I was recently asked by my daughter-in-law, “When are you going to retire?” I wasn’t quite sure how to answer, but in my mind, I was hearing a lot of “what ifs.” What if I don’t have enough set aside? What if Social Security becomes more unstable? What if the markets crumble? What if my [...]
After preaching from Matthew 25:14-30 for more than 30 years, I’ve touched on themes about accountability, using what’s in our hands, and faithfulness with a little. But recently I came across an article by Jim Sheppard that challenged me to see the Parable of the Talents in a new way – one that deals with [...]
In Fall 2020, MB Foundation began offering grants to pastors who went through the online Financial Health coursework taught by Brian Kluth of National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Over the years we have been blessed to distribute 154 grants to 92 MB Pastors totaling a remarkable $180,500! Grants have been made for sabbaticals, toward pastor [...]
The Christmas decorating party was finished and the lights of the church had been turned off. In the parking lot, Tom, who had done the lion’s share of bringing the decorations out of the attic, turned and said to me, “Preacher, I am bringing my neighbor to our Christmas service. I hope your sermon is [...]
Christmas time is upon us this month, but the marketing of Christmas started months ago. Everyday we will be given a chance to own or give the latest knickknack, gizmo, sweater, etc. Nobody wants to be known as the Grinch, but our personal consumer debt will swell if we adopt the “spend now and worry [...]
Fall is typically the time when churches are working on their finances for the coming year. It can be a time of casting new vision, evaluating programs, and setting salaries. How churches work through these decisions is not meant to be just a business-like transaction. It is a spiritual discernment process worthy of our time [...]
Matt Bell, nationally-known stewardship author of Trusted, offers four tips for handling the weight of heavy financial burdens. I was shocked by the suicides of fashion designer Kate Spade and TV personality Anthony Bourdain in 2018. On one level, their deaths showed what a fallacy it is that fame and fortune assure happiness. I couldn’t [...]
The Christian Leader recently highlighted shoulder-tapping as a way to meet the growing need for vocational pastors and leaders within our MB family. We believe God is already at work as MB Foundation has been able to distribute 11 LeadGen grants for interns in our MB churches this summer! We believe there could be more. Perhaps [...]
In the next month, my wife and I will be moving for the 24th time. That’s a lot, but in full disclosure, some of those moves were short-term rentals (house-sitting, short-term interim work, etc.), but a move is a move! Each time, we boxed up our stuff, packed it into a trailer or truck, went [...]
When it comes to saving money and even more specifically, planning for retirement from church ministry, it can be hard to figure out where to start! Retirement may seem like a long time away, but small steps taken today can make a big difference down the road. Here are some useful tips for starting your [...]
As a person of a certain age, my hearing has been declining. With a little prodding from my wife, I recently made an appointment with an audiologist. The doctor diagnosed me as having moderately severe to severe hearing loss. Specifically, I have a constant ringing (tinnitus) and the loss of sound perception at certain pitch [...]
Millennials may inherit over $68 trillion from previous generations by 2030. According to Newsweek, some experts believe this "could be the largest transfer of wealth in the history of humankind." What will younger generations do with that wealth? Studies show the younger someone is, the less he or she tends to give financially. Not just [...]
Charitable fundraising statistics about giving during the last month of the year tell us that 30% of annual donations are given in December and 10% come during the last 48 hours of the year! So, be sure to send an email to everyone in your church and cover these four things: #1. Say Thank You! A [...]
As a pastor, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s was a time when I heard and used the word “later” a lot! If I tried to set up a meeting with someone or schedule a committee meeting, the response was usually “Can we do it later?” And for good reason. We are all busy [...]
I used to think it would be fun and adventurous to skydive. Now? Not so much. IF the plane was sure to crash and someone happened to slap a chute on my trembling body, I might strongly consider fearfully jumping. In the account of the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10, Luke 18, and Matthew 19), [...]