Mrs. Johnson had an estate plan in place. She planned a substantial portion of her estate for her ministry interests. The remainder was to be divided equally among her three children.
Three Philosophies of Money (Financial Resources)
When Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan, He was answering a legal expert’s question about the law that commanded them to love their neighbor (Lev. 19:18). Jesus wanted to make the point that the neighbors we are to love are not just the ones who are easy to love, but also those we may dislike.
Creating an Asset Transfer Plan
Asset Transfers
The Life Estate Agreement
Earn, Save, Give
Gifts In “Kind”ness
A Charitable Life Estate
When you plan your estate, should you consult your children? Should tradition be your guide? Will family members share your stewardship perspective? Will they want the responsibility of managing property? So many questions to consider. As Christian stewards, it is important that we make every effort to plan wisely with all that God has provided.
Safeguard Your Future
Rendering to Caesar
You are no doubt familiar with the story in Matthew 22 where the Pharisees tried to trip Jesus up by asking him a loaded question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Much is made of the issue in the discussion about taxes and religious institutions--but the original context is often lost.
Revocable Trusts and Charitable Giving
A Revocable Living Trust has a number of benefits; among those, it is an excellent charitable giving tool. When you have cared for the dependency needs of your family, you may wish to include charitable distribution instructions in your Revocable Living Trust. By so doing, you avoid probate costs and delays.
Placing Everything in a Bucket
Here’s an interesting exercise to help with your stewardship planning. Place everything you own (titled to you and/or your spouse) on your kitchen table. Wait, that will not work; instead, place pieces of paper that represent your ownership. Each piece of paper should have at least one thing in common: somewhere your name appears on it as the owner. Next, it is time to create 5 separate stacks.
A Practical Guide to Giving
Acting on the Master’s Behalf
As we develop a lifestyle of giving, we naturally focus on what we should give and how much. What about the other side of the equation--the receiving side? How do we determine which ministries to support? We are drawn to ministries that meet needs we care about, and we give in good faith, believing our gifts will be used wisely. When we decide to financially support an organization, we might think our job is done, but there is more to our responsibility as good stewards.
What Should I Give?
Giving More Effectively
The Charitable Gift Annuity
Did you know that you can make a gift to charity that also pays you income? Through a Charitable Gift Annuity, you enter into a contract with a ministry by giving cash, securities or other assets. You receive a tax deduction for the gift portion of your transfer, and a fixed stream of income for life.
