Reimbursement or Check Request Process
Use this page only if you have an already approved expense or reimbursement. Expenses and reimbursements can only be approved by Regional Staff or the Chair of a Regional ministry. If you have any questions, please contact the Regional Office.
To request a reimbursement for an approved expense:
- Gather all associated receipts. Reimbursements will not be processed without corresponding receipts.
- Complete ALL highlighted fields on the Check Payment Request Form (English | Español). This form is to be completed by the person requesting the reimbursement. Incomplete forms, or requests without a form or the corresponding receipts will not be processed.
- Volunteers: Send completed form and associated receipts to your ministry chair to be completed and then forwarded to Regional Staff.
- Staff and Ministry Chairs: Send completed form (including your signed approval as well as Account Name and Charge to Account) to Matthew Clark, Regional Ministry Administrator, at region@azdisciples.org.
- Once your completed form is received by Regional Staff it will be submitted for payment the following Thursday. Expect reimbursement checks to arrive within two weeks of your request.
Requests are typically processed each Thursday morning. Requests received after 9:00am on Thursday will be processed the following Thursday.
Only completed forms with associated receipts submitted to region@azdisciples.org will be processed. Incomplete forms will be returned with a request for needed information.
Under special circumstances reimbursements requests can expedited. Please contact Matthew Clark at the Regional Office if such circumstances exist.
Click the link to view our detailed Check Request and Reimbursement Process (English | Español)
Mileage Reimbursement
Use this page only if you have obtained prior approval for mileage reimbursement. Mileage reimbursement will only be paid for volunteers when prior approval has been obtained. To obtain prior approval contact your Regional ministry Chair or Regional Staff.
To request mileage reimbursement for a pre-approved trip:
- Complete the Blank Mileage Form
- Volunteers must complete all the fields of the form except: Account Name and Number, Ministry Chair/Co-Chair Signature, and the For Office Use Only section. Mileage reimbursement requests cannot be approved without a beginning and ending mileage. You can find current IRS mileage reimbursement rates for service of a charitable organization at this link or this link.
- Ministry Chair/Co-Chairs must complete the Account Name and Number and sign on the appropriate line.
- Send the completed form to your ministry Chair/Co-Chair for approval, or Matthew Clark, Regional Ministry Administrator, at region@azdisciples.org.
- Once your completed form is received by Regional Staff it will be submitted for payment the following Thursday. Expect reimbursement checks to arrive within two weeks of your request.
Requests are typically processed each Thursday morning. Requests received after 9:00am on Thursday will be processed the following Thursday.
Only completed forms submitted to region@azdisciples.org will be processed. Incomplete forms will be returned with a request for needed information.
Under special circumstances reimbursements requests can expedited. Please contact Matthew Clark at the Regional Office if such circumstances exist.
Regional Event Offering/Deposits
Use this page only if you have already contacted Regional Staff collecting an offering or fees at a Regional Event. Click the link to view our detailed Offering/Deposit Count Team Procedures (English | Español).
General Guidelines
- No counter should be asked or allowed to handle the offering alone; therefore, at least two counters should be scheduled
- Counters should not be related, nor Regional staff
- Counters should not receive individual donations by themselves or turn in donations on someone’s behalf (other than themselves or their family)
- Counters must use the Offering Count Deposit Detail Sheet (bilingual document)
- All transactions should be properly recorded and verified in a timely fashion
- While there are specific instances where the Region will accept cash, we strongly encourage and have a preference for checks or online donations and deposits. In part, due to our method of banking, checks and online payments are considerably easier to process. When receiving cash is unavoidable, contact Matthew Clark at the Regional Office and follow the detailed instructions for obtaining a money order on our Offering/Deposit Count Team Procedures (English | Español). At no time will the Regional Office directly accept cash from an event.
Process
As soon as you know money will be collected at an event, contact Matthew Clark, Regional Ministry Administrator. This must be at least two (2) weeks prior to the event.
- BOTH (all – if more than two) scheduled counters receive the offering from those collecting, if different
- Designate one person to process the checks and one person to count the currency (bills and coins)
- A money order will need to be purchased for the currency (bills and coins) portion, payable to Christian Church in Arizona
- Designate the person taking the currency (bills and coins) to purchase the money order and mailing (or delivering) the checks to First Christian Church in Scottsdale or the Regional PO Box (PO Box 6193, Scottsdale, AZ, 85261)
Details of each step are contained in the Offering/Deposit Count Team Procedures (English | Español).
Photo Release Form
Having photos of church events and the ministry that you do is an important tool for inspiring others to be a part of your community. However, with the ubiquity of social media and smartphone cameras it can be difficult to remember that not everyone wants their image posted in public spaces. Sometimes this is personal preference, but sometimes the reasons can be critical to a persons safety.
For these reasons it is important to always obtain a Photo Release Form from anyone you intend to take a photo of and use in a public manner. Click here for a form you can use at your church and read below some best practices around taking and storing photos at church.
- Always obtain a Photo Release Form from individuals in your congregation. This is easiest when you incorporate the form into activities that your church already does. For instance:
- Include the form as a part of every event registration. This has the added benefits that your form is up to date, people are reminded that their image might be used, and that you always have up to date forms.
- Include the form as part of membership or some other process that most in your church participate in.
- Create a list of individuals who have do not want their image shared and have that available in the church office or to anyone posting or otherwise using photos on behalf of the church.
- Have signs in areas of your church, or at events, that state “We routinely share photos of our church in action on social media and other mediums. If you would like your image not to be shared, please contact _______.”
- If you are live-streaming worship services or an event, make that clear each service, and possibly have designated areas where someone can sit and not be on camera.
