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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.

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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

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

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

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.”

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

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

©2010 All rights reserved. The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan. This website does not attempt to make specific legal or tax advice. For advice on how to handle your individual situation, the services of a competent legal, tax, or financial planning professional should be obtained.