POLICIES & PROCEDURES

BIBLICAL FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES

The following principles, based upon God's Word, govern the financial affairs of Renewal Ministries Fellowship.

1. Renewal Ministries Fellowship acknowledges that God is our Source and the Chief Patron of this ministry, "Jehovah Jirah", the Lord will provide: Genesis 22:14: And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jirah, as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. This means our trust is not in riches: Proverbs 11:28: He that trusteth in his riches shall fall. God is the source, and we are only stewards: I Chronicles 29:14: ...For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

2. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will not incur any indebtedness, but will enlarge the work according to the means the Lord might be pleased to provide: Romans 13:8: Owe no man anything, but to love one another.

3. The vision and objectives of Renewal Ministries Fellowship shall be shared in a proper, factual presentation, with no undue emotional pressure or pledging methodologies employed to generate funds. The major methodology for specific requests for funds is to make such needs known through secret prayer by ministers, members of the leadership, and designated international intercessors of the organisation. It is not enough to obtain means for the work of God, but that these means must be obtained by God's principles: Proverbs 16:8 (LB): A little gained honestly is better than great wealth gotten by dishonest means. Matthew 6:6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to the Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth thee in secret shall reward thee openly.

4. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will tithe ten percent of all receipts on a regular basis to other ministries, as directed by the Holy Spirit. Due to the stated objectives of this ministry, prime consideration will be given in selection to National ministries in Third World Nations. Malachi 3:1-2: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing and that there shall not be room enough to receive it; and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes; and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts; and all nations shall call you blessed...

5. No financial or business partnerships will be formulated with unbelievers by or on behalf of Renewal Ministries Fellowship: II Corinthians 6:14-18: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.

6. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will not participate in "get rich quick" schemes or similar "gimmick" sources of funding for the ministry: Proverbs 28:22: He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. Proverbs 20:21: An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

7. The primary focus of Renewal Ministries Fellowship is to foster Christian unity, to restore, equip, release and support men and women in their calling to exalt Jesus that He may draw all people to Himself, not financial gain as an end in itself: I Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

8. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will not engage in business or financial transactions not in keeping with the stated purposes and objectives of the organisation.: II Timothy 2:4 : No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

9. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will abide by governmental financial regulations in all nations to which the ministry of this organisation. is extended: Romans 13:6-7 (The Amplified Bible): Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience. For this same reason, you pay taxes, for the civilian authorities are official servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very service. Render to all men their dues. Pay taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honour to whom honour is due.

10.Renewal Ministries Fellowship will not withhold payment of financial obligations when association funds are readily available: Proverbs 3:27-28: Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give thee; when thou hast it by thee.

11. Renewal Ministries Fellowship will not endorse notes for other ministries and/or individuals: Proverbs 6:1 (Living Bible):...if you endorse a note for someone you hardly know, guaranteeing your debt, you are in serious trouble. You may have trapped yourself by your agreement. Quick! Get out of it if you possibly can! Swallow your pride; Don't let embarrassment stand in your way. Go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off! Do it now. Don't rest until you do. If you can get out of this trap you have saved yourself like a deer that escapes from a hunter, or a bird from a net.

12. Requiring contributions (beyond those clearly stated in application forms) from supporters and/or staff will not be permitted: Proverbs 29:4: The king by judgment establisheth the land; but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

13. If employees are hired, they will be hired at fair market value: Proverbs 27:18 (Living Bible): A workman may eat from the orchard he tends; anyone should be rewarded who protects another's interests.

14. The leadership recognises its responsibility to govern the financial affairs of the organisation. in a scriptural manner and be aware of all financial and business matters: Proverbs 24:12 (Living Bible): Don't try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. For God, who knows all the hearts, knows yours, and he knows you knew!

15. We recognise that God gives the power to get wealth, but we also recognise that trust in wealth rather than God, leads to spiritual death: Deuteronomy 8:18-19: But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which he swore unto thy fathers as it is this day. And it shall be, if you thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. Psalms 49:6: They trust in their wealth and boast about how rich they are, yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin.

To assure continued financial blessing upon this organisation Renewal Ministries Fellowship will avoid the following violations which, as indicated in Scripture, result in a lack of sufficient funds:

• Fraud: Your gold and silver is cankered; and the trust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasures together for the last day. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the Lord of Sabbath. (James 5:3-4)
• Not paying employees a fair wage: Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbours services without wages, and giveth him nought for his work. (Jeremiah 22:13)
• Greed: He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye; and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. (Proverbs 28:22)
• Withheld offerings: There are those who generously scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it tends only to want. (Proverbs 11:24)
• Refusing instruction: Poverty and shame be to him that refuseth instruction; but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. (Proverbs 13:18)
• Intemperance: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. (Proverbs 23:21)
• Laziness: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. (Proverbs 20:13)
• Improper financial pursuits: A faithful man shall abound with blessings; but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. (Proverbs 28:20)
• Regarding offerings lightly/and for personal gain: Why then do you kick, trample upon, treat with contempt, my sacrifice and my offerings, which I command; and honour your sons above me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel? (I Samuel 2:29 The Amplified Bible)
• Dishonesty: But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto man, but unto God. (Acts 5:3-4)

Renewal Ministries Fellowship claims the following promises and shares them with donors to this ministry:

Ecclesiastes 11:1: Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.

Luke 12:33: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old; a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Acts 20:35b: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Proverbs 11:25: The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Isaiah 58:10: And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the affiliated soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday.

Malachi 3:10: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Luke 6:38: Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again.

II Corinthians 9:5: But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Renewal Ministries Fellowship will train its donors in the following scriptural principles of giving which direct that a believer should give to God's work:

Willingly: Not because he is forced or coerced: Exodus 35:5: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. I Chronicles 29:9: Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly...

With a perfect heart: Free from "what's in it for me" motives: I Chronicles 29:9: Then the people rejoiced...because with perfect heart they offered willingly unto the Lord.

Freely: Not because they are required or made to feel guilty: Ezra 8:28: Ye are holy unto the Lord...the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers. Matthew 6:38: Freely ye have received, freely give.

Without ostentation: For instance, names on founders plaques, names and gift amounts published, etc. Matthew 6:3: But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.

Regularly: I Corinthians 16:2: Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him... Cheerfully: Not from guilt, or because they are shamed or forced: II Corinthians 9:7: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.

With simplicity: Without a lot of complicated fanfare. Romans 12:8: He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity.

According to income: Not going into debt to give or making pledges which will put them under obligation. Financial pledges are not recorded in Scripture. Matthew 5:42: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessings of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.

According to ability: Giving according to their own ability. Ezra 2:69 They gave after their ability. Acts 11:29: Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. II Corinthians 8:12: For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

By percentage of income: Background verses for tithing: Genesis 14:20; 28:22; Leviticus 27:30; II Chronicles 31:5: Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

The following financial procedures have been adopted by the leadership of Renewal Ministries Fellowship. While principles from God's Word regarding finances are sacred, procedures are flexible and may be altered by the leadership as long as:

1. The procedure as altered is not in conflict with God's Word.

2. Proper justification for changing a procedure is documented.

3. The suggested change receives approval of the majority of the membership.

At present, procedures are as follows:

1. A proper accounting system shall be maintained by the association.

2. A bank account shall be established in the name of Renewal Ministries Fellowship.

3. All checks of disbursement shall be signed by two authorised signatures on the account.

4. Counting of any cash shall be done by no less than two representatives of Renewal Ministries Fellowship who will sign for and verify amounts involved in the transaction.

5. When participating in joint ministry outreaches with other Christian organisations, churches or committees, representatives from said organisations will be included in the financial accounting process and have full disclosure. They will sign and verify all transactions with a minimum of two signatures, verified by at least one signature representing Renewal Ministries Fellowship.

6. The association's financial records will be open for review by any Renewal Ministries Fellowship member at any time.

7. This organisation will utilise designated funds only for the designated purpose:

• They shall not be utilised or even "borrowed" to meet other needs in the organisation, no matter how urgent these needs may be.
• In the event that the specific project to which the funds were designated cannot be undertaken or completed due to circumstances beyond the control of the organisation., the following methodology will be employed:

i) The donor will be notified immediately of the reason why the project cannot be pursued or completed.

ii) The donor will be given the option of:

a. Redesignating the funds to another purpose within the organisation.

b. Requesting a refund of the designated funds.

• The other approved methodology would be to include on a donor designation card the option for the donor to check that "if sufficient funds are received for this project, this gift can be transferred to the general fund."

8. An annual review of the financial records of Renewal Ministries Fellowship by an independent auditor will be undertaken.

9. In the event of the dissolution of Renewal Ministries Fellowship any surplus assets will not be distributed among the members but will be given to another entity that has objects similar to the association's objects and the rules of which prohibit the distribution of the entity's income and assets to its members. Said association will be designated by the leadership of Renewal Ministries Fellowship, and, due to the stated purposes and objectives of this corporation, special consideration will be given to organisations engaged in ministry and training of Nationals in Third World Nations.

10. As corporate finances are available, salaried personnel may be designated by the leadership of Renewal Ministries Fellowship. Compensation will be set by the leadership with consideration of fair market standards for similar position, responsibilities and duties of position as well as educational qualifications and experience of applicant.

11. A proper inventory of all capital equipment purchased by Renewal Ministries Fellowship shall be maintained to assure proper financial accountability in this area.

12. All funds received shall be properly receipted and acknowledged.

13. All funds received, whether cash or check, shall be deposited expediently in the corporate account and not retained in the personal possession of any Renewal Ministries Fellowship representative.

14. All disbursements should be made by checks drawn on the corporate account. The exception to this is direct debits to pay the association's insurance and a petty cash fund not to exceed $100 which shall be retained by Renewal Ministries Fellowship Secretary for minor expenditures which shall be accounted for by proper receipts.

15. No financial contractual agreements shall be entered into by any representative of Renewal Ministries Fellowships without the approval of the leadership.

16. A quarterly written financial report and an annual financial statement shall be submitted to the leadership for review and approval.

17. Donor profile records shall be maintained on each donor to the ministry, including the following: Name, address, telephone Date of donation Donation amount

18. This ministry will submit the proper reports to the Quensland Department of Fair Trading and ASIC.

19. Authorised representatives designated by the leadership of Renewal Ministries Fellowship to make expenditures must maintain proper receipts for all such expenditures. If personal funds of the representative are advanced for corporate expenditures, reimbursement will occur only if the expenditure was approved by the leadership and proper receipts are submitted.

Thank you Harvestime International Network for the template from which this policy was written.