We don’t like to continually talk about the equity markets, however we have been, and still are, in a precarious time. Hence, the reason for this article. On March 9th we began the 10th year of one of the longest bull markets in history. Yet in the past couple months, we’ve seen wild swings in the markets. […]
When we talk about planned giving, we often talk about why people make gifts, but we don’t often elaborate on what specific gifts people can make. This will be the first of a three-part article on those specific gifts you can make – either now, during the remainder of your life, or at the end of your life – […]
When I was in my final seminary year at Duke University, I had the privilege of organizing the weekly communion service for the divinity school community. One of the first preachers we had that year was Dr. Peter Storey, a retired bishop of the Methodist Church of South Africa and somebody who became a great […]
All of us have been struck by the turbulence in the market in recent weeks – huge swings both up and down. What happened to good old 2017 where we never had more than a 2% swing and, on many days, the major indices were recording new all-time highs? Hate to say it, but the […]
The titles of two recent articles, by investment advisors for whom we have great respect, should be a warning sign to those invested in bonds. Michael Jones, CEO of Riverfront Investment Group, titled his article “The End of the 35 Year Bull Market in Bonds”. David Adler, Chief Macro Strategist for Informa Financial Intelligence, titled […]
It’s all about giving back! Many people in today’s society recognize that we have been given much and can do much to benefit others. As the Virginia United Methodist Foundation has grown in assets over recent years, the Foundation Board of Directors came to the conclusion that we need to look at how we can […]
Stephen Clark, President of the Virginia United Methodist Foundation, announced the award of 30 grants totaling $84,500 to Virginia United Methodist churches and institutions across the Conference, a 69% increase from 2017. Commenting on the awards, Reverend Clark said “We’re particularly thrilled at the diversity of programs, ranging from community engagement and multi-ethnic outreach, to job training […]
Five Key Strategies to Consider Hard to believe: this year will be gone before you know it! Many churches are in the midst of their annual stewardship campaign or seeking support for a capital campaign. As I meet with church leadership, I often hear comments and questions about how we can help our church friends to […]
As American generosity grows, how should Church leaders respond and engage members? Exactly a century ago, Congress ushered in a seismic change that ushered in the transformation of U.S. philanthropy: for the first time, charitable gifts would become tax deductible. Knowing that the financial strains of World War I would make charitable giving more difficult, […]
People have questions—big questions that go beyond basic bulletin announcements about the upcoming women’s retreat and small group sign-ups. These next-level questions are about why they should give and what happens to their money once they do give. A pastor’s responsibility is to make sure they have answers to those questions—even though they may not come right […]