Training Series 2025

Event Details

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025 | 9am – 2pm

Hosts: Resurrection’s ShareChurch Ministry

If you feel the financial literacy you need to lead in ministry was not adequately covered in seminary or denominational programs, this training is for you! Are you facing challenges in financial management – including interpreting financial statements, stewardship campaigns, a capital campaign, etc.? Even after years in active ministry, many clergy feel they are still learning about church finances, with some finding each new church’s finances more complicated than their last.

In this event, two of our most experienced leaders will break down these challenges into steps you can understand and use in any setting. You’ll learn principles and best practices for inspiring generosity and managing finances responsibly that are applicable to churches of all sizes, and receive practical tips and tools you can use in your church right away. In a world of eroding trust in institutions, your church’s financial confidence and competence are all the more important. We can help.

Host Site for 10

Cost: $445 – Learn More

With a Host Site registration, you can gather up to 10 people at your church to engage in the online training event together. You will receive one link to watch on the day of the event. Share the link with your participants after the event for On-Demand Replay over the next 6 months.

Your team can gather together for strategic planning and debriefing during the lunch break and after the event ends. This is a great opportunity to learn the material and then dream together about how you might implement the principles and practices you learn.

The cost of a Host Site registration for a group of 10 is $445. Have more than 10 participants? Please contact us for additional options.

Questions? Contact us at sharechurchconferences@cor.org or at 913-544-0247.

Cost

Individual: $49 / Person

Host Site Rate: $445 / 10 People

Church Finances is made possible by the generous support of Thrivent and the United Methodist Insurance Program.

Event Schedule

Thursday
July 24, 2025
(Note: All times are Central Time Zone)
9:00 – 10:00 AM CDT Session 1: Inspiring Generosity within the Local Church (Debi Nixon)
10:00 – 10:15 AM CDT Break
10:15 – 11:15 AM CDT Session 2: Preparing Pastors for Financial Discussions (Rachel Svaty)
11:15 – 11:45 AM Q & A with Rachel and Debi
11:45 – 12:30 PM CDT Lunch Break
12:30 – 1:15 PM CDT Session 3: Capital Campaigns and Long-Term Capital Planning (Debi Nixon & Rachel Svaty)
1:15 – 1:35 PM CDT Session 4: Planned Giving (Debi Nixon)
1:35 – 2:00 PM CDT Q & A with Rachel and Debi

Session Descriptions:

Inspiring Generosity within the Local Church

Debi Nixon

This session will include practical strategies for annual stewardship campaigns and special offerings – including Resurrection’s strategy of giving away 100% of the Christmas Eve offering every year. Come away with actionable ideas for inspiring a culture of generosity and growing the Kingdom impact of your church.

Preparing Pastors for Financial Discussions

Rachel Svaty

We’ll cover what most United Methodist pastors say would have better prepared them for their role as a pastor, including what you really need to understand about church financials and to engage in related conversations. Examples: How do you know if your budget is healthy? What is the difference between designated and undesignated funds? When can the church afford to hire more staff?

Capital Campaigns and Long-Term Capital Planning

Debi Nixon & Rachel Svaty

Is your church prepared to pay for future building improvements and capital expenditures like a new roof, carpeting, HVAC unit, PA systems, LCD displays, or other equipment? Learn how to estimate future capital expenditures for facilities, IT and other equipment needs and how to raise the necessary funds. 

Planned Giving

Debi Nixon

This will cover best practices for developing a Gift Planning ministry, including multiple forms of planned giving and legacy gift strategies that ensure every congregant is invited to remember the church in their estate plans and/or by making a legacy gift during their lifetime.

Rachel Svaty

Executive Director of Business Operations & CFO

Rachel serves on our Executive Team as the Director of Business Operations & CFO.

Debi Nixon

Executive Director of Donor Development

Debi serves on our Executive Team as the Director of Donor Development. She is passionate about helping others experience the radical love of Jesus through hospitality and about helping others steward their resources and gifts for greatest Kingdom impact. She is the author of CATCH: A Churchwide Program for Invitational Evangelism and co-author of The Art of Hospitality: A Practical Guide for a Ministry of Radical Welcome.

Debi and her husband Reed enjoy being at the lake, taking walks, and spending time with their two grown children. But if you want to know her true joy…ask about her grandchildren!

Frequently Asked Questions

The entirety of the training content will be available for replay by participants for 6 months after the live event ends. With this extended access there is no need to cancel your registration if you find you are unable to participate on the day of the live event. However, if your circumstances change and you no longer wish to have access to the training content, cancellations for a full refund are accepted through July 11. We are unable to offer a refund after July 11, 2025.

Yes. Each registration purchased is intended for one participant. This is on the honor system. We trust if your team intends to watch the conference together that you will purchase a registration for each participant. Each participant needs their own registration with a unique email address to access the virtual platform and for access to the replay of the training sessions. You will have the opportunity to register multiple participants on one form during registration.

If you have a larger group, you can purchase a Host Site registration for up to 10 people. See details above.

American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa are accepted for this event. Should you need to make other payment arrangements, contact us at sharechurchconferences@cor.org.

A link to the online event will be emailed to all registered participants a few days prior to the online training session. The platform is simple to access and navigate, and we will provide easy to follow instructions. We do recommend that you check out the platform a day or two prior to the start of the event to get oriented. You do not need to download any special software.

Yes. You will have access to the recording of the event for 6 months through the online platform. You’ll use the same instructions you use to access the live event.

The time zone for this event is Central Daylight Time: Thursday, July 24, 9:00am – 2:00pm CDT (begins 10:00am Eastern/8:00am Mountain/7:00am Pacific).

Yes! This event is designed to strengthen churches through effective and informed financial leadership. Such an important event comes with exposure and recognition for the sponsors who have helped make it happen. Our sponsor registration site provides a detailed description of the benefits and allows you to sign on immediately. Sponsorships are available on a first come, first served basis, and the sponsorship fee is payable by credit card or check, for your convenience.

Thank you from a pastor in a rural town who truly appreciates the resources you are offering. Your resources lifted a load from my shoulders in a time when I needed one lifted. Thank you for your kindness; this pastor appreciates it. God bless you.

Brenda T.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We are shifting so much to meet the needs of our community during this time that we have really been stretching our staff resources.  I am so grateful for your willingness to share – not just the content, but also the time it took just to reply (and so quickly!)!  Really, thanks!

Darren R.

ShareChurch is such a valuable resource to us all.  I find that I access it first on many topics just to begin my research, or to confirm if we are on the right track on a number of topics.  Thank you and COR for providing this to us all.

Nancy L.