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Stewardship Begins With Giving
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s a young church planter with little income, I decided I couldn’t afford to tithe. I was already sacrificing and serving the church. No need to give more, right? My wife and I looked at our bills and our income. Then we made a decision that changed everything. We ignored the spreadsheet and trusted God. We decided to give the first 10 percent in faith and see what would happen. From that time forward, we never lacked anything we needed. It was a huge step for our family. A few years ago, I took my daughter (pictured right) on a motorcycle trip to Lake Michigan. We got into a discussion about money.
“What does God need with my money?” she asked. I took her to the beach and poured sand into her open hands. Next I had her try to hold on to sand with tight fists and hands down. The sand fell out of her hands. In which position did she have more? She got it. The harder I work to hold on to my stuff, the less I wind up with God’s best. When we approach the Father with an open heart, everything changes. Stewardship becomes less about tithing on the net versus the gross and more Archer i Jason Executive Director about freeing ourselves to be generof Free Methodist ous with all we have. [LLM] Communications
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BY TIM BURKHART
hen you take a trip with a friend or a family member, you learn a lot about the person. For some, the journey is all about reaching the destination. For others, it is all about the plan. “Are we flying or driving?” “Let’s search the Internet to see what we are missing.” “There are so many things to see and do. How can we possibly do them all?” uuu
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Like preparing for a trip, good stewardship includes reviewing priorities and developing a plan. If we intend to stay together, stewardship involves relationships and listening to people around us. We need to be sensitive to people traveling with us. The plan needs to be flexible enough to keep everyone together and headed toward the goal. Learning and practicing good stewardship improves relationships with a person’s spouse, children and friends. Our relationship with God is partly defined by our careful use of what He has entrusted to us: time, talent and treasure.
Golden Parable In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells of a man who is going on a journey and calls his servants together to delegate responsibilities to them. “To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey” (v.15).
The first two servants doubled the master’s investment, but the man with one bag dug a hole and buried the master’s gold. When the master returned, he told each of the first two servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (v.21, 23). The master, however, said he was not pleased with the “wicked, lazy servant” (v.26) who buried the money when he should have put the “money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest” (v.27). Throughout Scripture, God teaches us to be good stewards. The Bible contains four times as many passages about stewardship and money as its passages about prayer and faith combined.
Giving Master If we have strength and health, we should consider these gifts from the Lord with which we
can work and earn money. The harder we work, the more we are tempted to think of the things in our lives as ours, but we need to remember that God is the provider of everything good in life. According to James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Diversify Investments The master selected three servants to care for things while he was gone. Selecting only one servant could be risky. What if that servant failed? It was much less likely that all three would fail. Diversification reduced the risk for failure. From biblical times to today, diversification remains an important principal in investing. “Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land” (Ecclesiastes 11:2).
[feature] 4 Take Risks In their final years of life, people often regret not starting more things, such as going back to school or sharing Christ with a neighbor. People often avoid risk, yet Scripture encourages us to take risks for Christ. In Matthew 16:24–27, “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.’”
Godly Growth The Lord brings the increase. We must simply do our part. In 1 Corinthians 3:6–8, Paul writes, “I planted the seed,
Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.”
Give Back If you don’t give back, you could become prey along the journey. In Zimbabwe, a hunter cuts a small hole in a large gourd, hangs it in a conspicuous location and places a handful of peanuts inside. A curious monkey will see what was left behind, find the peanuts and try to grab as many as he can get. Because the monkey’s hand is now too big to get out of the hole, he falls prey to the hunter. “Do not store up for yourselves trea-
sures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Storing up treasures on earth is like holding on to peanuts. Giving back is vital to success. God gives us credit for our generosity. Paul thanks the Philippians for the help they have given him, and he adds, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account” (Philippians 4:17).
Master’s Partners We are partners in God’s work. This partnership deepens our relationship with Him. God entrusts us with His gifts, expecting us to give
God entrusts us with His gifts, expecting us to give back in the capacity we are given.
5 [feature] back in the capacity we are given. “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).
In Jesus’ Name Your role is to be the trustee, manager and steward of all God entrusts to you. Doing nothing could be the greatest risk of all. Paul writes: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. … Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:17, 23–24). What are you stewarding today? Where are your plans taking you? What does your destination look like?
Your answers matter. Follow Jesus and get on with your journey. [LLM]
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Tim Burkhart is the vice president of estate and gift planning for the Free Methodist Foundation and the president/chief operating officer of GuideStream Charitable Gift Fund. He also serves as a delegate for his home church, Light & Life FMC in Avon, Ind.
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[bishops] 6
Tentacles in Our Ventricles
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aul warns Timothy, “For the love of money is the root of all evil …” (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV). I would have said the love of money is 50 percent of all evil, but that’s why they didn’t ask me to write the Bible. After money, I would have said pride is the root of about 30 percent of all evil, and chocolate is the root of about 20 percent. Maybe Timothy didn’t have chocolate. I guess it all depends on what you mean by love. When Jesus warned us we couldn’t have two masters — couldn’t serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24) — maybe He had this kind of love in mind. Maybe He was observing that we can have broken hearts but not divided hearts, that every heart is “all in” with something, that you can’t follow God with half your heart. By the way, I looked up mammon. It just means wealth. Mammon sounds scarier. There’s a TV channel called WealthTV. The Mammon Channel would have been cooler. In 1979, Bob Dylan sang that everybody’s “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Dylan is no Apostle Paul, but his song is more accurate than the Beatles singing that money “Can’t Buy Me Love,” a youthful under-calculation that Paul (the bass player, not the apostle) later discovered in divorce court. In fact, money can buy you love for several years, especially if there’s no prenup. But back to Dylan. He’s agreeing with the Apostle Paul that love of something is going to drive your life. The question is: Love of what? Wealth? Self? Chocolate? The problem isn’t wealth per se; the problem is loving it, serving it and trusting in it to supply our needs. The problem becomes real when the roots of wealth get wound around our hearts, running their invasive tentacles into our ventricles, overpowering our higher callings. That’s how we know we’re serving the wrong master — not when evil is nurtured, but when goodness is squelched. Mammon only buys love for a little while; then it turns and sues you for all you’ve got. Mammon’s a lousy lover. Self is worse. And chocolate melts in your hand. You’ll know mammon doesn’t have your ventricles when you can give it away without freaking, when goodness has access to your credit card. Hate some mammon today: Give it away! [LLM]
That’s how we know we’re serving the wrong master — not when evil is nurtured, but when goodness is squelched.
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Bishop David Roller To read more from Bishop Roller, visit fmcusa.org/ davidroller.
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S C RI P T U R E : 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:10–11)
Building a Life of Stewardship BY STEPHEN MACALUSO
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ife is a stewardship. It’s a sacred trust. My wife, Vicki, and I have a little sign above our bedroom door to remind us: “Every Day Is a Gift From God.” The sign prompts us to remember to use each day to fulfill the purposes of God in our lives. In 1 Corinthians 3:10–15, Paul uses the analogy of a construction project to help us understand the characteristics of a life well spent. Paul says there’s only one foundation on which you can build a successful life: Jesus Christ. All of our plans, achievements and titles become meaningless if they’re built on the wrong foundation. When the foundation is laid well, you can build a strong life. But you still have to decide what kind of life you’re going to build. If you choose the precious things of life, yours will be a life that’s focused on eternal values, the purposes of God. But there’s another kind of life, one built out of wood, hay and straw. It’s about self, about chasing the things of this life that don’t really matter. Paul says someday our lives, our works — this building that we fashioned — will be shown for what it really is. Insignificant stuff will go up in flames. A life built on eternal values will remain a rock-solid testimony to a life of good stewardship. [LLM]
Stephen Macaluso of Syracuse, N.Y., is a Free Methodist elder and a regional vice president of the Free Methodist Foundation.
[history] 8
Gain, Save and Give BY LEE CRIST
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tewardship of all we own, all we earn and all we are is grounded in Scripture. God rooted it in His covenant in the Old Testament. He personified it in Jesus in the New Testament. In both Testaments, covenant keepers and followers of Jesus were urged to be generous either in accordance with their blessings or by virtue of their generosity. Examples include landowners in the Acts church and, despite their poverty, the Macedonian churches. The Wesleyan movement is blessed with founders who knew the meaning of stewardship of life and possessions. John Wesley spoke of it often. In two sermons, Wesley laid a framework for good stewardship. “The Use of Money” gave us the familiar precepts “gain all you can,” “save all you can” and “give all you can.” In “The Good Steward,” he holds that all of life is a gift from God and should be managed to His glory. Wesley not only preached stewardship, he practiced it. He consistently lived on less than 10 percent of his earnings, giving the rest away. When he died, he only had a few coins. In the book “First Lessons on Money,” Free Methodist founder B.T. Roberts wrote, “A man is never fully a man till he begins to care for others.” Roberts practiced what he preached. When a farm became available as a site for Chili Seminary (now Roberts Wesleyan College), Roberts turned over his house for the first payment. Building on the foundation laid by others, we are responsible for the use of all we earn and own — all that we are. [LLM]
Lee Crist is the pastor of the Holiday (Fla.) FMC and a regional representative for the Free Methodist Foundation.
p John Wesley (Photo courtesy of Marston Memorial Historical Center)
All of life is a gift from God and should be managed to His glory.
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tewardship has remained a priority for Pearson and Jeannine Miller since their wedding 54 years ago. During their marriage ceremony, G.H. Boley — Jeannine’s father, a Free Methodist pastor and Wabash Conference superintendent — advised the couple to follow Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” “From day one with our lives together, this is how we have lived,” Pearson said. uuu
BY JEFF FINLEY
[action] 10 “Everything we’ve ever touched or had belongs to God, and we just manage it for Him.”
Photo by Peter Shackelford
God’s Money The retired Greenfield, Ind., couple emphasized the importance of tithing. Charter members of Aldersgate FMC in Indianapolis, the Millers believe giving starts at the local church level. Jeannine said that even when family finances were tight during her childhood, tithing came first. “I would get an allowance, and I would put part of the allowance in a special box — we called it the tithe box — so I knew that money was God’s. It wasn’t mine,” she said. Jeannine completed her Greenville College education in three years, and Pearson was a senior at Purdue University when the couple married. They bought a small trailer that became their home. “We didn’t have a lot to start with,” Pearson said. “It’s been a blessing to see how God has blessed us, and we’ve been able to take those blessings and manage them for His work.” They pursued careers in education while rearing their two sons, Jon and Phil. Pearson worked as a teacher, a principal, a school superintendent,
the state of Indiana’s director of school finance and an education consultant. Jeannine worked as a junior high school guidance counselor for 39 years. Both are now retired, but they stay busy.
Time for Others The Millers’ generosity includes giving their time to many charities and the Free Methodist Church – USA. Pearson is a member of the denomination’s Board of Administration and the chairman of its Benefits Committee, which works with the Free Methodist Foundation to manage the pension funds for pastors and denominational employees. He also served for 30 years as a Greenville College trustee and currently serves as the board chairman of the Wabash Park Campground, where Jeannine also is an active volunteer. The Millers are also active in their community. Jeannine served for years on the board of the Hancock Hope House, a homeless shelter in Greenfield. She currently volunteers for Indianapolis-based Families First. “They provide counseling for families who are in various types of trouble,” Jeannine said.
“It’s been a blessing to see how God has blessed us, and we’ve been able to take those blessings and manage them for His work.” Foundation Fans The Millers credit the Free Methodist Foundation with expanding their stewardship opportunities. The couple, who worked with the foundation to establish a charitable trust, appreciate the accessibility of the foundation and the resources it provides for financial and legal matters. “The Free Methodist Foundation has been a real help to us and a guide to us,” Pearson said. [LLM]
11 [news]
CUE Encourages Urban Free Methodists BY KATHY CALLAHAN-HOWELL
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his year’s Continental Urban Exchange (CUE) attracted Free Methodists with the common goal of “Longing Forward” as they reach cities for Jesus Christ. New Hope FMC in Rochester, N.Y., hosted this year’s CUE April 25–27. Elizabeth Gerhardt, a professor at Northeastern Seminary, gave the opening address, which looked at issues related to the abuse of women and girls. “Peacemaking does not begin with programs or politics, but begins on our knees confessing our collusion with evil,” she said. On April 26, Kaela Sittig of New Hope shared devotions. The 15-yearold presented a clear idea of what “Longing Forward” looks like in the Bible and today. Northeast Region Superintendent Mitch Pierce provided devotions April 27. Several pastors shared ministry reports, and the attendees appreciated For more CUE the two workshops, “Color, coverage, visit Caste and Culture” by Pastor fmcusa.org/ ?p=492112. Bruce N. G. Cromwell of Cen-
tral FMC in Lansing, Mich., and “When Helping Hurts” by Pastor Greg Coates of Indy First FMC. A special presentation honored U. Milo and Helen Kaufmann, who have served on the coordinating council and in various volunteer positions with CUE for more than 30 New Hope FMC Pastor Michael Traylor speaks at the Continental Urban Exchange hosted by his congregation. (Photo courtesy of the years. Free Methodist Urban Fellowship) Pastor Michael to sift through all that was said, Traylor of New Hope preached there were far more nuggets than on “From Babylon to Jerusalem,” sand,” said B. Elliott Renfroe, the encouraging listeners to be a church president of the Free Methodist for the city, not just in the city. Urban Fellowship. “The nuggets were Marvin McMickle, the president visible and very valuable. I realized by of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinthe end of the week that my comity School, gave the final address. plaints had been changed to convicMcMickle quoted W.E.B. DuBois, suggesting we must learn to finish things, tions, and God’s voice was increasingly clearer.” [LLM] and Harriet Tubman, telling escaping slaves to keep going. “CUE 2012 was like the Rochester gold rush. With the opportunity
[news] 12 JOURNALISTS HONOR LLCOMM Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Evangelical Press Association honored Light & Life Communications during the EPA 2012 convention. Light & Life Magazine [LLM] received the Award of Excellence in the Most Improved category and an Award of Merit in the Denominational category. LLM won fourth place for Publication Redesign, and llcomm.org received fifth place for Website Design.
POLICE, FIRE CHAPLAIN NOW ELDER Wilmore, Ky.
Bishop David Roller ordained Arthur Lee Twombly as a Free Methodist elder May 18 during the New South Annual Conference. Twombly, 67, a retired engineer, serves as the fire and police chaplain for the city of Shively, Ky. “It’s never too late. If God’s got a use for us, He’ll use us,” Twombly said. For more coverage, visit fmcusa.org/news-and-events.
AGAPEFEST WEATHERS STORM Greenville, Ill.
Stormy weather on May 4 cut short the opening-night performance of AgapeFest headliner TobyMac, but he and his band later played an acoustic set for fans remaining at the Bond County Fairgrounds. For more coverage of the Greenville College-sponsored festival and photos by GC student Logan Shaw, visit fmcusa.org/news-and-events.
THA MYX FLIES HIGH Denver
Jeff Puckett is a helicopter pilot who likes to share his love of flying with others. Puckett regularly gives rides to pastors such as Age Sandoval of Tha Myx, a Free Methodist Church in Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood. Read more about how the flights are changing Denver residents’ perspectives, and watch an ABC News video report at fmcusa.org/?p=492172.
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The Rest of the Story Want to find indepth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org.
We want to hear from you! Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.
13 [world]
Cyclists Bike Across Kenya for ICCM School BY JOHN FRANKLIN HAY
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hen I pedaled past a herd of zebras and then watched a giraffe lumber across the road in front my bicycle, I knew I wasn’t in Indiana
anymore. The Great Rift Valley — seemingly spreading into infinity — reminded me. Endless tea plantations testified. Children confirmed it as they ran excitedly toward our cycling entourage, yelling “Jambo! How are you?” I was definitely in Kenya. Eight friends from North America had accepted Free Methodist Bishop Nixon Dingili’s invitation to join him in May for a 600-mile bike ride through his East African nation. Our primary purpose: to raise funds to purchase land and materials to build the first phase of an International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) high school in Kenya. More than t The North American cyclists are joined by missionaries Vickie Reynen and Ken Myers, Bishop Nixon Dingili, and ICCM National Coordinator Daniel Shanzuh. (Photo courtesy of John Franklin Hay)
1,000 sponsored children attend the seven ICCM primary schools currently thriving in Kenya, but there is no secondary school. When children who have been nurtured in ICCM schools finish eighth grade, they disperse to public and private schools (if they qualify or can afford it). Too often, contact and influence is thereafter diminished or lost along with an important link in developing leaders for the Kenyan church’s future. Dingili envisions an ICCM boarding school that continues sponsored children’s advanced studies within the care and fellowship of the church. He also wants the school to offer vocational and sustainability-based skill development. Paying our own expenses and traveling as a VISA team, we asked family, To contribute to the ICCM high school friends and congregations to support or to view video this cause with a donation. Some gave and more photos and stories, visit 5 cents for every mile we pedaled in fmcusa.org/ Kenya ($30); some gave much more. bike-kenya-2012. More than 140 households or groups have contributed most of the $40,000 goal. We hope others will join the effort to reach the goal. Believing in this cause and realizing To sponsor a child the confidence others placed in us for $25 per month or learn more made our biking in Kenya all the more about ICCM’s work beautiful. [LLM] in 30 countries, visit childcareministries. org.
[discipleship] 14
Stewards of God’s Property BY CARY HOLMAN
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grew up on a small farm in the Midwest. We were tenant farmers — the land my dad farmed did not belong to us. My dad and the landlord, who lived a two-hour drive away, had a crop-share arrangement. My dad contributed the labor, he and the landlord split the cost of the seed, and then they split the harvest 50/50. Dad showed me what it meant to be a steward, to be a Cary Holman (left) u and his father spend caretaker of something valuable that belonged to sometime together on the one else. farm in 1996. (Photo Psalm 24:1 begins: “The earth is the Lord’s, and every- courtesy of Cary Holman) thing in it.” Dad understood that the earth he farmed belonged to another. To be a good steward of that land, my dad had to plan. To raise a good crop, he couldn’t just throw seed into a field. The ground had to be prepared by plowing and discing. He had to select the best seed. Fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides were often needed to produce the highest yield, and my dad had to harvest the crop at the right time. Today’s environmental movement raises our awareness that we are stewards of the earth. Interest is high in conservation, but to what end? The secular response is often “to make sure what we have is here for our children and grandchildren.” But, for the Christian, everything belongs to the Lord — not just the earth’s natural resources, but also our time, talents and treasure. To maximize the return for the Owner, we need to plan. By developing stewardship plans, we can increase the yield for our families and for kingdom ministries. [LLM]
GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] Do we live out our belief that everything belongs to God?
[2] Do we plan how to Cary Holman, Ph.D., is an associate professor of communication at Greenville College, the manager of WGRN-FM and a regional representative for the Free Methodist Foundation.
spend our time, talents and treasure effectively?
Did you know a new discipleship article is posted to our website each week? The four monthly articles are perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.
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[resources] GUIDESTREAM GuideStream Financial provides financial planning and investment management from a Christian stewardship perspective: guidestreamfinancial.com.
INVESTMENT The Free Methodist Investment & Loan Fund provides investment options that earn interest and loans that help churches grow: fmlf.org.
PLANNED GIVING Create a legacy that protects your family, provides income and advances the kingdom of God: fmfgiftplan.org.
FIRST LESSONS Download a PDF of Free Methodist founder B.T. Roberts’ “First Lessons on Money”: fmcusa.org/btroberts-writings.
Visit these Free Methodist websites for help being a good steward of the money and possessions with which you have been blessed.
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