This is a series about the spouses of pastors by a friend, who is a pastor’s wife.

One of the things affected by the economy is church budgets. Have the realities of the world-wide economy reached your church budget?  Now let’s look behind the scenes: How is your family handling the economic downturn? I’d like to hear some realities.

Are shifts in the church budget something that is overtly discussed in the church? Or is it catching the pastor and family by surprise?
 
From a household perspective, we are definitely keeping a cautious eye on the economy and the climate of change. However, we have always tried to live conservatively and within our means.  So, belt-tightening for us might look more like belt squeezing (it is interesting the things that have crept into our personal budget in recent years and seemed defendable at the time). And depending on the cost of living in the area of our church, it can mean little tweaks, or major makeovers.