Forgive me if you’ve heard me ramble about this before, but one of my favorite things that I have learned about ministry as a pastor (and not just as a carefree vicar, like Fr. Jeff…) is that a parish budget is a fundamentally theological document. Archbishop Schnurr, himself a man trained in finances, says that the quickest way to find out what is important in a parish is to take a look at where they are spending their money. If it is truly important to them, they will back it up with resources. If it isn’t, they won’t. Simple as that. Click title for full column.