# Ep. 36: Is Your Budget Funding the Mission or Fighting It?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/distilled-church-finance-made-simple-7726670/ep-36-is-your-budget-funding-the-mission-or-fighting-it
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/distilled-church-finance-made-simple-7726670/ep-36-is-your-budget-funding-the-mission-or-fighting-it.md
Podcast: [Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple](https://stenobird.com/podcast/distilled-church-finance-made-simple-7726670)
Published: 2026-07-29T18:55:54+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/6d193b5dace79cfb82e2a8afa08f080abf5c9068ce5e306297e8f2e0596e8397/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI3NGIzNGJkMi1lYjczLTQ1N2MtYThiNi0xOWZjNDhkZGRlYzAiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1NGUzYmEzYi00MTg0LTRjYzEtYWYxYS04YWFkODkxOGVhNDIiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2NjlhYTE0Mzc5N2QwZjZiYjg3NWEwYmEiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE2OTA4NjY4OTUzOTM0OWE3YmZmMGRlL21hcmtldGluZy0tcGFyYWJsZXMtc3R1ZGlvLWNvbXBvc2VyLTIwMjYtNy0yOF9fMjEtNTItNi5tcDMifQ==.mp3
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Duration seconds: 868

## Resource

Summary What should a healthy church budget actually look like? In this episode of Distilled , Dan and Greg unpack practical church budget percentages using Parable’s 90-70-10-10-10 framework . They explain why churches should budget with margin, how staffing and facility costs work together, and what healthy spending can look like across administration, ministry, and missions. But percentages are only part of the story. A budget should not simply categorize expenses—it should show how every dollar supports the church’s mission. When leaders view the budget as a mission map , finances become less about restriction and more about intentionally funding what God has called the church to accomplish. One Key Takeaway A healthy church budget does more than keep expenses under control. It creates margin, protects the ministry from the unexpected, and ensures every dollar is intentionally aligned with the church’s mission. Resources Mentioned Free Church Budgeting Toolkit Includes tools to help churches project income, build a healthy budget, and evaluate their spending. Upcoming Parable Book on Church Money Learn more and pre-register for updates about Parable’s upcoming book on aligning church finances with mission.

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