Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
So how can you effectively disciple people who have significant financial resources in matters of generosity and stewardship? How can you engage their hearts and help them catch a vision for your church’s mission?
ECCU is hosting a Generis luncheon seminar, How to Disciple, Encourage, and Engage the Wealthy People in Your Church, on Thursday, October 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Those who attend will learn from experts like Richard Watts, author of Fables of Fortune: What Rich People Have That You Don’t Want, and Generis Vice President Gerald Farley. They will discuss:
- Who the wealthy are in your congregation.
- Why they often stay hidden.
- What they need that they don’t already have.
- How to encourage wealthy people to invest more of their financial resources in ministry.
ECCU will host this free event for senior pastors and executive staff, which includes lunch, at its headquarters in Brea, California. To register, contact Sheri Kohlmann at 714.420.5092 or sherik@generis.com.
In a survey by the
Association of Financial Professionals, 98% of financial professionals say that the safety of principal is their organization’s most important short-term investment objective. Yield is second.
This survey makes clear that a mixed economic outlook is still impacting investment decisions. Perhaps most telling is that 51% percent of these organizations feel bank deposits are their safest choice for short-term investments. This is up from 23% in 2006, which is not surprising given the fragility of the stock market. And this number may continue to rise, according to survey respondents, if pending regulations by the SEC on money market mutual funds (MMF) make it less attractive to hold cash in MMF accounts.
Is this true for your ministry? Is protecting donor gifts your highest investment priority? It should be.
Preservation of your principal investment is always the most important goal, whatever the economic or rate environment. With MMF and treasury rates at historical lows for the foreseeable short-term future, bank deposits continue to offer safety and provide some of the best yields.
(You know we aren’t going to leave you wondering. ECCU offers some excellent account options to help keep your ministry’s money safe while it earns a competitive return.)
Is it possible that a book which is thousands of years old has insights that can guide investment decisions today? Respected financial advisor Ron Blue says yes.
In a post titled What the Bible Can Teach You About Investing Today , blogger Jeff Mackey writes that Blue, founder and managing director of Kingdom Advisors, says “the old proverbs found in the Bible hold the keys to today’s investment success.”
For example, one important investing principle—diversify your portfolio—is found in Ecclesiastes 11:2: “Divide your portion to seven, or even eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”
Mackey offers five of Blue’s investing principles and their biblical bases, they asks, “Do you believe the Bible can help your investing success?”
What do you think?
