Articles
Below are some articles we thought you might find helpful in your personal and church financial planning. If you'd like to know more about any of the issues represented here, please feel free to contact us.
The Abundance of God's Living Water
By David S. Bell
Imagine a less than full glass of water sitting on the table. If you are particularly thirsty, you may desire a full glass of water or perhaps even a refill after drinking the first glass. If you are not at all thirsty, then it may be a great effort to drink whatever amount of water is in the glass. Is there enough water in the glass? It depends. read more
Annual Financial Campaign Best Practices
By David S. Bell
As Christian stewards, we are called to be generous givers. The church appeals for our financial generosity especially during the annual financial campaign. As churches face increasing financial pressures, church leaders sometimes experience difficulty in remaining focused on nurturing the spiritual gift of generous giving, including financial giving. read more
Best Practices for
Effective Stewardship
in the Local Church
By David S. Bell
The term, "best practices" refers to a leadership style that employs optimal strategies. These best practices do not guarantee an organization's financial health, nor do the promise to transform a person's financial commitment. read more
Beyond Fundraising: Developing a Year-Round
Culture of Generosity
By David S. Bell
One of the foundational premises of Christian stewardship is that God is the owner of all. All that we have in life is a generous gift from God. Stewardship includes our care of one another, the use of natural resources, and the management of our personal property and our finances. read more
Capital Campaigns: Inspiring Generosity through Abundant Vision
By David S. Bell
The concept of the capital campaign was first introduced in the Book of Exodus. Interestingly, God reminded the early religious community to use their gifts and talents to achieve God’s goals. Moses was the first religious leader to recognize the need for a capital campaign. read more
Charitable Giving On The Rise
By David S. Bell
Charitable giving is on the rise after a sharp fall during the economic recession according to a well-respected source and another major study – Giving USA Foundation and a survey by Cygnus Applied Research, respectively.* Overall charitable giving increased in 2010 over 2009 by 2.1 percent in inflation adjusted dollars. Moreover, four out of five donors anticipate contributing the same amount or more in 2011 than in 2010. Only 7 percent intend to decrease giving this year, compared to 17 percent in 2009. In addition, people who are "actively religious" give far more than other segments of the population. For example, the survey finds that actively religious young adults under age 35 contributed five times more to charities than those young adults who were not active in a faith community. read more
Electronic Giving to the Local Church
By David S. Bell
Electronic fund transfer (EFT) is one of the fastest growing services provided by American financial institutions. Industry leaders suggest that this growth trend will continue for the foreseeable future. read more
Estate Planning: A Key to Faithful Stewardship
By David S. Bell
An estate plan is a significant resource for a faithful Christian steward. An estate plan is for everyone — young parents, retirees, singles, middle-aged individuals, adult children with a living parent. It enables individuals to be assured that their personal desires will be followed. read more
How Much Income Can We Spend From Our Endowment?
By Rev. Dr. Wayne C. Barrett
At the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, we receive inquiries regarding the appropriate rate of distributions from Endowment Funds. Many churches limit their distributions to "interest" and do not take any portion of the capital gains or market appreciation as a part of their earnings. Twenty years ago this may have been appropriate as interest rates averaged 6-8% and about half of all stock market returns were in the form of stock dividends. read more
Inviting Generosity One Lunch at a Time
By David S. Bell
A well-known political commentator was invited to lunch by a billionaire corporate leader. The commentator was anxious about the lunch meeting. He pondered the anticipated conversation. He wondered where they might dine – what food they might eat. The venue was a far constant from what he had conjured in his mind. They met at a hospital cafeteria. Their lunch conversation was interrupted sporadically by staff and family members of patients. The commentator observed that the billionaire offered compassion and a "Christ-like" spirit as he engaged with folks. read more
Mission Possible: Motivational Factors
for Charitable Contributions
By David S. Bell
The number of charitable organizations in North America has been growing prolifically for more than a decade. As a result, people now have more options when considering their charitable contributions. In the church, we teach and preach about tithing and “first fruits” giving. read more
More Money & Quickly
By David S. Bell
A colleague recently asked me, “What do church leaders believe is their greatest area of stewardship need?” The answer is easy. Most church leaders perceive that the greatest area of stewardship need is the need for MONEY. They need more of it, and they need it quickly! From local church volunteers to denominational office staff, church leaders are concerned, if not fearful, about the bottom line impact of the economic recession on their corporate balance sheet, not to mention their personal wallet. read more
Personal Spending Plans
By David S. Bell
A personal spending plan is a fundamental tool that enables individuals to control money; rather than be controlled by it! A spending plan further enables people to help reach their financial goals and live out their values and priorities. Less than half of most families have adopted a personal spending plan or “family budget.” read more
Perspectives on Being Old Fashioned
By David S. Bell
During a recent presentation at a national conference, I was approached by a young adult who was interested in additional information about the generosity trends among different generations. She provided me with a few ways to deliver the information to her, one of which was "old fashioned e-mail." For me, postal mail, often termed "snail mail," is bordering on old fashioned. She did not even mention this option. I spend hours each day communicating through e-mail to pastors and church leaders. While I know that younger generations consider e-mail passé, I was quite struck during this conversation with a young adult when she associated e-mail with a rather archaic form of communication. read more
The Question of Childhood Curiosity
By David S. Bell
When I was a young child, I would often ask "Why?" Even before my parents could answer this question, I was ready to ask my second question. Do you know the second question? If you have raised children or spent much time with them, then I am certain that you do know it. The second question was: "Why?" Whatever my parents' answer, my follow-up question was always, "Why?" My own children have blessed me with this same level of curiosity. read more
Sluggish Economy Increases Financial Pressure
for Church Leaders
By David S. Bell
Church leaders are facing growing financial challenges as the sluggish economy impacts church operational costs as well as individual personal expenses. Parishioners are paying more for everyday items ranging from gasoline to eggs. read more
Spare Change
By David S. Bell
What happens to spare change? Many people have developed interesting ways of collecting or using their spare change. Some families collect it in a jar for a designated family activity, like vacations. Parents often give these coins to their children for safe keeping in a piggy bank. Still others keep it in the change holder of their car for road tolls or quick stops at a drive-thru. read more
Stewarding Church Technology
By David S. Bell
Amid the fallout from the economic recession, forecasters indicated that this recession is different from previous ones. One of the key differences is the advancement of technology. Cable news reported that technology has changed the “playing fields” of the financial markets and indexes. Moreover, these reports concluded that nations with predominant populations of persons educated in the use of technology will experience a quicker overall financial recovery. read more
Stewardship & Fundraising: An Intentional Balance
By David S. Bell
Annual financial campaigns are conducted in many churches during the final quarter of a calendar year. Historically, annual financial campaigns were linked to the Fall harvest. However, this historic reason has been forgotten in the past several decades. Church leaders now often equate the annual financial campaign with the need to secure funding for the operating budget. Since the fiscal year often coincides with the calendar year, annual financial campaigns continue to be held predominantly during this same period. read more
Stewardship in Unexpected Places: A Personal Story
By David S. Bell
I find tremendous examples of stewardship and fundraising in all kinds of places. Recently, I encountered great stewards (and fundraisers, too) on a somewhat remote beach on a rainy Saturday morning. Here’s the story. read more
Stewardship Lessons from Passing Generations
By David S. Bell
Have you ever heard a person say one of these comments?
- “I paid good money for that . . .”
- “You never know how much you will need.”
- “Save it for a rainy day.”
read more
The Steward Serves As...
By David S. Bell
A corporate executive read my personal bio as he waited for a meeting to begin. He stopped midway through the first sentence which began, "David S. Bell serves as . . ." He reread it and looked puzzled. He said, "That's an odd way to say what your title is." "Serves as," he mumbled. "Why not just 'is?' In the corporate world you would just say, 'is'; never 'serves as.'" read more
Tithing: A Benchmark for Giving
By David S. Bell
Some congregations set the expectation of giving at the traditional tithing mark (10% of one’s income) while other congregations rarely, if ever, deal with this predominantly Old Testament concept. In reality, giving in mainline Protestant congregations is far less than 10% of one’s income. read more
Where There's a Will, There's a Way!
By David S. Bell
During this past month, I have been leading a number of estate and gift planning seminars in churches. As I have spoken with individuals after each of these presentations, I am convinced more than ever that people, in general, are procrastinators when it comes to estate planning. According to a 2010 survey by Lawyers.com, two-thirds of Americans have no will. I believe it! Repeatedly, people approach me after these seminars to admit embarrassingly that they have no estate plan – no advance directives, no last will and testament. I have meet elderly widows, single parents, middle-aged couples, parents of young children, senior adults – all of them with no will. Are you among them? Then, read on.
Will Our Children Be Stewards?
By David S. Bell
Will our children be stewards? The answer relies largely on the level of conversation that we foster in and through our faith communities. The simple decisions that children make about money may seem to have minimal, if any, bearing on others. read more