In This Issue:
Dick's Column | Transforming Truths | News You Can Use | Your Point of View
Spotlight | Market Indicators | Ministry Builders | Resources

Dick's Column

Dear G$ Friends and Colleagues,

Many of you have perhaps heard the story of the young boy and the sculptor. The boy observed the sculptor beginning his work on a block of marble – chipping away what appeared to be random pieces, large and small, of the stone. Some weeks later the boy came back and there was a majestic marble lion the sculptor had created. The boy exclaimed, "I never knew the lion was in there!"

I'd like to suggest that within each of our churches there is the potential of a beautifully sculptured stewardship ministry "lion." In the story, the key difference between the sculptor and the young boy was that the sculptor could see the lion in the marble block from the very beginning. My hope and prayer is that you can see a majestic lion of stewardship ministry in your church, even if the development of that ministry is in its infant stages… or if some of the stone is proving difficult to chip away!

In a few cases your sculpture has been well developed and all that remains are for some rough edges to be polished. But for many of us, we have just begun to chip away the big pieces and rough out the image.

May the following description of the impact stewardship ministry can have, help you envision the lion yet to be fully sculptured within your church.

THE IMPACT OF STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

You and your team have been successful at creating a stewardship environment in your church – you've taught, you've trained, you've supported and encouraged your people in biblical financial stewardship.

People are implementing biblical principles into their lives. They are growing in generosity, saving on a regular basis for the unexpected and moving out from under the bondage of consumer debt. Their lifestyles are marked by moderation, discipline and contentment. Money has been eliminated as the rival god and they are growing in their relationship with the true God.

In their countenance is a radiated joy that comes from being a generous giver. In their demeanor is a sense of peace – a lack of anxiety over financial matters, a pervading sense of contentment and gratefulness. Marital conflict over money has been largely eliminated. They live with a sense of anticipation and expectation of God's presence and work among them.

The church's ministries are fully funded and it has a very strong outreach globally and to the local community. It extends the love of Christ in very tangible ways to those in need. Funds have been available to provide church facilities that wonderfully facilitate ministry and that are maintained with excellence.

The question before leadership is, "What is God calling us to do with the abundant resources with which He has entrusted us?"

Take some time this summer to envision what could be…

From one sculptor to another,

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Transforming Truths

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24

Secular personal finance writers seem convinced that married couples are best served by maintaining separate checking accounts. Such advice has been promoted everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Money magazine to Dr. Phil. And the advice is having an impact. Today, about half of all married couples use separate checking accounts—up from 38 percent in 2001.

It would be a distortion of Scripture to suggest that in order to become "one flesh" all married couples must use one checking account. However, with frequent stories in the personal finance press about spouses hiding money from each other, and with financial issues often cited as a prime cause of divorce, perhaps more couples would benefit from utilizing joint accounts as a way to foster oneness in marriage.

Using joint accounts need not drive all freedom and flexibility from each spouse's life. The simple solution is to set pre-determined amounts of money that each one is free to spend. Many couples do this with their clothing budgets; others broaden the purpose of such funds to include lunches with friends, recreation, or other such categories. The key phrase is "pre-determined:" Each person has the freedom to choose what clothing to buy or where to play golf, as long as the agreed upon amount is not exceeded.

Some suggest that combining accounts is an outdated idea. But with so many marriages breaking apart over financial issues, maintaining joint accounts is a very simple, helpful step toward managing money in a way that promotes the timeless, God-honoring principle of oneness in marriage.

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News You Can Use

Credit Card Fees Head North

The penalty for a late credit card payment now averages $28—up slightly from 2005, but more than twice the average charged in 1995. And, as reported by the Associated Press, the credit card average interest rate is now 14.53 percent—up from 12.61 percent two years ago.

Matt's View: Making a late payment on a credit card comes with a double-whammy. Not only are the penalty fees getting higher, but paying late is also one of the most damaging things a person can do to their credit score.

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The Credit Repair Myth

Credit "repair" has become all the rage. Do an internet search on that phrase and you'll find plenty of companies offering to fix people's bad credit, most of which are operating outside the law, according to the Federal Trade Commission. As reported in the LA Times, the FTC has gone after 70 such companies. Most of the targeted companies were making outlandish claims about their ability to erase people's credit score black marks. But it's also illegal for such companies to charge fees before any work is performed.

Matt's View: People in bad financial shape are often desperate for help, which makes them vulnerable to the overstated promises of credit repair organizations. But there's a lot that people can do on their own to rebuild their credit score. A first step is to get a copy of their credit report by going to www.annualcreditreport.com. If they spot errors, the reports give instructions for correcting the errors without the need to go through an outside service. But one of the most effective ways to rebuild one's credit score is to simply pay bills on time.

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Home Equity Loan Pitches on the Rise

For the first time since 1999, the total balance of home-equity loans and lines of credit loans has declined. That's why lenders have been inundating homeowners with promotions for such loans. And, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the latest pitches include various incentives. One lender is offering extended warranty coverage on appliances purchased with borrowed money. Another lender will make a $100 donation to an environmental non-profit organization when customers spend at least $2,500 from their home equity line of credit.

Matt's View: Hmm, let's see, a free warranty that Consumer Reports has found is usually not needed or an environment-related donation from a junk mailer. Can I sleep on it?

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Avoiding an "E-Waste Tsunami"

An upcoming change in how television signals are transmitted is leading some to predict big problems for the environment. Beginning February 18, 2009 all TV stations will be required to broadcast their programming in a digital format. In order to pick up TV station signals, owners of analog sets will have to subscribe to cable or satellite services or buy a digital converter. Some industry observers fear that many analog TVs will end up in the trash, posing significant environmental threats because of their lead-encased picture tubes and other hazardous materials.

Matt's View: People planning to replace their set should recycle their old one, and a good resource for finding a local electronics recycler is Earth911. Of course a better solution for the environment and our pocketbooks is for non-cable or satellite subscribers to purchase a converter box, which will sell for an estimated $50 to $70 when they go on sale next year.

By the way, have you ever wondered how many households simply watch what's available via broadcast signals instead of subscribing to cable or satellite TV services? According to the same article, just 11 percent of households fall into that category.

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Spotlight

What Our Purchases Say About Our Priorities

Presidential candidate John Edwards has been taking some flak for speaking out about the plight of the poor while building a $6 million, 28,000 square foot estate. Referring to Edwards' frequent stump speech about "two Americas," which highlights the chasm between the rich and the poor, talk show host Jay Leno quipped, "I think it's clear which America he's living in."

Of course, the specks in other people's eyes are often more apparent to us than the logs in our own eyes. So, it's worth moving past talk show host one-liners to consider what our own purchases say about our faith and our involvement in stewardship ministry.

The Bible encourages us to "Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). The assumption is that our faith will be so evident that people will be prompted to ask questions. In The Journey of Desire, John Eldredge wondered,

When was the last time someone stopped you to inquire about the reason for the hope that lies within you? You're at the market, say, in the frozen food section. A friend you haven't seen for some time comes up to you, grasps you by both shoulders, and pleads, ‘Please, you've got to tell me. Be honest now. How can you live with such hope? Where does it come from? I must know the reason.

I laughed when I first read that. And then I cringed. Has there ever been such a time? In a similar vein, when was the last time any of our financial decisions attracted someone's curiosity because they seemed so countercultural?

When our financial decisions are based on biblical principles, shouldn't there be something outwardly different about our life, something noticeable? Just keeping a car for more than five years qualifies as unusual behavior in our culture; keeping one for 10 years is likely to attract attention. While our motivation for doing so is not about calling attention to ourselves, such decisions are likely to be noticed. They may even prompt questions, which are opportunities for very powerful conversations about what really matters. And such decisions are likely to have a positive influence on people you know.

We can be a force for good when we make financial decisions with an awareness that those decisions have great power to influence others—either for good or for bad. Recognizing this influence is not about bearing the weight of the world, taking personal responsibility for the decisions that others make. It's simply about recognizing that our decisions do have an impact on other people. And it's about allowing that recognition to play a role in our decision-making.

Have you ever changed your mind about a planned purchase because you sensed that it might not set the best example? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Please drop me a line here.

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Market Indicators

High Gas Prices Taking Their Toll

Nearly three-quarters of Americans say the rise in gas prices is impacting their behavior. Not surprisingly, lower-income people (making less than $50,000 per year) are feeling the impact more than wealthier families (76 percent vs. 67 percent of those making more than $50,000). The slides below compare the behavior changes prompted by high gas prices by the gender and age of respondent.

One finding not included below is that young people (18-24) were by far the most likely group to say they have increased their use of carpooling as a result of high gas prices. More than 15 percent said they have done so, compared to just 7 percent of all respondents. Perhaps this is something our churches could encourage and even help organize, not just as a way to save money but also as a way to build community.

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Ministry Builders

Promotional Assistance For Budget Course

The Good $ense website has a variety of tools to help you announce and promote the Budget Course to your congregation.

• Various Good $ense Graphics are available to assist in communicating the upcoming Budget Course and can be used in flyers, brochures, banners, etc.
• A sample general brochure that can be customized using your church name provides information about the Budget Course.
• There are examples of flyers and brochures utilized by other churches.

Click here for an example of what one church posted on their website. Your church website is a great place to promote the Budget Course as well as provide other information about the ministry.

The Budget Course can be a great tool for community outreach. Click here to see what one church placed in their local newspaper.

You can provide Budget Course participants with professional looking name badges by using the template from this church.

Check the Good $ense website for these and other ideas to help optimize attendance at your Budget Course.

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Resources