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The Church:

Over the past two decades each one of us can name spiritual leaders who began their ministry with virtually nothing and over time accumulated wealth because of that ministry.  Soon, a different dynamic surfaced that destroyed their ministry, ruined their Christian witness, and harmed legitimate ministries in reaching the lost. The same has happened to many of your church members or they are saddled with debt and not participating in the financial stewardship ministry in the local church.  What can the church do? 

The Bible has the answers to these financial difficulties—it contains more than 2,350 verses dealing with money and possessions. More of these verses deal with the area of giving than any other financial subject. We must take seriously the biblical teaching that EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD and we are the steward or manager. The power of money, possessions, and influence cannot be underestimated as to how it can control and manipulate the lives of people if they lose focus as to whom it really belongs. The Bible teaches we cannot serve two masters. Each of us either know personally or have read about the fall of individuals because of greed. Many churches have taken steps to assist their members in discovering how to budget, reduce and eliminate debt, and participate in the current ministry of the church through their tithe and offering.  However, the church is failing to teach the most significant stewardship message. It is the one area of stewardship training that will have a major impact on the ministry of the local church in the years to come - estate stewardship.  Why is this so important?

Almost 7 in 10 people will die without even a will in place causing families to face financial and life stressors so easily prevented had they only taken the time to plan their estate. Beyond these issues it further represents lost opportunities for Believers to leave a charitable gift that becomes a real “Kingdom” legacy impacting lives for Christ.  According to the attorney authors of The Midas Curse, more than 90% of all estate plans fail within three years. The reason - they fail to transfer morals and values and in a manner that hurts rather than helps the individuals. Scripture has a powerful message with regard of how we handle God's blessings to us as Believers. Yet, the church remains silent!

Fewer than 3% of all seminaries train pastors appropriately preparing them to teach a holistic message of stewardship.  Many pastor's themselves are saddled with a tremendous debt load causing them to remain silent on teaching from Scripture that which they are not practicing themselves.  This is not a problem unique to Southern Baptist. It is a problem experienced in ALL denominations and one that is just now beginning to surface for solutions.  The solution is the same message spoken or more than 2,300 times in Scripture. It is the same message shared by our Lord Jesus Christ as he taught his Disciples.  That message - all we have belongs to God! We are temporary stewards charged with storing treasure in heaven and using that which he has blessed to us to bless others. 

Randy Alcorn, author of the best selling. The Treasure Principle, says, “The Lord intends giving to be one of the most blessed and joyful experiences of our Christian life.” Too many times we try to talk about finances and faith as separate issues. The Scriptures teach these are inseparable.

The Baptist Foundation of Alabama will be happy to assist the local church develop and implement a ministry of estate stewardship. This process consists of the following key components.

1. Meet with church leadership in the discovery process.
    
2. Draft the following administrative documents for the local church:

1. Gift Acceptance Policy outlining those key areas the church desires its members to give. These are usually missions, scholarship, and facility upkeep and maintenance. It spells out that if a direct gift is made to the church, the process has already been determined whether the church will use all at once or place to its permanent fund.
    
2. Endowment or Foundation Fund Resolution: determines how this oversight group is selected and functions within the church.
    
3. Endowment Agreement or Foundation Fund Agreement: This document established a fund under The Baptist Foundation’s 501 (c)3 nonprofit umbrella. This also gives the local church access to the professionally managed Institutional Investment Management program. This fund is portable meaning you are free to move from TBFA should your church so desire. Our goal is to help God’s people create “Kingdom” impacting gifts.
    
4. Investment and Spending Policy: This document is determined by the local church setting the parameters for how funds are invested and how they will be used in ministry.

3. During the planning process we will assist the local church determine how best to launch this important ministry to their congregation. We emphasize to the church this is a biblically based ministry – not a program. The focus of this ministry is on helping the local church grow faithful givers. Studies have shown that on average it takes about three years for a church to implement and cultivate a ministry for it to then become a part of the educational fabric of the church.
   
   For The Foundation, this is a long term ministry commitment to partner with the local church. We recognize that people will be ready to plan their estates at different times in their lives. The Foundation has several options for this portion of the process including the following:

1. A web based product providing training materials for church leadership and materials for leading internal sessions to church membership. The site also instructs church members on estate stewardship and leads them toward making a decision to plan their estate through the eyes of a steward. 
    
2. A ‘kick-off event such as The Carpenter’s Plan TM to those church members who are in the right age group for estate planning matters. See article about The Carpenter’s Plan TM.
    
3. Several levels of ongoing and onsite planning meetings for private one on one sessions with church membership. No products are sold during any part of this ministry. This ministry initiative is strictly a biblically based educational event leading the member toward a full understanding on planning the estate as an act of stewardship. 
    
4. More will be added as this ministry matures.

Each local church is unique and this ministry is customizable to fit the need of the local church.

For more information on developing this ministry within your church, contact our Office of Development at 334-394-2001 or email tbfa@tbfa.org.

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