Insight for Wise Financial Stewardship

Do you have a giving plan in place? Or do you tend to give only when needs are presented in the moment? Impromptu giving is a great habit, but it requires someone to ask you first. Instead of waiting to be generous until someone presents you with a need, you can take...

When you create an estate plan, you make careful decisions regarding your investment accounts, your real estate holdings, the businesses you own, and your other major assets. But it is also important to consider the smaller things in your household. Disagreements...

When the calendar turns over, many people set goals to achieve during the new year. One popular resolution is to prepare a will or estate plan. Maybe you made a goal to create a will or update your estate plan in 2025 but are feeling stuck or unsure how to get...

Do you remember this old gospel tune? This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. As followers of Jesus, we know...

One commonality among all authors—famous or not—is lousy first drafts. Revisions, corrections, and creative additions are all necessary to make our favorite books as good as they are. As followers of Jesus, we aim to live lives of generosity, and this also requires a...

What has changed in your life within the last year? Are your priorities and goals different today than they were last spring? How might these changes impact your plans for the distribution of your estate? Would you want the same distributions as you did when you set...

Have you ever used the phrase “timing is everything” to help explain a positive—or negative—outcome in your life or in someone else’s? As with most significant decisions, when it comes to making a significant gift to a ministry you care about, good timing has...

Have you ever used the phrase “timing is everything” to help explain a positive—or negative—outcome in your life or in someone else’s? As with most significant decisions, when it comes to making a significant gift to a ministry you care about, good timing has...

When making financial decisions, it seems like it would be nice to be able to see into the future and know what it holds. If we knew now what our future financial needs would be, it would be easier to make decisions about saving, giving, and distributing our estates...

“I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name” (Psalm 18:49 MEV). As stewards, we give thanks to the Lord by giving from our blessings to His Church and to those in need around us. So how do we make sure that our gifts are...

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Some vow to exercise more, practice a new hobby, or find a more fulfilling career. Others make a commitment to achieve financial goals. Whatever resolutions or goals you set for yourself, in many cases, the most difficult part...

Financial literacy is a skill that needs to be developed. In order to successfully navigate life, especially in our modern age, understanding personal finance is as critical as learning how to do laundry or drive a car. So it is extremely detrimental when kids...

In today’s complex legal and tax world, choosing the right professional advisers is crucial. If you have advisers with whom you are comfortable, you are a blessed individual. If not, here are three questions to ask to help you find the right partners. Can I...

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Some vow to exercise more, practice a new hobby, or find a more fulfilling career. Others make a commitment to achieve financial goals. Whatever resolutions or goals you set for yourself, in many cases, the most difficult part...

Too often, estates are not distributed according to an individual’s desires. Sometimes it is because of the lack of an estate plan, and other times because the estate plan is outdated. This outcome is regrettable and completely avoidable. The start of a new year is...

Planning for retirement can be an overwhelming experience. There are many retirement accounts and investment options to choose from, and not all of them are right for every investor. You’ve heard about 401k accounts, Roth IRAs, and Traditional IRAs. But what makes a...

The pastor was excited about his message. It was Giving Sunday—the designated day of the year when he was challenged to deliver a message about supporting the ministry of the church. Rather than quoting the traditional scriptures regarding tithing, he decided to talk...

In John 3:16, one of the world’s most beloved Bible verses, we read that because God loved the world, He gave us His Son. Not only does this tell us about the price that God chose to pay for our salvation, it also confirms that God reveals Himself to us, in part,...

We all have the best intentions when it comes to our money, but life seems to have other agendas. Without a financial plan, we’re at the mercy of our impulses and whatever circumstances life throws at us. Many people assume that budgets are for people who struggle...

Elvis Presley had one. So did George Washington, Fredrick Douglass, Mother Teresa, Harriet Tubman, Billy Graham, and Billy the Kid. Even Jesus of Nazareth had one. If you live on this earth until your body dies, you will also have one: the shortest day of your life. A...

Without goals, it is hard to save money or stay financially healthy. By setting reasonable goals and tracking your progress, you can develop strong financial habits and give yourself the freedom to dream about what you can accomplish with the resources you have....

When someone starts talking to you about money, you likely have a knee-jerk reaction to wonder about their motives. This is a wise response; false advertising, scams, and predatory business practices are all too common, and it is painful when we or others we know fall...

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Communicating a Church Building Project Every church construction project begins with a church-wide conversation. How you introduce this new initiative matters. A misstep at the beginning can have serious repercussions that reverberate...

Whether you are building a new church, trying to convert a building into the perfect meeting place, or looking to remodel your current location, it is going to require capital. Sometimes churches are so overwhelmed by the funds they need to come with that they drag...

Communicating Effectively About Church Finances Many church conflicts can be traced back to poor communication, especially when it comes to finances. When financial matters are not communicated clearly, misunderstandings and distrust can arise, hindering the church’s...

The decision to undertake a significant church construction project can seem intimidating. Whether building a new church or remodeling an existing building into a proper gathering place, there is not a singular program that prepares pastors for the arduous task of...

CityPoint Community Church is a young, innovative church located on the south side of Chicago. Planted in August 2008 with just eight people, the core group of CityPoint united by prayer for the renewal of their community. Demetrius Davis has faithfully led the church...

As a church faithfully lives out its purpose, growth will come. The congregation at Calvary Chapel in Meridian, Idaho understands this will. The church experienced rapid growth in recent years, with weekly attendance nearly doubling from 800 to almost 1,600. During...

What if a church wasn’t just a place to meet but a place where heaven met earth? A space so full of God’s presence that lives were changed the moment they walked through the doors. This is the heart behind Zeal Church—a Spirit-empowered, life-giving community where...

When it comes to creating a budget, many church leaders feel overwhelmed. Not all church leades have extensive training in accounting. While elders and pastors are focused on people and ministry, creating the budget can become an afterhought. Because of its arduous...

When someone asks how you’re doing, how do you typically respond? For many of us, we have a default answer: “I’m so busy!” As true as this reply may be, when “busy” is our default status, it can start to become part of our identity. It’s painful to admit, but we can...