Josh Henry, Author at Simplifychurch.com

March 28, 2016

Portal Update – Version 3.42 Now Live

On Thursday March 25, 2016 we released a new version of the portal 3.42.

Here are some of the items you’ll see updated in the latest version.

New Payees Default to Active – When on the transaction screen, and adding a payee, they will default to an active payee on your list and show in the initial dropdown. There was a previous bug that was causing those to go in-active and caused some confusion.

Mobile Expense Entries – There was a problem with the numeric keypad so we switched to the full keyboard to allow for full amounts to be entered.

Mobile Expense Entry Close Window – There was a bug with the expense entry window being difficult to close using iOS devices. That has been fixed.

Transaction Fields Required – When entering a transaction, the Date, Account, Amount and Payee fields are now required to complete.

Admin Updates – There were several admin updates completed as well to allow our team to work more efficiently to serve your church.

If there are ever any items that you notice might not be working correctly or you have a suggestion for an improvement, please let us know and we can add that to our development list.

thanks!

March 23, 2016August 31, 2022

Account Manager – Virtual Church Bookkeeper

Our Church Bookkeeping Specialists (Account Managers) are the life-blood of our organization. Each Account Manager has direct contact and partnership with a number of our church partners. As an Account Manager, you are a vital part of every interaction the church has with our company. You are responsible for handling and reviewing the transactions they submit as well as being a resource to help pastors and lay leaders navigate the waters of managing the small business side of a church.

As a Church Bookkeeping Specialist, you will:
– Interact with your assigned churches to manage their Accounts to include ongoing transactions and monthly reconciliation
– Manage the church’s Chart of Accounts and assist with line item designations
– Ensure an on-going communication with the church
– Training and assistance in using our Proprietary Online Church Bookkeeping Portal for Transactions Submissions

Daily Tasks –

Process requested transactions using our Simplify Church Bookkeeping Software Online Portal
Process recurring transactions as setup by our church partners
Respond and maintain communication with your assigned church partners

Monthly Tasks –

Reconcile the church’s bank accounts according to their bank statements
Prepare and deliver Monthly Reports
Assist in questions regarding reports and understanding of the church’s financial position

Required Skills and Knowledge:

Understanding of Accounting Principles, Specifically for Non-Profits and Churches is encouraged
Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Business or related field or Relevant Work Experience
Ability to communicate and explain complex terms in a simple way
Proficiency in Quickbooks Desktop versions (required)
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (required)
Proficiency in online tools, resources and communications
Ability to manage multiple lines of communication and open projects
Team player mentality
Flexiblity

As a Church Bookkeeping Specialist, you are an employee with our company. We don’t offer contracted work as we prefer to maintain a quality service to our customers. We welcome you to our team and would love to show you how we take pride in being an active partner in the ministries of the churches we serve.

If this interests you, please send your resume and cover letter to careers@simplifychurch.com and we’ll be in touch about the next steps!

March 3, 2016

Bug with Payee Select

UPDATE FIXED – 03-09-16 – We found the issue and it is caused by payees being inactive. To fix what payees will show on the drop down to select a transaction, go to Payees and make that payee active by selecting YES in the drop down. Sorry for the inconvenience but this will resolve that issue.

UPDATE – 03-03-16 – This bug seems to only be affecting several individual churches and organizations, but not all. Our development team is continuing to look into it.

We are aware of a bug in the transaction request tools to select a payee from your existing list. We are working on getting a fix updated and will notify once complete. Sorry for the inconvenience.

February 26, 2016

Portal Update – Version 3.41 Now Live!

We’re happy to announce we released some updates to the portal last night. Version 3.41 is now live. Here are some items that were updated in the latest release.

Transaction Search Fix – There was a bug preventing users from selecting transaction items to search.

Payees Memo and Account # Fields Added – New fields to capture and store account numbers and any special notes about payees that we may need to know about.

Contributors Can Now Be Added Through “Record A Deposit” – As we move to a completely online option for tracking contributions, that information can now be provided to us through the portal. The form is functional but will have some improvements in the next updates. NOTE: Right now, you’ll need to add the contributors first before you can add their details in the deposit form.

New Budget Line Types – We now have Income lines added for your budget.

Budget Line Nesting – We can now select children of children lines within the budget section. This means you can have Ministries >> Youth >> Youth Snacks where previously there was only 1 parent line and 1 child line allowed.

Calendar Updates Fixed – There was a bug with certain version of Safari that didn’t allow the calendar feed to be a pull down option.

News Feed – We now have a dedicated news feed for portal info as you’re reading this. We will make more notes and updates through this in days and weeks to come.
Thanks so much as always for the opportunity to partner with your ministry. If there is anything you see that we could do better or ways that we can further help simplify your ministry, please let us know.

February 9, 2016

Welcome to the Simplify Church Portal

Welcome to the simplify church portal. Stay tuned for more updates.

November 25, 2015January 5, 2021

Does That Person You Paid Actually Qualify For a 1099?

A current hot debate in the church world is when a person qualifies for a 1099-MISC for monies they were paid. The big question is when does a person qualify for a 1099?

OK, I’ll admit, it’s kind of a nerdy topic, but you’ll be thankful you took a few minutes to read what’s next.

Many churches have unfortunately fallen victim to the idea that they can make the decision on whether or not someone qualifies to receive a 1099 vs. a W-2.

Unfortunately, that decision is not left up to the church.

Some have decided to issue a 1099-MISC because it seems easier. It’s too tedious to add this person to payroll and we’re only going to pay them one-time. Adding a person to payroll costs more money so we’ll just do it this way.

The problem with each of those statements is that it is not a decision the church has the authority to make.

The IRS has made it very clear when a person does and does not qualify to receive a 1099-MISC. They have released a “filter test” form of 20 questions. Here is a link to the IRS filter test to determine if a person is Self-Employed or a W-2 Employee. If any one of the questions is true, that person is considered the result of that question (vague right?) Take a look at the form and you’ll get what I mean.

So what now?

Make sure you’re correctly classifying people that you pay individually at your church.

Here’s an example.

We had a church ask us about paying childcare workers. They had a girl who worked for them one time during the year and wondered if they still needed to pay her through payroll.

It’s easy to attempt to avoid it because for one, there’s a good chance they’ll be paying her less than the $600 threshold where you are required to provide a 1099 MISC.

But let’s change the context.

What if this girl was working for your small business bakery that you owned. She came by to help ice donuts one day and you paid her cash for her work. Many in the business world would call this “paying under the table”.

Sounds a bit shady in that context right?

Well the same thing is basically happening in the church childcare scenario. They are wanting to pay her “under the table” to avoid the work of getting her payroll documents and doing things above reproach.

What are the consequences?

Well, the IRS has been known when a decision has been made that the church paid people incorrectly where the entity (the church) has to pay the amounts that should have been withheld PLUS fines and penalties they can apply. Where at one time the church was trying to save some money and time, it’s not coming back to bite them.

It’s a very tough situation and in some ways I will agree there seems to be some grey area. however, do yourself and the church a favor and error on the side of caution. If you are paying a person, chances are very likely you should pay them as a W-2 employee.

If you’d like to know more about this issue or to have a chat regarding your individual situation, get in touch with us, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

August 31, 2015January 5, 2021

Six Reasons Why Having a Volunteer Responsible for Your Church Bookkeeping is a Terrible Idea.

OK, I know that as pastors and church leaders we become heavily dependent on volunteers. In many ways, volunteers are the lifeblood of a church. Most churches would have to shut their doors if they didn’t have faithful volunteers helping out.

But where are the best places for volunteers to serve?

Churches all the time come to us all the time to use our bookkeeping and accounting system. In almost every case, they have used a volunteer to keep the books previously, and now they are stuck.

Here are 6 reasons why having a volunteer keeping your books is a terrible idea.

1. The Church Will Always Have Second Place in their Schedule.

We are all busy. We all have personal lives and our schedules are not getting cleaner.

The same is true for your volunteers. In most cases, they have jobs. They have families. They have personal lives.

When a volunteers is keeping your books, the church will always have to wait until THEY choose to do the work.

How quickly can you get information about the current status of the church’s financials when requested?

2. You’re Placing a Huge Responsibility On Someone Without the Authority

As churches, we preach grace and forgiveness. Unfortunately, the IRS doesn’t think the same way. As a church, you are now running a small businesses entity in the eyes of the government.

When mistakes are made or things are overlooked, Sorry is not an appropriate answer. Usually it will come with fines and penalties.

The volunteer will probably be held liable as well as the person responsible for overseeing and approval. In most cases, this is ultimately the pastor.

In most cases of financial errors and oversights, the IRS has ruled that the pastor will be held personally liable.

3. Firing a Volunteer brings all kinds of issues and baggage

Let’s face it, most of us don’t like to deal with confrontation. For those few that can, you are better than I.

Every one of us as church leaders will face a time where we need to let a volunteer know that the place they are serving is not the best fit for their skills and talents. (That’s usually the nice way to say it)

Usually, when we have volunteers in places they don’t fit or work well, they are there because of a strong personality and asking them to step down is an uncomfortable conversation.

This becomes increasingly tense if that person is in the family of influencers in your church or friends. Often, making tough changes to volunteers has ripple effects throughout the church.

Can you Fire any volunteer on your team if necessary?

(Here’s a tip to remember. Don’t hire anyone you can’t fire.)

4. Is the church bookkeeping system setup so anyone can step in?

We’ve all been there. Great volunteers, great teams and ministry is running like clockwork. And then you get the call.

Your best volunteer couple has received orders to move to a new town. Your best volunteer’s husband’s job has been relocated. Your best volunteer has decided the church has outgrown them and they want to help another church plant get started.

You feel like the guy on Indiana Jones Temple of Doom having someone reach into your chest and rip out your heart.

What now,

Did the volunteer bookkeeper use a system that someone else can pick up where they left off?

Do you have someone willing and capable to pick up?

Do you want that system to continue?

We get hired by churches all the time to do their books because the previous bookkeeper is leaving and they have no one else stepping up.

Can your system continue at any time regardless of people or systems in place?

This also deals with technology backup, storage and automation as well in case your computer crashes that kept all the financial data.

5. Just because your volunteer does the books for their company or job, doesn’t mean they know church bookkeeping and payroll.

Church bookkeeping is its own animal.

Most accountants will shy away from keeping the books for a church for any number of reasons.

While it’s not difficult, church bookkeeping just has some nuances to it that most people either don’t know or just don’t want to deal with.

Designated accounts, restricted funds, journal entries, temporary giving, contribution records… oh and dual status of pastors.

There are a ton of things that churches do just to keep records, it’s really best handled by a professional.

Did you know as a pastor you cannot have taxes withheld like a regular employee? If you are, your bookkeeper is doing it wrong. (Remember the IRS, they are not as gracious as we wish and no one likes that April 15 surprise of owing money on our tax returns)

6. A volunteer can steal from the church

Ok, I’ve said it.

The 800 pound Gorilla in the room.

That word. Embezzlement.

I can easily say that every pastor I talk to will tell me that they completely trust the person handling the books.

That’s great!

However, we are all human and as humans we face temptations. No one is exempt from that.

Most churches will go through ministry without facing any issues of impropriety or theft.

But, it happens, and it happens more than most of us would probably like to admit.

If you’re using a volunteer, you are opening a vulnerability for the church.

Do you want to deal with the situation of theft if it occurs? What kind of tarnish could that put on the church?

Back to point #2, even the most trustworthy person is now placed in a situation where people can question what they are doing. It’s really just not worth it.

I completely get it, volunteers are great and best of all; they are Free.

But like anything, you get what you pay for.

In this case, having a volunteer keep your books really does have a cost to it and it’s all the reasons I pointed out above. For the cost of a system like ours, the headaches are really not worth the hassle or small savings monetarily you might receive.

Do me a favor.

Take a look at our bookkeeping system for your church. For all the reasons I described above, our solution will help your church do ministry better.

August 7, 2015January 5, 2021

I received an email with a link saying a document needed my signature

Those annoying hackers are at it again. There is an email virus going around that looks like a Docusign download request.

We received this from one of our clients and unfortunately it grabbed the address of one of our employees before we could identify it was in fact spam.

The email asked you to click a link to open the documents waiting your signature. It then took you to a site that looked like Google and asked for your username and password. (It also autopopulates if you have that setting in your browser so be aware)

This virus will grab your contacts and send a duplicate of the email to everyone on your list.

In addition to the annoyance to all your contacts, here’s what else it does.

The virus will create a filter in your email account to send all new emails directly to Delete or Trash. Your inbox will be empty moving forward.

If you’re using Gmail as your host, here are a few steps to take.

1. Open your Gmail account

2. Change your password

3. Open Settings

4. Find Filters

5. Delete any filter that says to send any email sent to your address to Trash

6. On the bottom of your browser, click the small link that says “details”
– be sure to sign out of all other sessions, just in case

7. Close all browser windows and restart.

You can view any lost emails in your Trash folder and move them to your inbox.

If you received this email from us, we are truly sorry and apologize for the inconvenience. If you found this post in general because you got the email otherwise, I hope this has helped resolve the issue for you.

July 20, 2015January 5, 2021

Your Church as an Employer

As an employer, you now have new responsibilities to take care of.

It’s great to be in a position of ministry where there is need for more staff members. That means your church is growing and things are happening. But it also adds a new level of complexity to your ministry that needs to be considered. Here are a few items to keep in mind now that you are an employer.

1. You are responsible for accurately handling payroll

A place we see lots of churches get in trouble is improperly handling actually paying their employees. There are plenty of specifics to cover which will we’ll be handling in another post but at the most basic, you need to pay your employees, accurately withhold any federal and state taxes as applicable, file with your state the appropriate forms and make the Tax liability payments on time and provide documentation to your employees each year for their tax records.

Unfortunately, we see churches all the time that handle this incorrectly. Many times churches rely on people in the church that may have some idea on how to handle it, or they pay a big national firm way too much that doesn’t really know how to handle pastors payroll. Yes, pastors are paid differently than non-ordained employees, and the differences are not just salary versus housing allowance.

2. You now have added costs for insurance, benefits and such

You may or may not be able to offer benefits, but there are still a few things to consider now that you have an employee.

The ACA has added a new level of complexity for churches especially those with more than 50 employees. With fewer than 50, the fact is its probably easier to just avoid trying to offer a health benefit and just provide them more gross income to go get an individual plan.

You will also now have an added cost of Workman’s Comp insurance. In most states, this is a requirement as an employer but you’ll want to do your own research there.

Along with benefits, there are non-monetary benefits that you have to consider. What is your vacation policy? Do you offer sick leave? Will you just provide a total number of days off as PTO? Who will track that, approve it, etc.?

Obviously there are plenty of things to think about that just add more complexity.

3. You’re now a boss.

You’re now a boss of people. Finding the balance between pastor and boss can sometimes be a difficult line for some pastors. How are you going to make good hiring decisions? What is your process for hiring that next staff member? Does your leadership team agree with your system, do they fully understand whats involved?

And even worse, what happens when you need to fire that person? Firing in churches adds an entirely new level of complexity. Chances are, that person being fired has a family who attends your church. That decision now affects more than just the person getting fired.

Now hopefully, if it comes to that point, the decision was merited, but regardless, there are repercussions that extend beyond the employee/employer relationship that don’t exist in a secular business for instance. But also remember, the number of other churches that may be hiring are very limited, and even then, that process is often 6 months to a year to make a decision. When you have to fire a person from a church staff specifically, it is a much bigger deal.

Your role as pastor is also now entered a new dimension. You are no longer only pastor to these people, but you are their supervisor, boss and leader. In some cases you have to play a dual role and learn how to draw that line between loving people as their pastor, but also supervising as a boss.

Here is a great solution.

Consider services and tools at your disposal to help you handle and navigate the waters for your church as an employer. As a Simplify Church Bookkeeping Partner, we will handle most of these issues for you. Now we can’t help with your position as boss, but we can be an adviser, a trusted ear and discuss with you how to best handle situations that develop. Hopefully, but putting some systems in place you can proactively avoid any of the negative items we discussed here and set your church up for success as you grow your staff and provide jobs for people to serve in ministry.

May 27, 2015January 8, 2021

Periscope for your church

periscope for your church If you haven’t seen it already, Twitter released a new app called Periscope. Periscope takes the social media communication experience to a new level by adding a new dimension of live video to the conversation. People can now connect with their friends in live time which is a shift from the more static post that was previously available.

What is Periscope?

Periscope provides you the tool to create a simple, live broadcast. People can join your broadcast and hear anything you have to say. The conversation takes place as viewers are able to add comments in the box provided. This obviously brings in some concerns as virtually anyone could join you, and there are few filters on the discussion. However, like any web technology today, there are pros and cons that we must each consider. For a church, there may be several ways to use Periscope that can open the virtual ministry of the church, but use your own discretion.

How to use Periscope?

1. Download the App to your iPhone (there is an Android version that was recently released)

2. Sign in using your Twitter account.

3. Click to start a broadcast. Name it something to entice visitors or share with your followers.

4. Use your phone’s camera to host your live broadcast.

5. Invite your followers and friends.

Using Periscope for your Church?

Periscope has some obvious uses for a church. The most obvious is to broadcast your church service. This is a free way to enable live streaming of your worship service. Here are 3 other ways you could use Periscope for your church.

1. Give a virtual tour of your facility. Enable the cast and give a virtual tour of your church building. You can save this video to your phone’s camera roll. From there, you could upload to another service for display later (e.g. facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

2. Host a question and answer session with the pastor. Are you preaching a series that may be supplimented by specific questions? Host these live on Periscope. Advertise when the broadcast will be live and invite people to attend and type in their questions.

3. Have a live broadcast to introduce your staff and/or volunteers. Your leadership is busy and probably doesn’t have the time on Sunday mornings for people to get to know them. Use this opportunity to interview a person on your team so people from your church can know them more.
Saving Periscope Videos?

Use the comment section below and let us know ways you are using Periscope for your church.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we live in a lost world. Like any thing on the web, when we open the doors to do good, the opportunity for bad stuff opens as well. While there is a usage policy and Periscope Community Guidelines published, there is still content you may not agree with. Like anything online, use your best judgement and understand that once something is live online, its available for the world to see. Remember, we are to be a light in a dark world. Matthew 5:14.

Author: Josh Henry