--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An accurate budget must be built on a…" description: "\"“An accurate budget must be built on a base of thorough research. You must do research on your community to find out what it will cost to get a church ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f4/nelson-searcy-32419_comedy-club_an-accurate-budget-must-be-built-on-a-ba_1772963.jpg" --- # An accurate budget must be built on a base of thorough… ![“An accurate budget must be built on a base of thorough research. You must do research on your community to find out what it will cost to get a church off the ground. You need to solidly answer questions such as:, What will the cost of living in this community be?, What will my salary be? How about…” quote by Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f4/nelson-searcy-32419_comedy-club_an-accurate-budget-must-be-built-on-a-ba_1772963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f4/nelson-searcy-32419_comedy-club_an-accurate-budget-must-be-built-on-a-ba_1772963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f4/nelson-searcy-32419_comedy-club_an-accurate-budget-must-be-built-on-a-ba_1772963.jpg) > ““An accurate budget must be built on a base of thorough research. You must do research on your community to find out what it will cost to get a church off the ground. You need to solidly answer questions such as:, What will the cost of living in this community be?, What will my salary be? How about salaries for additional staff?, How much will it cost to rent space for the church to meet in?, How much will it cost to operate a business in this city (office rent, phones, computer equipment, copy equipment, and so on)? Talk with other pastors in the community. Find out what their start-up costs were and what they are currently spending to maintain and operate the church. Other pastors can be a valuable resource for you on many levels. The worst mistake you can make is to start the budget process by viewing economic realities through a rose-colored lens. If you speculate too much or cut corners in this area, you’ll end up paying dearly down the road. Remember, God never intended for you to go it alone. There are people and resources out there to help you prepare. Ask others for help. God receives no glory when you are scraping the bottom to do His work. So don’t think too small. Church planting is an all or nothing venture. You can’t just partially commit. You have to fully commit, and often that means with your wallet. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a base of prayer partners. You need prayers as desperately as you need money. You need prayers as desperately as you need money. An unhealthy launch may occur when a new church begins as the result of a church split, when a planter is disobedient in following God, or when there is a lack of funding or solid strategy. Finding the right teammates to help you on this journey is serious business. The people you bring on to your staff will either propel you down the road toward fulfilling the vision for your church or serve as speed bumps along the way. You should never be afraid to ask potential staff members to join you—even if it means a salary cut, a drastic position change or a significant new challenge for them. When you ask someone to join your staff, you are not asking that person to make a sacrifice. (If you have that mentality, you need to work to change it.) Instead, you are offering that person the opportunity of a lifetime. There are three things that every new church must have before it can be a real church: (1) a lead pastor, (2) a start date, and (3) a worship leader. Hire a person at the part-time level before bringing him or her on full time. When hiring a new staff person, make sure he or she possesses the three C's: Character, Chemistry & Competency Hiring staff precedes growth, not vice versa. Hire slow, fire fast. Never hire staff when you can find a volunteer. Launch as publicly as possible, with as many people as possible. There are two things you are looking for in a start date: (1) a date on which you have the potential to reach as many people as possible, and (2) a date that precedes a period of time in which people, in general, are unlikely to be traveling out of town. You need steppingstones to get you from where you are to your launch date. Monthly services are real services that you begin holding three to six months prior to your launch date. They are the absolute best strategic precursor to your launch. Monthly services give you the invaluable opportunity to test-drive your systems, your staff and, to an extent, even your service style. At the same time, you are doing real ministry with the people in attendance. These services should mirror as closely as possible what your service will look like on the launch date. Let your target demographic group be the strongest deciding factor in settling on a location: Hotel ballrooms, Movie theaters, Comedy clubs, Public-school auditoriums, Performing-arts theaters, Available church meeting spaces, College auditoriums, Corporate conference space.”” [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective church planting requires thorough financial research, realistic budgeting, prayer, and committed resources. **In simple terms:** Plan church finances carefully, seek help, and commit fully. Key Takeaway Do detailed research and commit resources wisely. Themes faith budgeting leadership community commitment Mood cautious pragmatic Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - startup meetings - budget workshops - staff hiring - prayer groups Key Concepts Financial planning church planting resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What costs have you overlooked? - How can you balance faith and financial realism? A Different Perspective Over‑optimism can cause costly mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy club](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-club/) [Cost of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-of-living/) [Following god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-god/) [Serious business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious-business/) ## Related quotes > [“The Bible isn’t a list of requirements; rather, it’s a list of results after experiencing God’s love. Following God isn’t an action but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-haas/the-bible-isn-t-a-list-of-requirements-rather-it-s-a-list-of-results/) [Peter Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-haas/) > [“Art cannot be excused from following God’s law, and art disgraces itself by seeking that freedom. Anything that cannot be put into an image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/art-cannot-be-excused-from-following-god-s-law-and-art-disgraces/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [“When we're not following God's will, our sacrifices aren't acceptable to Him. What God wants most is for us to be broken before Him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sundin/when-we-re-not-following-god-s-will-our-sacrifices-aren-t-acceptable/) [Sarah Sundin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sundin/) > [I was only following God's orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kallinger/i-was-only-following-god-s-orders/) Joseph Kallinger > [“The lesson is critical. Daniel and his friends did something counterintuitive. They trusted that their faith would intersect with God’s faithfulness. 1 They believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-lyons/the-lesson-is-critical-daniel-and-his-friends-did-something/) [Gabe Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-lyons/) > [I Believe In God, But I don't attend Church. I Beleive in following God's word but I don't read the bible. I Believe he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-greger/i-believe-in-god-but-i-don-t-attend-church-i-beleive-in-following-god/) [Taylor Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-greger/) > [“If then a man is not found in truth He is not found in the Holy Spirit nor being guided by Him. If he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/if-then-a-man-is-not-found-in-truth-he-is-not-found-in-the-holy/) [Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/) > [The secret of following God's will, I discovered, usually is wrapped up in rejecting the good for God's best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-p-yohannan/the-secret-of-following-god-s-will-i-discovered-usually-is-wrapped-up/) [K.P. Yohannan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-p-yohannan/) > [“we are continuing God’s work of forming, filling, and subduing. Whenever we bring order out of chaos, whenever we draw out creative potential, whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-are-continuing-god-s-work-of-forming-filling-and-subduing-whenever/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we are so afraid of people that we stop following God,we're not trusting Him.Its shows that we have doubted His plan.His power,and His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/if-we-are-so-afraid-of-people-that-we-stop-following-god-we-re-not/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When a young man, I read somewhere the following: God the Almighty said, 'All that is too complex is unnecessary, and it is simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/when-a-young-man-i-read-somewhere-the-following-god-the-almighty-said/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [If you’re following God and haven’t lost much of what you’ve been holding on to - follow a little closer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/if-you-re-following-god-and-haven-t-lost-much-of-what-you-ve-been/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“It's hard to imagine a more biblical definition of devil worship than an exaltation of the self, an exaltation of the ego, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/it-s-hard-to-imagine-a-more-biblical-definition-of-devil-worship-than/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [You can make your marriage a little bit of heaven on earth by following God's plan of teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/you-can-make-your-marriage-a-little-bit-of-heaven-on-earth-by/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) ## More by Nelson Searcy > [“Perspective is everything. If your “why” is big enough, you can deal with almost any “what.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/perspective-is-everything-if-your-why-is-big-enough-you-can-deal-with/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“Whether we like to admit it or not, most of us live under the impression that the most important thing we can do on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/whether-we-like-to-admit-it-or-not-most-of-us-live-under-the/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [A renegade is someone who chooses the narrow way because it's the Jesus way . . . the way of life, health and growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/a-renegade-is-someone-who-chooses-the-narrow-way-because-it-s-the/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“Never treat your launch team like a core group. It’s not. Your launch team is a time-limited, purpose-driven team. It ends with the debriefing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/never-treat-your-launch-team-like-a-core-group-it-s-not-your-launch/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“As long as you are working for people, you will end up frustrated, burnt out, and even hurt. But when you stop working for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/as-long-as-you-are-working-for-people-you-will-end-up-frustrated/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“Keeping a new church outwardly focused from the beginning is much easier than trying to refocus an inwardly concerned church. In order to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/keeping-a-new-church-outwardly-focused-from-the-beginning-is-much/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“God put the stress-and-release principle in place by establishing six days for work followed by a day for rest. The same principle is crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/god-put-the-stress-and-release-principle-in-place-by-establishing-six/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“In the poor man who knocks at my door, in my ailing mother, in the young man who seeks my advice, the Lord himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/in-the-poor-man-who-knocks-at-my-door-in-my-ailing-mother-in-the/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“Imagine if each one of us made a commitment to concentrate only on those things that strengthen the Body of Christ individually and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/imagine-if-each-one-of-us-made-a-commitment-to-concentrate-only-on/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/what-does-love-look-like-it-has-the-hands-to-help-others-it-has-the-2/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“If we don’t learn how to handle our resources the way God intends, we’ll never be able to live the life God created us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/if-we-don-t-learn-how-to-handle-our-resources-the-way-god-intends-we/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [“Inwardly focused Christians don’t mesh well with outwardly focused churches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/inwardly-focused-christians-don-t-mesh-well-with-outwardly-focused/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [Again, mercy is literally love in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/again-mercy-is-literally-love-in-action/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [Seven minutes is all you get to make a positive first impression. In the first seven minutes of contact with your church, your first-time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/seven-minutes-is-all-you-get-to-make-a-positive-first-impression-in/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) [Explore all 15 Nelson Searcy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) ## More Comedy club quotes > [There's nothing like the energy in a small comedy club room or a small theater when it's going really well. I can see everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/there-s-nothing-like-the-energy-in-a-small-comedy-club-room-or-a/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [The development of the comedy club industry destroyed the uniqueness and intimacy of the profession but it also created jobs for comics and bred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/the-development-of-the-comedy-club-industry-destroyed-the-uniqueness/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [My intent when I moved to L.A. was to get in good with the comedy clubs and, eventually, try to break into Comedy Central…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/my-intent-when-i-moved-to-l-a-was-to-get-in-good-with-the-comedy/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [“It always pisses me off when I’m calling in to some Morning Zoo radio show to promote God-only-knows what—probably this book, so get ready,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/it-always-pisses-me-off-when-i-m-calling-in-to-some-morning-zoo-radio/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [A comic, all they have to do is, if you do something funny in a comedy club and you put it up on you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/a-comic-all-they-have-to-do-is-if-you-do-something-funny-in-a-comedy/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [A friend of mine was watching TV one day and he just was like, 'I bet you want to do comedy,' and he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/a-friend-of-mine-was-watching-tv-one-day-and-he-just-was-like-i-bet/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [If I didn't have a gig, I used to ring up all the comedy clubs across the country and go, 'If anyone drops out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/if-i-didn-t-have-a-gig-i-used-to-ring-up-all-the-comedy-clubs-across/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [I've played every comedy club and every theatre across the country for the last 25 years and seen a lot of audience members from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lampanelli/i-ve-played-every-comedy-club-and-every-theatre-across-the-country/) [Lisa Lampanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lampanelli/) > [To perform stand-up comedy in a club, that's the most exciting profession in the world. You're like Spartacus going into battle because every show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soupy-sales/to-perform-stand-up-comedy-in-a-club-that-s-the-most-exciting/) [Soupy Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soupy-sales/) > [I just don't get if you have ever gotten offended by a joke, why would you go to a comedy club? That's where jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-williams/i-just-don-t-get-if-you-have-ever-gotten-offended-by-a-joke-why-would/) [Brad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-williams/) > [Performing comedy in San Francisco to begin with is pretty wild. You've got to - you've got the human game preserve to play off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/performing-comedy-in-san-francisco-to-begin-with-is-pretty-wild-you/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [When I started, I used to be like a tiger. My comedy developed in the comedy clubs in London and up and down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhod-gilbert/when-i-started-i-used-to-be-like-a-tiger-my-comedy-developed-in-the/) [Rhod Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhod-gilbert/) > [Not all comedy clubs or situations are ideal, especially when you're first coming up and I think that's good for you. Eventually you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/not-all-comedy-clubs-or-situations-are-ideal-especially-when-you-re/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [I worked at comedy clubs - if I can use the term 'work' - for several years. I middled at one point. I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/i-worked-at-comedy-clubs-if-i-can-use-the-term-work-for-several-years/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [I don't go to comedy clubs unless I'm working. And when I do work, I come in, I do my time and I leave.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-don-t-go-to-comedy-clubs-unless-i-m-working-and-when-i-do-work-i/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) [Browse all 139 Comedy club quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-club/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An accurate budget must be built on a base of thorough research. You must do research on your community to find out what it will cost to get a church off the ground. You need to solidly answer questions such as:, What will the cost of living in this community be?, What will my salary be? How about salaries for additional staff?, How much will it cost to rent space for the church to meet in?, How much will it cost to operate a business in this city (office rent, phones, computer equipment, copy equipment, and so on)? Talk with other pastors in the community. Find out what their start-up costs were and what they are currently spending to maintain and operate the church. Other pastors can be a valuable resource for you on many levels. The worst mistake you can make is to start the budget process by viewing economic realities through a rose-colored lens. If you speculate too much or cut corners in this area, you’ll end up paying dearly down the road. Remember, God never intended for you to go it alone. There are people and resources out there to help you prepare. Ask others for help. God receives no glory when you are scraping the bottom to do His work. So don’t think too small. Church planting is an all or nothing venture. You can’t just partially commit. You have to fully commit, and often that means with your wallet. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a base of prayer partners. You need prayers as desperately as you need money. You need prayers as desperately as you need money. An unhealthy launch may occur when a new church begins as the result of a church split, when a planter is disobedient in following God, or when there is a lack of funding or solid strategy. Finding the right teammates to help you on this journey is serious business. The people you bring on to your staff will either propel you down the road toward fulfilling the vision for your church or serve as speed bumps along the way. You should never be afraid to ask potential staff members to join you—even if it means a salary cut, a drastic position change or a significant new challenge for them. When you ask someone to join your staff, you are not asking that person to make a sacrifice. (If you have that mentality, you need to work to change it.) Instead, you are offering that person the opportunity of a lifetime. There are three things that every new church must have before it can be a real church: (1) a lead pastor, (2) a start date, and (3) a worship leader. Hire a person at the part-time level before bringing him or her on full time. When hiring a new staff person, make sure he or she possesses the three C's: Character, Chemistry & Competency Hiring staff precedes growth, not vice versa. Hire slow, fire fast. Never hire staff when you can find a volunteer. Launch as publicly as possible, with as many people as possible. There are two things you are looking for in a start date: (1) a date on which you have the potential to reach as many people as possible, and (2) a date that precedes a period of time in which people, in general, are unlikely to be traveling out of town. You need steppingstones to get you from where you are to your launch date. Monthly services are real services that you begin holding three to six months prior to your launch date. They are the absolute best strategic precursor to your launch. Monthly services give you the invaluable opportunity to test-drive your systems, your staff and, to an extent, even your service style. At the same time, you are doing real ministry with the people in attendance. These services should mirror as closely as possible what your service will look like on the launch date. 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