The Stewardship of Wealth Transfer

Ron Blue of Kingdom Advisors is doing some important teaching for the many Christian advisors who are part of this excellent organization. This month the focus is on wealth transfer with the key question: "How do you decide how much to leave to whom?"

As stewardship officers, we don't have the training or certifications to allow us to work on the specific documents, nor can we be fully objective in posing the question about how much is being left and to whom and why.

We can, though, ask general questions that might cause our donor friends to see the need to do some deliberate and structured thinking with someone who is skilled in this area.

Ron made keen observations about the difference between wealth transfer and estate planning. In general, wealth transfer focuses on the needs of the beneficiary whereas estate planning is focused on my needs to minimize taxes. Also, wealth transfer can begin now, whereas estate planning only comes into play after we're gone.

There are only three destinations for our wealth:

1. Heirs
2. Charity
3. Taxes / Expenses

There are three principles to keep in mind as we enter into these personal discussions:

1. Treasure Principle - You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead (Matt. 6:19-21).
2. Unity Principle - Your spouse completes you, they don't compete with you (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
3. Wisdom Principle - You transfer wisdom before your transfer wealth. Wealth never results in wisdom; but wisdom can result in wealth (Proverbs).

Having some of these "exploratory" questions in our mind may help the donor consider larger Kingdom ideas than they have before.

Christian Generosity "Works"

For some people, being generous is a not a natural act. They (we) share because the Bible tells us to share - so it must be right and good for us. Some people are so awed by the amazing grace shown to us on the Cross of Calvary that generosity is the natural expression of gratitude and love.

If, then, generosity is Biblical and good for us, what are the specific blessings that we experience and that we can share with our donor friends? In other words, how does generosity work?

1. Generosity is brilliant because it changes our lives. People who give generously feel great about it and find themselves blessed in ways they never expected. Great things happen for the giver and the receiver - bi-lateral blessings if you will. Jesus confirmed this in Acts 20:25 (more blessed to give than to receive). Proverbs 11:25 tells us "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

2. Generosity connects us with others. When people are generous and gracious, they exude love and happiness. That type of kindness is very attractive to others. Also, when we give it makes us draw closer to the one we are blessing. If we allow this behavior to continue we become empathic and we realize that we have even more to share.

3. Generosity helps us invest in what matters. Generosity causes us to invest in high-yield instruments, the lives of others. Spiritually, generosity protects us from short-sighted, bad investments of our time, out talent, and our treasure and creates long-term wealth. In a sense, everything we do is an investment. How we do our "sowing and reaping" is a function of our maturity. Again, Jesus taught us about this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:19-24) where He instructs us about investing where moths and rust so not destroy.

4. Generosity frees our hearts. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This is the reason Jesus gives to invest wisely and for eternity. Money is the mirror of our heart before God. The checkbook is the visible manifestation of this reality. When asked about my stewardship work, I will say (with a smile), "my job is to relieve people from the burden of wealth." Having less simplifies life and allows us to spend more time listening to God's leading.

These are some benefits that we can have in mind as we help people see the "genius of generosity".

Stewardship Question: How Much is Enough?

Philippians 4:12
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

How much is enough? This is one of the really hard questions for people (me included) to answer.

You might say, "Why should we ask the question; aren't we just trying to help people become generous toward God?" I would say yes and I would also say that we can help people see how God has already providing for them so they can see how they can give more today.

Just this week I had the conversation with someone I am close to and we were able to step through a "poor man's" financial needs worksheet. We talked about:

• Getting debt free


• Retirement cash flow


• What he wanted to allow his children's remaining education, transportation, wedding and even a down payment on a house


• Health care and long-term living

After this brief analysis we concluded and agreed that he had plenty for every foreseeable and unforeseeable event.

Ready to give now? No, not really. "There might be something else", he declared.

That's the way it is with our work. We are the Holy Spirit's messenger of the Good News that Christ is all we need. How our friends respond to this and other biblical truth is a function of spiritual maturity.

We should still ask the questions and provoke people to think more deeply. From my experience, we stewardship officers may be the only people asking these questions. Praise the Lord that there are some Christian financial advisors who will do so, too.

Working together, while allowing the Spirit to do the heart work, we may be able to help our fiends get relief from the burden of wealth.

The Gift of Networking

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

We know that our reputation in the school and the larger community is important. We desire to be known as people of integrity, hard work, strong in the faith, and desirous of seeing God's glory - not what will bring glory to us.

This is also true of the whole school community and our donor friends as well. Each one has a circle of friends, people who trust them and who appreciate their friendship. This reputation and credibility is another form of treasure as Proverbs reminds us.

This morning I met with a school parent who has vast experience with and connections in local civic organizations. In their weekly meetings, the chapters have guest speakers and we (our school) are looking to be introduced to these groups of service-minded men and women.

So, today my friend decided that he will spend some of his relational capital to help others see the benefit of a classical and Christian education.

A good name and good reputation - another form of treasure that we can raise up. In doing so, the "donor" is blessed that they were helpful, too.

The Generous Giver

Charles Stanley has recently released a marvelous post which is copied below:

June 7

A Cheerful Giver

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

God loves a cheerful giver because He Himself is one. He wants the bounty that He pours out on His children to overflow toward others. Sadly, many people treat their wealth more like a personal reservoir than a divine channel. The reservoir mentality treats wealth as a means to provide solely for one's own family, goals, and desires; money for God's work is given reluctantly.

The stingy person figures that as long as he offers something, it shouldn't matter that he'd rather not.

However, attitude is vital. To God, the state of a believer's heart is more important than his or her actions (Hos. 6:6). Lukewarm giving is a signal that we aren't fully engaged in seeing the Lord's work done. We'd rather ensure our own security. What surprises the tightfisted believer is that God does not fill a reservoir.

Even people who appear affluent never feel that they have enough. True contentment comes with accepting that our wealth—however limited—belongs to the Lord and is sufficient for our needs. As soon as we understand that, our reservoir bursts its banks to become part of God's divine channel. As He pours in, we cheerfully pour out with full confidence that He will provide for both our needs and our gifts.

The Lord's ultimate plan does not include making all of His children prosperous. His purpose is to make every one of us generous with all that we have—wealth, compassion, knowledge, etc. Cheerful giving is courageous giving because we have to trust that the Lord will provide.

Generous Living for Each One of Us

When we think of how others can be generous with the blessings of the Lord we should instinctively turn inward and ask ourselves, "Am I practicing the disciplines that I would ask of others?" If not, then we may be guilty of manipulation or not living in the fullness of what we have been blessed with.

Ruben Swint (Ruben@generis.com) listed the following New Year’s “generosity resolutions” in his monthly The Generosity Newsletter. I believe that are worth sharing.

• I will daily receive God's generous grace and blessings.

• I will ask God to show me how I can be generous in this day.

• I will be generous with time for my family and friends.

• I will strive to hold a generous opinion of all persons.

• I will care for my body with regular exercise and healthy food.

• I will give generously in proportion to my wealth.I will teach my children to work, earn, give, save & then spend.

• I will remember that we live in God's economy & abundance.

This "attitude of gratitude" helps with our orientation and puts us in the right place even when we are not currently receiving big gifts for our ministry.

Again, our Lord is not impressed or manipulated by our feeble attempts, He will do His will, but He also allows us to participate in the sharing of the grace with which we have been blessed.

Development versus Stewardship

Is there a difference between development and stewardship, or is it just semantics?

Development, as it is practiced, focuses on a financial transaction. In other words, we "develop" sources of funds of gifts. Development may imply that it is a process. First, someone is introduced to the school or ministry and they (may) begin as smaller donors and then work up to becoming major donors or ones that name the ministry in their will or estate planning.

Stewardship, as the Bible describes it, is the wise use of our time, talent, and treasure. Isn't stewardship, then, just an expanded definition of giving? Isn't it just saying that that you can give your time and talents if you don't have extra money to contribute?

I would say that the practice of stewardship involves more than assessing the ability to give and then "spending" out of the excess.

Let's try this. What if we (in the business) loved our donors enough to stop long enough to hear their heart? What if we provided a space for them to express their passions for Kingdom work and how they could express their love for Christ if current resources were no object?

What if we asked donors to take an inventory of their God-given gifts, talent and other resources? In this way, we are participating in "whole life" stewardship, not only the spending of financial assets.

Lastly, what if we helped make the connections between their God-placed passions and God-given provisions to accomplish Kingdom purposes. Some of those purposes may actually fall to our school or ministry. If they come to us, that is great. If not, then another ministry is blessed.

The practice of stewardship doesn't necessarily involve raising lots of money. But, don't be surprised if the Lord releases amazing funds when we do our work His way!

Stewardship training begins with the Young

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

These commandments (love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength) that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

I would admit that these instructions are primarily written for parents and home life, but since many parents partner with us (Christian schools), the admonition is for schools folks as well.

We can and should teach stewardship to our children. As parents we teach by example the joy of obedience to give our tithe to the local church. We teach giving generously when we contribute or volunteer to other worthwhile causes.

In the school, we can also teach stewardship. We can (as is done in my school) have the upper school students participate in keeping the building clean and neat. The activities of collecting trash and vacuuming remind our young people that stewardship is the "care of" of what God has entrusted to us. The cleaning is not punishment, but training in the basics that we all need.

This platform allows us to move into the stewardship of time, talent and treasure God has given. It is where we can teach money management and generosity from a Biblical perspective. That way, our children become generous young people, people who understand that everything we have has been given by God for His glory and our good.

Learning stewardship before we have so much money - that's a concept worth considering!

How Much is Enough?

Proverbs 30:8-9

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

When we speak to our donor-friends, there is an overarching question that runs through their minds and one that must be dealt with if they are going to be able to return to the Lord the maximum amount.

Sadly, however, our society promotes accumulation of wealth so the answer to the "how much is enough" question is not one that is dealt with. So, if we want more and more or are afraid that there will not be enough to cover unforeseen events (health care comes to mind), we and our donor-friends never get to see that we may have enough or even more than enough.

Many of our major donors are 50+ years old. They are thinking and planning for retirement. In doing so, they may make assumptions about lifestyle and future expenses that preclude them from seeing that they could be contributing mightily to the Kingdom today. They go on to reason that they will contribute from what is left over. Sadly, they never get the joy of seeing their wealth make a difference.

In order to do this analysis we should refer the donor to the Christian advisor who can help in doing the analysis. Ron Blue (Crown Ministries and Kingdom Advisors) and Generous Giving are two organizations that are committed to maximizing Kingdom impact while ensuring that the donors real needs are provided for.

We can help get the planning process started by asking a few questions:

1. What do you see yourself doing after you complete your paid work?
2. Have you and your spouse talked about and planned for "post-career" ministry?
3. What Kingdom works would you plow into when you are not tied to a daily schedule? What is it about these that blesses your heart?

Don't be afraid to ask these questions. You might be surprised at the answers and how little our friends have thought these through.

Whenever we do ask these legacy questions, we should do with grace and appreciation to the Lord for the privilege of engaging in this kind of conversation.

Graciousness in the Stewardship Ministry

1 Th. 5:14-15

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

It has been said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This statement is borne out in my life almost every day as I do my work to bless others and to release resources for the Kingdom. I get this little piece of truth and then feel compelled to go out and "share" with everyone I meet. This is not the best way to do this ministry; displaying grace is in order.

I have seen wonderful examples of people who have grabbed hold of the joy of generous giving. These people stand out in their understanding that God's everything and that we are stewards of God's riches (again, time, talent and treasure). What is equally impressive is the humility that they bring to this point in their lives.

Some of the most generous givers are the most humble, too. They have been awed by the grace God has shown and the mercy they have experienced. As such they are not trumpeting this new found awareness or, worse, using as a club to beat others into "submission", or obedience if we want to be more righteous about it.

This passage from Thessalonians speaks to me. It reminds me that I am to be a truth-teller about God's wonderful provisions to each of us, and that we are to use them in Kingdom-building ways that reflects ours passions.

However, I cannot be prescriptive or dogmatic in these interactions. While I should have a sense of urgency about encouraging others to give their wealth, I must be gentle, patient and kind as we talk. It is not for me to do the convicting; that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

So, this situation creates a little tension for hard-charging and passionate people like me; how can I be a bold and confident messenger for our Lord Jesus Christ while remembering that He works in His own way and in His own time.

I must bow my own head in humility and ask to have me display the same grace I have been shown.

Honoring the Lord with our Wealth

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barn will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Is this passage a program for how to gain more wealth? After all, it seems to indicate that if we give, we will get more (livestock and crops for the barn and wine for the vats).

Before we race out to tell donors that this giving formula is the answer to our scarcity, let’s go back and examine what is really in view here. There are two points that need to be made:

1. The purpose and receiver of our giving – the goal of giving is to honor the Lord. We are to give in recognition of and gratitude to the Giver of all good things.

God Himself has given all that we have. Of course, it all still belongs to Him; we are merely (but importantly) temporary custodians of good gifts. These gifts fall into 3 categories, time, talent and treasure, and we are obligated to use them for His glory.

2. The quality of these gifts – firstfruits indicates the highest quality (as in the first pressing of the olives).

When we, as fund raisers, interact with donors we are (generally) asking them for cash gifts.

However, their best gifts may not be in that particular currency (at that particular time). Maybe, we need to look more broadly and look at the firstfruits in other areas, such as a particular skill that can be useful for the work at the school.
How about each of us? We did not enter into this field because of the financial rewards; we did it because we believe the Lord called us to to help raise up resources through the ministry of stewardship.

You and I may have the “wealth” of encouragement, organization, writing, or serving in other ways. Are we using those as our own firstfruits for the Kingdom.

Let us pray that we are giving our very best as we ask others to do the same.