Here’s a leadership lesson for you and your team:

Whenever you are having something printed or outsourced for your church, ALWAYS get two quotes and three if possible… in writing, in comparable terms.

Remember, stewardship is more than just what you expect from your church members – You are responsible for every dollar spent.

Just a few days ago, one of my staff came to me to approve a specific item they wanted to have imprinted with our name on it.

I asked for comparable quotes and they said, “I only have this one, but it fits our budget.”

Within budget or not, one quote is a lonely quote.

Bottom line: after 15 minutes of calling and checking online, we saved over $1500 on the project… and we learned a few other valuable details that the first provider hadn’t told us.

And be careful of this myth:

- “There’s only one supplier” or “I can’t find it anywhere else”

In my experience this myth is very rarely (if ever) true, and often indicates a lack of effort from the one who speaks it.  The internet has revolutionized the search for comparable quotes on just about any service/product imaginable.

Final caution: the lowest quote doesn’t always mean the best.

It’s quality and price and turnaround time and relationship with the vendor….and I often pay a bit more for quality or speed or from a vendor I trust but when the payment is made, I know this:

With multiple quotes I’m never “wasting money” that could be better used in other God-honoring ways.

P.S. For more on improving your church’s Stewardship System, across the board, check out The Stewardship Seminar.