Your Year-End Financial Review: 3 Areas Every Pastor Should Focus on in December

November and December are times when church leaders take stock. They prayerfully cast vision for the year ahead. They also adjust those plans based on how their year-end giving campaigns play out. (Remember, over 20% of your giving is going to come in during the last two months of the year.)

As you dig into your financials this holiday season, it’s important to look beyond the basics. Tithes and offering trends are important. Debt load and cash on hand are figures to be aware of, too.

However, other areas of financial significance are often overlooked. Here are three key areas that you want to review before the year is out.

1. Review Last Year’s Budget Accuracy

There are a lot of questions you want to ask when it comes to your church budget. You want to understand current costs, payroll, benefits, insurance, tech costs — the works.

The details can often distract from one of the most quietly critical budgetary numbers of all, though: past projections. As the year ends, start 2026 with a quick look backward at your original 2025 budget projections.

Where were you accurate? Where were you way off? This is an essential use case for the data from your church finances. It takes some of the simplest data sets (your planned spending as a ministry) and contrasts them against your reality (what you actually spent as a ministry).

Reviewing your past budget accuracy takes time. It’s well worth it. This helps you set the tone for how you plan for the future. Gauging how closely you matched your projections plays a key role in how you plan for the next 12 months. 

Just to be clear, you still won’t get it right. Projections are never perfect. But you’ll be closer to reality on January 1st, and that will empower you to predict your ministry’s initiatives and impact with greater confidence.

2. Review This Year’s Building Costs

If you’ve been around the Ministry Solutions Group team, you know that we’re big on making sure your building is supporting your ministry. Properly managed, your building can help your budget. By generating income to pay for itself, you turn it into a ministry asset, not a liability. This can double as an opportunity for outreach and to meet both utilitarian and felt needs across your community.

All of these benefits are there if you proactively align your building with your vision. That starts with understanding how your building factors into your budget. 

What debts did you pay to church lenders this year? Did you have any deferred maintenance or capital needs? Did you expand or activate spaces? Did you generate revenue from things like coffee shops or daycare centers?

Again, looking backward is the critical first step for moving forward here. Take the time to understand the role your building plays in your church’s larger vision and mission. Make sure you see the financial impact it has, both for better and for worse, as you start thinking ahead.

3. Review Church Finances and Vision Alignment

Once you’ve given 2025 a good look, it’s time to financially think ahead. As you begin forecasting costs and budgeting for payroll and mortgage payments, think big picture.

A lack of alignment between finances and vision can put stress on a church. We’re not saying to let your finances guide your vision. That’s God’s role. However, as you receive vision for the months ahead, look at how your finances align with it. If they don’t align, take steps to make sure they do. 

That’s where a team like Ministry Solutions Group can help. We’ve overseen over $1.4 billion in church projects, many of which have focused on activating underutilized spaces to help ministries generate revenue in buildings that otherwise would sit idle over 90% of the week.

If your finances don’t back up your vision, don’t let the latter take the hit. Get creative. Look for ways to shift your finances to help you stay on mission. 

Healthy church financial management should start with a simple question: Do your finances reflect your ministry goals? (Not the other way around.) 

Make sure you can answer that question positively in the affirmative every time. That’s your launch point for a successful year of ministry backed by strong finances.

Your Year-End Review: Using Your Finances to Build the Kingdom

Budget projections. Building costs. Better alignment. These are key things you want to have in place as 2025 winds down and 2026 gets going.

Your church’s finances shouldn’t be a burden around your ministry’s neck. They should be a potential source of empowerment. They’re a practical resource that you can use to achieve your mission and make your impact.

So, as you get ready to review your finances this year, get excited! Don’t see the task as drudgery that distracts you from the important stuff. This is a practical piece of your church leadership responsibility that empowers the rest of your ministry in very practical ways. Tackle it with confidence and excitement for how it can impact your ministry in 2026 and beyond.