicable Church Training Center ministry partner benefits, subject to current partner offerings, eligibility, and participation terms.
Giving-Platform Responsibilities
Individual donor-by-donor contribution entry and donor-record maintenance within a giving platform are not included in any Ministry Accounting level. These services may be arranged separately according to your organization’s needs. Your organization retains responsibility for its giving platform and for issuing donor statements and receipts unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing.
Three Levels of Accounting Support
Every Ministry Accounting level includes the same recurring accounting services and applicable benefits described above. The difference is how much additional support your organization receives for its finance team, budgeting, financial policies, and governance responsibilities.
Choose the level that best fits your organization’s leadership and operational needs.
Continuity
Recurring Accounting
Continuity provides the complete recurring Ministry Accounting foundation within your organization’s agreed scope. It is designed for organizations seeking professional accounting and financial reporting while maintaining their own arrangements for budgeting, finance-team development, and governance support.
Services include applicable bookkeeping, reconciliations, payables and receivables, payroll and tax reporting, contribution and fund accounting, financial statements, and year-end closing.
Capacity
Accounting + Finance Team Support
Everything in Continuity, plus:
Finance Team Orientation & Training: A two-hour session introducing finance-team responsibilities, with a copy of The Ministry of Money.
Financial Policies & Procedures: A draft manual provided for your organization to review, edit, and approve.
Annual Budget Development: Full annual Budget Development Support to help your organization prepare its budget.
Shared Stewardship
Accounting + Finance and Governance Support
Everything in Capacity, plus:
Quarterly Financial Reviews: Four scheduled financial review meetings each year to discuss financial reports and organizational financial matters.
Governance Team Orientation & Training: Practical orientation for those serving in organizational governance and oversight roles.
Leadership Resource: A copy of Embracing Our Call to support responsible governance and leadership.
How Ministry Accounting Is Priced
Ministry Accounting is priced according to your organization’s actual accounting needs. All three engagement levels provide the same recurring accounting foundation, while Capacity and Shared Stewardship include additional organizational support.
Accounting complexity affects the cost of performing the work. It is not a separate add-on service.
Starting at
$450/month
Your monthly fee is individually determined by accounting workload, agreed responsibilities, and the support level you select.
The published starting price applies to qualifying ministry engagements; it is not a fixed price for every organization or support level. Ministry-serving businesses receive individualized proposals based on their operations.
What Affects Your Monthly Fee
Accounts & Transactions
Number of bank and credit-card accounts, transaction volume, and reconciliation workload.
Payables & Billing
Volume and complexity of vendor bills, payment processing, customer billing, and receivables.
Payroll
Number of employees, payroll frequency, compensation arrangements, and applicable tax jurisdictions.
Funds & Grants
Restricted funds, grant activity, investments, endowments, and related accounting requirements.
Organization & Approvals
Multiple entities, locations, departments, approval arrangements, and organizational workflows.
Reporting & Systems
Reporting requirements, dashboard needs, accounting-system complexity, and specialized reporting arrangements.
Accounting Software Options
QuickBooks Desktop is Church Training Center’s standard accounting platform for clients. QuickBooks Online is also available at additional cost. Software arrangements and any additional charges are addressed in the individualized proposal.
Additional Work and Independent Services
Our recurring Ministry Accounting engagements cover the accounting functions described above, within the agreed scope. Some organizations also need additional administrative support, a one-time accounting project, or a distinct consulting service.
These services can be arranged according to your organization’s needs, with responsibilities and pricing established separately.
Optional Recurring Services
Additional ongoing services may include:
Donor Data Entry & Maintenance: Individual contribution entry and donor-record maintenance within a giving platform, quoted primarily according to donor-base size and actual needs.
Additional Team Training: Finance Team or Governance Team Orientation & Training sessions beyond those included in the selected engagement.
Additional Financial Reviews: Scheduled financial review meetings beyond those included in the selected support level.
Specialized Grant Administration: Grant-specific reporting or administrative work beyond routine grant and restricted-fund accounting.
Event Accounting: Registration accounting and financial settlement support for events requiring separately defined ongoing work.
Each service is provided only when included in a separate agreement or expressly added to the existing engagement.
Separately Scoped Projects
Some accounting needs involve substantial work beyond ordinary recurring operations, such as:
Historical Cleanup: Correcting or reconciling accounting records from prior periods.
Accounting Reconstruction: Rebuilding incomplete or unreliable financial records.
Chart-of-Accounts Restructuring: Major changes to account organization and reporting structure.
Software Conversion or Implementation: Significant accounting-system migrations, implementations, or setup projects.
Giving-System Remediation: Major cleanup or correction of contribution-recording systems and related accounting.
External Audit Preparation & Coordination: Preparing agreed accounting schedules and supporting records, responding to documentation requests, and coordinating accounting information for an independent audit.
Other Significant Remediation: Substantial corrective work identified during review or onboarding.
These projects are evaluated individually and quoted according to the work required. Routine onboarding does not automatically constitute a separate project.
Independent Services
Church Training Center also provides specialized services that may be purchased independently of recurring Ministry Accounting. These address needs beyond the ordinary accounting engagement.
Financial Controls and Procedures Audit
An examination of financial controls and operating procedures to identify concerns and opportunities for improvement. Distinct from financial-statement assurance. LEARN MORE
Internal Audit Coaching
Guidance and tools for a ministry team conducting its own structured internal review of financial practices and controls.
Accounting Software Consulting
Focused assistance evaluating accounting software, system requirements, and substantial workflow or technology changes beyond routine accounting support.
Financial Planning & Fund Stewardship
Financial planning, forecasting, and specialized fund or grant stewardship assistance beyond recurring accounting and the annual Budget Development Support already included in Capacity and Shared Stewardship.
Financial Policies & Procedures Review/Development
Independently commissioned review or more extensive development of financial policies and procedures beyond the draft manual included in Capacity and Shared Stewardship.
Fractional CFO
Executive-level financial leadership and advisory support for organizations requiring strategic financial guidance beyond recurring accounting operations. LEARN MORE
Other separately arranged services may include Emergency Financial Consulting and leadership formation. Payroll-only engagements may also be considered selectively. Availability and scope are determined according to the organization’s needs.
How Responsibilities Are Shared
Church Training Center carries out the accounting work defined in your engagement, while your organization retains responsibility for its financial decisions, approvals, and governance. Clearly established roles help maintain effective accounting operations and appropriate organizational oversight.
Church Training Center's Responsibilities
Within the agreed engagement, Church Training Center is responsible for:
Accounting & Reporting: Maintaining accounting records, performing reconciliations, preparing financial statements and dashboards, and completing routine year-end closing.
Contributions & Funds: Recording contribution income, reconciling giving-platform activity, and accounting for applicable restricted funds and grants.
Payables & Receivables: Managing agreed billing and receivable functions, entering vendor bills, routing approvals through BILL, and processing authorized payments.
Payroll & Tax Reporting: Processing payroll and direct deposits, handling applicable federal and state payroll tax filings and payment arrangements, preparing W-2s, and performing agreed 1099 reporting.
Accounting Systems: Providing routine accounting-system and workflow assistance, along with explanations of accounting reports.
All work is performed within the agreed scope and established approval arrangements.
Your Organization's Responsibilities
Your organization retains responsibility for:
Records & Information: Providing accurate, timely financial information, supporting documents, and appropriate system access.
Financial Authorization: Approving expenditures, vendor payments, and other transactions requiring organizational authorization.
Employment Decisions: Establishing employee and clergy compensation, employment classifications, benefits, and other employer decisions; providing the information and funds needed for payroll and related taxes.
Giving Administration: Maintaining responsibility for the giving platform, individual donor records, and donor statements and receipts unless separately agreed in writing.
Financial Governance: Approving budgets, financial policies, fund restrictions, and organizational financial decisions.
Organizational Accountability: Retaining applicable employer, legal, tax, and governance responsibilities even when Church Training Center performs related accounting or reporting work.
How an Accounting Engagement Works
Every accounting engagement begins with understanding your organization’s needs and establishing clear expectations. We work with you to define the services, responsibilities, and processes that will support an effective ongoing accounting relationship.
01
Discuss Your Needs
We discuss your organization’s accounting activities, current systems, financial responsibilities, and the support your team needs.
02
Define the Engagement
We develop an individualized proposal identifying the accounting scope, selected support level, organizational responsibilities, and monthly fee.
03
Establish Workflows
We coordinate the records, accounting systems, access arrangements, approval procedures, and information-sharing processes needed for the agreed work.
04
Ongoing Accounting
Church Training Center performs the agreed recurring accounting services, provides financial reporting and routine clarification, and delivers the additional support included in your engagement.
See What Our Clients Say
Common Questions About Ministry Accounting
These answers address some of the practical questions organizations ask when considering Ministry Accounting services from Church Training Center.
Are your accounting packages based on organization size?
No. Continuity, Capacity, and Shared Stewardship are not based on congregation size, revenue, or membership.
All three provide the same recurring accounting foundation. Your monthly fee reflects the actual accounting workload, agreed responsibilities, and level of additional organizational support selected.
Does every level include payroll and tax reporting?
Yes. Payroll processing, employee direct deposits, applicable federal and state payroll tax filings, payroll tax payment arrangements, annual W-2 preparation, and applicable 1099 reporting are part of the common recurring accounting foundation.
The work performed depends on your organization’s payroll requirements and agreed engagement scope. Your organization retains its employer responsibilities and employment decision-making authority.
Can our organization use QuickBooks Online?
Yes. QuickBooks Desktop is Church Training Center’s standard client accounting platform, but QuickBooks Online is available at additional cost.
We discuss your accounting-system needs during the consultation and identify the appropriate software arrangement in your proposal. Major conversions or implementations are separately scoped when needed.
Will Church Training Center manage individual donor records?
Contribution-income accounting and reconciliation of giving-platform activity and deposits to the accounting ledger are included within the agreed scope.
Individual donor-by-donor contribution entry and donor-record maintenance within the giving platform are not included in any support level. These services may be quoted separately according to your organization’s needs.
Your organization remains responsible for its giving platform and donor statements and receipts unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Who approves vendor bills and payments?
Your organization retains responsibility for authorizing expenditures and approving vendor payments.
Church Training Center manages agreed accounts-payable activities through BILL, including vendor bill entry, approval routing, and processing authorized payments. The arrangement preserves your organization’s financial authority and established approval responsibilities.
What if our accounting records need cleanup before we begin?
We review the condition of your existing accounting records when determining the engagement scope.
Routine onboarding is distinguished from substantial historical cleanup, accounting reconstruction, major system conversions, and other corrective projects. When significant additional work is needed, we identify and quote that work separately rather than assuming it is included in the recurring monthly fee.
Can we purchase Church Training Center services without ongoing accounting?
Yes. Church Training Center services may be purchased independently.
Organizations can request services such as Finance Team Orientation & Training, Governance Team Orientation & Training, Financial Policies & Procedures Review/Development, Budget Development Support, Accounting Software Consulting, or other specialized services without committing to recurring Ministry Accounting.
Each engagement is defined and quoted according to the services requested.
Discuss Your Accounting Needs
Tell us about your organization’s accounting needs. We can discuss your current processes, responsibilities, and the recurring accounting services and support that may be appropriate.
Client Quotes
