Just as we are mindful and cautious with our personal resources, we expect Staff to use the same care with the resources of Grace Bible Church. This article deals particularly with money, and details acceptable uses and procedures for purchasing in the course of church ministry and operations.
Visa cards are issued to individual staff by the Finance Team on the basis of their role within our organization. Any card may be used for any church-related purchase within the card’s credit limit, which is set by the Finance Team. Cards may be temporarily shared with other staff members — or even trusted lay leaders — who have not been issued a card.
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Remember that the named cardholder is responsible for each transaction that appears on their monthly statement! If you borrow a credit card, please keep receipts of all expenses to return with the card to the owner.
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A receipt or purchase record is required for every transaction on every card. These receipts are turned in every month along with a Visa Report.
If you are missing the receipt for a transaction, complete a replacement receipt and submit it in place of the original.
The Finance Team pays off each Grace credit card in full every month. When this happens, they assign all expenses to the proper budget categories. Your compliance with this process is essential to church operations; deadlines are not optional:
Unfortunately, credit cards are vulnerable to fraud, and it is likely a card will be compromised. When Visa suspects a charge on your card may be fraudulent, it will request confirmation from representatives in our Finance Team. Your card could potentially be frozen until a response is received.
Sometimes, you won’t know there was fraud on your card until your monthly statement arrives. When this happens, simply categorize the charge as a fraud on your Visa report: this may require the issuance of a new card and the cancellation of your old one.
Sometimes payments in the form of checks are required for purchases. Checks are written and distributed by the Finance Team on a weekly basis. When you need a check, have your Admin submit the proper form along with documentation to Finance Team. Your request will be fulfilled at the next check-writing cycle.
<aside> <img src="/icons/warning_gray.svg" alt="/icons/warning_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Checks are NOT written upon request. Submission deadlines are in place to account for the weekly check-writing schedule.
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On occasion, you or someone in your ministry will spend personal money and require reimbursement. Your department Admin will collect the receipt and submit a Check Request to Finance Team, or reimburse with petty cash for smaller purchases.