Faith and Finances
Four out of five people who make New Year's resolutions eventually break them. Many people have a hard time getting to the end of January without slacking on the goals they've set for themselves. If personal finance budgeting is at the top of your resolution list, the key to sticking to your goals is to plan early. Follow these simple tips and you'll be on your way to a better financial future next year: find out what they are inside...
Christmas can be a real budget breaker. But with some planning and strategy, you can keep Christmas from breaking the bank. Here are 9 tips to help you out. Find them out inside...
If you've recently gone on a spending diet and are trying to stick to a budget, don't feel like the Lone Ranger if you're having trouble. Most people have a lot of difficulty creating and sticking to a balanced budget. They might come up with one easily enough that looks good on paper, but putting it into practice is another story. If you're trying to get out of debt and build wealth but you're struggling with a budget that is out of control, I have some good news for you. You can get your budget under control, and I'm going to give you 5 keys for doing just that.Read more inside...
When it comes to Christian finances, some mistakenly have the idea that the separation of 'his' and 'hers' continues even after the wedding ceremony. But trying to keep 'his' and 'hers' from mingling leads to all kinds of problems with marriage and money. In a Christian marriage, there is no separation in what belongs to him or her. It isn't your money or my money, it is our money. In the same way, it is our debt. Read more inside...
Do you want your church to grow? Are you reaching the people looking for a church just like yours? Some of those folks are looking in your area for the first time and yet others for a variety of reasons are looking for a new church home. If your church is like many organizations, you don't have a large marketing budget to spend on marketing. But that doesn't mean there aren't things your church can do to promote itself. All it takes is being creative by thinking a little bit out of the box to get some fantastic returns on your marketing budget. Here are 7 ideas that should help build your membership if you do them consistently. More importantly, do them in excellence! Are these the only ways to market your church? Absolutely not! Read more inside...
A church budget is an action plan for the ministry and mission of your church. There are three different budgeting processes for the preparation of a church's annual operating budget: (1) Incremental budgeting; (2) Zero-based budgeting; and (3) Program budgeting. Find out more inside...
Spending on Christmas gifts seems to pose the greatest challenge-usually for no long-term benefit. For instance, what were the three most memorable gifts that you received for Christmas last year? Can't remember? I assure you that the people to whom you gave gifts will have the same problem recalling them. So, if the gifts are not that easily recalled why put yourself in the position of having to remember them each month when you make that credit card payment? Why give a gift that keeps on costing? Instead, give something simple from your heart. Learn more inside...
Spending on Christmas gifts seems to pose the greatest challenge-usually for no long-term benefit. For instance, what were the three most memorable gifts that you received for Christmas last year? Can't remember? I assure you that the people to whom you gave gifts will have the same problem recalling them. So, if the gifts are not that easily recalled why put yourself in the position of having to remember them each month when you make that credit card payment? Why give a gift that keeps on costing? Instead, give something simple from your heart. Learn more inside...
Despite my admonitions, a single overriding emotion can cause anybody to abandon sound financial judgment. Let me share seven emotions that may cause you to spend in an unwise manner and some ways of dealing with them.
You are well aware of the financial woes that we are experiencing as a country. On the surface, you have every reason to become alarmed. However, as God's children, we are called to have a different mindset. I was awakened recently with this message on surviving the crisis. For simplicity and retention, I will use the word C-O-P-E as an acronym to outline the basics of what we must do now. Find out more inside...