As the economic conditions continue to make headlines in America it is important for us to remember and implement true LEADERSHIP! As I write this I am hearing from Pastors all over America excited about what is going as they lead with clear Biblical teaching in the area of Stewardship. Many of these Pastors are reporting increases in giving of upwards 40%.
Eklund Stewardship Ministry is experiencing some of the most remarkable fruits in churches conducting Capital Campaigns for buildings and debt reduction. Yes, churches are moving forward from Minnesota to Texas, Tennessee to Washington State. What is most remarkable is the response from the people in the pew. Families are making adjustments beginning with tithing and then in areas of spending. Families with children and teenagers are discovering God's plan for finances and are excited to join their fellow Christians in moving the ministries and missions of the forward.
It is important to remember that the greatest days of Stewardship development often occur during difficult times. People everywhere are looking for the church to assist and advise. Leadership in the area of Stewardship Development can not be over stated. Pastors need to embrace the precepts taught in God's Word. Then these precepts need to taught apologetically to their members. The results are what God promises - people hear and respond as the Holy Spirit applies the truths to the heart.
Anyone can be negative and go with the media flow. A Leader steps up and says there is a positive and then walks in the path of the truths of God's Word. It is our prayer that God is raising up true leaders in the pulpits of America for this critical time. The greatest days of ministry are here now. Let us lead in obedience and then praise God with thanksgiving as He does what He has promised - Blesses Us!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Making a great call!
KEVIN CULLEN
A head with a heart
By Kevin Cullen, Globe Columnist March 12, 2009
It was the kind of meeting that is taking place in restaurant kitchens, small offices, retail storerooms, and large auditoriums all over this city, all over this state, all over this country.
Paul Levy, the guy who runs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was standing in Sherman Auditorium the other day, before some of the very people to whom he might soon be sending pink slips.
In the days before the meeting, Levy had been walking around the hospital, noticing little things.
He stood at the nurses' stations, watching the transporters, the people who push the patients around in wheelchairs. He saw them talk to the patients, put them at ease, make them laugh. He saw that the people who push the wheelchairs were practicing medicine.
He noticed the same when he poked his head into the rooms and watched as the people who deliver the food chatted up the patients and their families.
He watched the people who polish the corridors, who strip the sheets, who empty the trash cans, and he realized that a lot of them are immigrants, many of them had second jobs, most of them were just scraping by.
And so Paul Levy had all this bouncing around his brain the other day when he stood in Sherman Auditorium.
He looked out into a sea of people and recognized faces: technicians, secretaries, administrators, therapists, nurses, the people who are the heart and soul of any hospital. People who knew that Beth Israel had hired about a quarter of its 8,000 staff over the last six years and that the chances that they could all keep their jobs and benefits in an economy in freefall ranged between slim and none.
"I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Levy began. "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them.
"Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice," he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits."
He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause.
Paul Levy stood there and felt the sheer power of it all rush over him, like a wave. His eyes welled and his throat tightened so much that he didn't think he could go on.
When the applause subsided, he did go on, telling the workers at Beth Israel, the people who make a hospital go, that he wanted their ideas.
The lump had barely left his throat when Paul Levy started getting e-mails.
The consensus was that the workers don't want anyone to get laid off and are willing to give up pay and benefits to make sure no one does. A nurse said her floor voted unanimously to forgo a 3 percent raise. A guy in finance who got laid off from his last job at a hospital in Rhode Island suggested working one less day a week. Another nurse said she was willing to give up some vacation and sick time. A respiratory therapist suggested eliminating bonuses.
"I'm getting about a hundred messages per hour," Levy said yesterday, shaking his head.
Paul Levy is onto something. People are worried about the next paycheck, because they're only a few paychecks away from not being able to pay the mortgage or the rent.
But a lot of them realize that everybody's in the same boat and that their boat doesn't rise because someone else's sinks.
Paul Levy is trying something revolutionary, radical, maybe even impossible: He is trying to convince the people who work for him that the E in CEO can sometimes stand for empathy.
A head with a heart
By Kevin Cullen, Globe Columnist March 12, 2009
It was the kind of meeting that is taking place in restaurant kitchens, small offices, retail storerooms, and large auditoriums all over this city, all over this state, all over this country.
Paul Levy, the guy who runs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was standing in Sherman Auditorium the other day, before some of the very people to whom he might soon be sending pink slips.
In the days before the meeting, Levy had been walking around the hospital, noticing little things.
He stood at the nurses' stations, watching the transporters, the people who push the patients around in wheelchairs. He saw them talk to the patients, put them at ease, make them laugh. He saw that the people who push the wheelchairs were practicing medicine.
He noticed the same when he poked his head into the rooms and watched as the people who deliver the food chatted up the patients and their families.
He watched the people who polish the corridors, who strip the sheets, who empty the trash cans, and he realized that a lot of them are immigrants, many of them had second jobs, most of them were just scraping by.
And so Paul Levy had all this bouncing around his brain the other day when he stood in Sherman Auditorium.
He looked out into a sea of people and recognized faces: technicians, secretaries, administrators, therapists, nurses, the people who are the heart and soul of any hospital. People who knew that Beth Israel had hired about a quarter of its 8,000 staff over the last six years and that the chances that they could all keep their jobs and benefits in an economy in freefall ranged between slim and none.
"I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Levy began. "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them.
"Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice," he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits."
He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause.
Paul Levy stood there and felt the sheer power of it all rush over him, like a wave. His eyes welled and his throat tightened so much that he didn't think he could go on.
When the applause subsided, he did go on, telling the workers at Beth Israel, the people who make a hospital go, that he wanted their ideas.
The lump had barely left his throat when Paul Levy started getting e-mails.
The consensus was that the workers don't want anyone to get laid off and are willing to give up pay and benefits to make sure no one does. A nurse said her floor voted unanimously to forgo a 3 percent raise. A guy in finance who got laid off from his last job at a hospital in Rhode Island suggested working one less day a week. Another nurse said she was willing to give up some vacation and sick time. A respiratory therapist suggested eliminating bonuses.
"I'm getting about a hundred messages per hour," Levy said yesterday, shaking his head.
Paul Levy is onto something. People are worried about the next paycheck, because they're only a few paychecks away from not being able to pay the mortgage or the rent.
But a lot of them realize that everybody's in the same boat and that their boat doesn't rise because someone else's sinks.
Paul Levy is trying something revolutionary, radical, maybe even impossible: He is trying to convince the people who work for him that the E in CEO can sometimes stand for empathy.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Economy and our children
With the news growing more negative each day as banks and businesses continue to reap the fallout of the financial disaster, before us is a golden opportunity to teach in a vivid way the financial precepts of God's Word to our children. We have a picture similar, and possibly worse, to that of the Great Depression. The years following that time period were ones of fiscal restraint and biblical obedience in the area of finance.
Should Jesus tarry His coming, we can lay a foundation for our children today. The world has changed drastically in the past nine months. Are we as Parents and leaders finally waking up to the need to teach Stewardship? Do we see the opportunity we have before us?
In the coming posts, I will share some insight into how we can better teach what we have ignored for years. The challenge is now a MUST. People need to hear what God's Word says about Stewardship. The world needs our churches to be strong financially now more than ever. Are you doing more than helping with the budget needs of your families? Are you teaching Stewardship to your children?
Should Jesus tarry His coming, we can lay a foundation for our children today. The world has changed drastically in the past nine months. Are we as Parents and leaders finally waking up to the need to teach Stewardship? Do we see the opportunity we have before us?
In the coming posts, I will share some insight into how we can better teach what we have ignored for years. The challenge is now a MUST. People need to hear what God's Word says about Stewardship. The world needs our churches to be strong financially now more than ever. Are you doing more than helping with the budget needs of your families? Are you teaching Stewardship to your children?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dr. Johnny Hunt on the Financial Crisis
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In the midst of the nation's financial hardships, Southern Baptists have a prime opportunity to show unbelievers that what they've embraced is not fair-weather Christianity, Johnny Hunt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said Feb. 16."I thank God that what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in our lives will go the distance. The truth is ... it's not what's going to come against us that's going to make us or break us, it's what God has placed in us and what we choose to do with it," Hunt told the SBC Executive Committee in Nashville, Tenn.
During a recent speaking engagement at the Georgia House of Representatives, Hunt, pastor of the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church in Woodstock, said government officials lined up to ask him whether the Bible says anything pertaining to the financial difficulties Americans are facing.Hunt said the Bible is the oldest collection of wisdom, and he called it the church's stimulus package."If we're looking for something from out there to help us, really what we're saying is that which we've received in here is not sufficient," he said, holding up a Bible.The first chapter of the Book of Job holds the answer for how believers are able to endure hard times, Hunt said. Satan asked whether Job feared God simply because God had put a hedge of protection around him, and Hunt said the same question could be asked of Southern Baptists and of Americans."In other words, it's easy to serve Him as long as we're in our fine Southern Baptist churches, our fine offices, wherever you may be serving, and we're being taken care of," he said.But the true test comes when the sun is no longer shining down and the road is marked with suffering. That's when the world is watching to see how Christians will respond, Hunt said. As Job asked, Southern Baptists need to ask themselves, "Will we accept good from God and not accept adversity?"
Hunt then transitioned into eight prayer requests derived from Psalm 119:33-40, in which the psalmist asked God to help him cope in life."He's crying out to God, and I see it relating so well to where we are as a denomination," Hunt said.First, there is a prayer for education, he said, noting that the psalmist is teachable and has a desire to learn. "Also note in this petition a tone of humility and dependence," he said. "He sees God as a path to be followed, and he's saying, 'God, I so desire for You to educate me.'"In verse 34, there is a prayer for illumination, Hunt said. Three words predominantly used in Psalms and Proverbs, he said, are knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge is education, but understanding is knowledge that has worked itself out in the realities of life. Wisdom, he said, can only be given by God, and it can be given to people with no formal education.The psalmist prays for direction in verse 35 as he asks, "Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it." "That's the psalmist's paradox," Hunt said. "Why ask the Lord to make you do what you like doing? Because he knew there was a war between the flesh and the spirit. He understood a little something about Romans 7. Is that not true in all of us?"Next comes a prayer for inclination, in which the psalmist is asking God to establish a pattern of consistency in his life and to help him avoid covetousness."If there's any place that America has bowed and formed an altar and stayed there, it's in the area of the idolatry of covetousness," Hunt said.
The psalmist also sets forth a prayer for attention, Hunt said, when he asks God to turn his eyes from looking at worthless things."Do I need to say any more? My attention needs to be focused on the Word of God," Hunt said. "... Sinful things have a great attraction for us, and the psalmist said, 'Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things.'"In verse 38, there is a prayer for realization."When Isaiah saw God for who He was, the very next thing that happened was he saw himself for who he was," Hunt said. "... We'll never see ourselves the way God sees us until we see God for who God is. And then when we do, we won't think near as much of ourselves."The psalmist also prays for protection when he asks God to turn away his reproach. "To bear reproach is to bear shame. The psalmist is asking God to protect his testimony. He so desired to never disgrace the Lord and bring His name dishonor," Hunt said.
Finally, the psalmist prays for aspiration. In other words, he longed to live the kind of life laid out in God's Word, and he longed for the life-giving transformation that only God could produce in his life."The man that's making the request is so dependent that unless God does what he asks, it won't get done," Hunt said. "... He's sitting idle without the potential of getting where God is in order to be revived, and it's like saying, 'Unless You come to me where I am and breathe Your transforming life in me, I will be right here when You come back.' "
I feel like sometimes that's where we are as Southern Baptists. We need the life-transforming breath of Almighty God to come to where we are in our decline and breathe into us and help us to stand again and be a mighty army, a force for the glory of God."As the economic crisis has unfolded, Hunt said he has told people repeatedly that he believes God is still in control."God's still on His throne. He's still ruling. He's still reigning. There's no vacancy. So if that's the case, God's still in charge, He's allowing us to go through what we're going through," Hunt said."And in my estimation, if He were going to hit America anywhere to get our attention, the best place to begin is in the pocketbook. And if by taking us from recession to depression He could get us on our knees again and help us to realize a need for Him and bring revival, if He could do that and will do it, I'll be the first if He'd like to bankrupt me first," Hunt said."
You say, 'Talk is cheap.' We're not just talking. This is something we've prayed through over and over again and just begin to say, 'God, whatever it takes in my lifetime.' Some of you have prayed far longer than I have. Some of you have been preaching longer than I've been a Christian," he said."But to really mean it, whatever it takes for God once again to wake this nation up to the fact of who He is in the name of Jesus, I pray He'll do it. That's my prayer, and may God do it."
--30--Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press.
During a recent speaking engagement at the Georgia House of Representatives, Hunt, pastor of the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church in Woodstock, said government officials lined up to ask him whether the Bible says anything pertaining to the financial difficulties Americans are facing.Hunt said the Bible is the oldest collection of wisdom, and he called it the church's stimulus package."If we're looking for something from out there to help us, really what we're saying is that which we've received in here is not sufficient," he said, holding up a Bible.The first chapter of the Book of Job holds the answer for how believers are able to endure hard times, Hunt said. Satan asked whether Job feared God simply because God had put a hedge of protection around him, and Hunt said the same question could be asked of Southern Baptists and of Americans."In other words, it's easy to serve Him as long as we're in our fine Southern Baptist churches, our fine offices, wherever you may be serving, and we're being taken care of," he said.But the true test comes when the sun is no longer shining down and the road is marked with suffering. That's when the world is watching to see how Christians will respond, Hunt said. As Job asked, Southern Baptists need to ask themselves, "Will we accept good from God and not accept adversity?"
Hunt then transitioned into eight prayer requests derived from Psalm 119:33-40, in which the psalmist asked God to help him cope in life."He's crying out to God, and I see it relating so well to where we are as a denomination," Hunt said.First, there is a prayer for education, he said, noting that the psalmist is teachable and has a desire to learn. "Also note in this petition a tone of humility and dependence," he said. "He sees God as a path to be followed, and he's saying, 'God, I so desire for You to educate me.'"In verse 34, there is a prayer for illumination, Hunt said. Three words predominantly used in Psalms and Proverbs, he said, are knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge is education, but understanding is knowledge that has worked itself out in the realities of life. Wisdom, he said, can only be given by God, and it can be given to people with no formal education.The psalmist prays for direction in verse 35 as he asks, "Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it." "That's the psalmist's paradox," Hunt said. "Why ask the Lord to make you do what you like doing? Because he knew there was a war between the flesh and the spirit. He understood a little something about Romans 7. Is that not true in all of us?"Next comes a prayer for inclination, in which the psalmist is asking God to establish a pattern of consistency in his life and to help him avoid covetousness."If there's any place that America has bowed and formed an altar and stayed there, it's in the area of the idolatry of covetousness," Hunt said.
The psalmist also sets forth a prayer for attention, Hunt said, when he asks God to turn his eyes from looking at worthless things."Do I need to say any more? My attention needs to be focused on the Word of God," Hunt said. "... Sinful things have a great attraction for us, and the psalmist said, 'Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things.'"In verse 38, there is a prayer for realization."When Isaiah saw God for who He was, the very next thing that happened was he saw himself for who he was," Hunt said. "... We'll never see ourselves the way God sees us until we see God for who God is. And then when we do, we won't think near as much of ourselves."The psalmist also prays for protection when he asks God to turn away his reproach. "To bear reproach is to bear shame. The psalmist is asking God to protect his testimony. He so desired to never disgrace the Lord and bring His name dishonor," Hunt said.
Finally, the psalmist prays for aspiration. In other words, he longed to live the kind of life laid out in God's Word, and he longed for the life-giving transformation that only God could produce in his life."The man that's making the request is so dependent that unless God does what he asks, it won't get done," Hunt said. "... He's sitting idle without the potential of getting where God is in order to be revived, and it's like saying, 'Unless You come to me where I am and breathe Your transforming life in me, I will be right here when You come back.' "
I feel like sometimes that's where we are as Southern Baptists. We need the life-transforming breath of Almighty God to come to where we are in our decline and breathe into us and help us to stand again and be a mighty army, a force for the glory of God."As the economic crisis has unfolded, Hunt said he has told people repeatedly that he believes God is still in control."God's still on His throne. He's still ruling. He's still reigning. There's no vacancy. So if that's the case, God's still in charge, He's allowing us to go through what we're going through," Hunt said."And in my estimation, if He were going to hit America anywhere to get our attention, the best place to begin is in the pocketbook. And if by taking us from recession to depression He could get us on our knees again and help us to realize a need for Him and bring revival, if He could do that and will do it, I'll be the first if He'd like to bankrupt me first," Hunt said."
You say, 'Talk is cheap.' We're not just talking. This is something we've prayed through over and over again and just begin to say, 'God, whatever it takes in my lifetime.' Some of you have prayed far longer than I have. Some of you have been preaching longer than I've been a Christian," he said."But to really mean it, whatever it takes for God once again to wake this nation up to the fact of who He is in the name of Jesus, I pray He'll do it. That's my prayer, and may God do it."
--30--Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Dr. Hawkins gets it right!
The following is reprinted from Baptist Press. It is a great balanced perspective on todays economic conditions.
DALLAS (BP)--The headline called out from newspapers around the world -- the ongoing credit crunch had claimed another victim. This time it was German businessman Adolf Merckle. A bespectacled and balding 74-year-old family businessman, Merckle lost hundreds of millions of euros last year in the financial markets, according to The Wall Street Journal. Distraught over the difficulty in obtaining a 400-million euro loan from a consortium of German banks to help right his business interests, he chose to end his life along a rail line near Blaubeuren-Weiler, Germany.
News articles noted this was far from the first suicide tied to the current economic crisis -- a French financier who lost a reported $1.5 billion on behalf of his clients, with a suspected Ponzi scheme involving Bernard L. Madoff, was found dead in his Manhattan office before Christmas.
From my years as a pastor, I can testify that comforting a grieving family is always a challenge, but when the family is grieving over a suicide, it can be even more difficult to find the words to console. However, one truth can always be agreed upon: Whatever reason someone thinks warrants suicide, it's too high a price to pay.
For that reason, allow me to remind us all that in God's economy we are worth far more than what shows up in our bank account or financial statement. How valuable are we? We are so valuable to God that we were ransomed (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45) with the blood of Christ. God thought us so important that He sent His Son as a ransom for many. That makes our wealth and account balances -- whatever their size -- pale in comparison.
These are tough times. In a recent message to our GuideStone trustees, we shared from Deuteronomy 11:11-12, which says, "But the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year."RESOURCES AND PRACTICAL TIPSThough we have walked through the valleys during the recent months with volatility in the financial markets, we have been through these experiences before.
The 90-year heritage of service by GuideStone Financial Resources means we've survived some valleys before -- the Great Depression, world wars, terrorist attacks and multiple recessions. It is during these valleys that we learn the real lessons of life. Ups and downs in the financial markets are a reality. Whether we are in an up cycle or down cycle, we must remember that God is our resource. His eyes are always on us.During these tough economic times, GuideStone has prepared an online resource to answer participants' questions and concerns. Whether you're a GuideStone participant or not, we invite you to visit our website at www.GuideStone.org/marketwatch to read our articles and watch the helpful videos.
During these challenging circumstances, we would do well to remember some basic tips: -- Maintain your investment discipline; -- Prepare for emergencies; diversify so your investments are appropriately allocated; -- Remain rational; and, perhaps most important, -- Don't neglect your tithes and offerings. In uncertain times, nothing makes us more content than giving.We know times are tough and economic indicators don't point to a quick resolution to this recession -- already the longest in a generation. Layoffs are mounting and people with once-secure careers are finding themselves out of work, sometimes for months on end. If your trust is in a new president, or a new Federal Reserve policy, or new congressional action, you will surely be disappointed. If your trust is in the Lord, you never will be disappointed.The challenges we are facing globally may not subside soon. This may be a longer valley than we've experienced in our lifetimes, but we know who holds the future and we must trust Him to provide for us yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our God is the Sovereign Lord whether we are in a recession or in a rebound. As we lead in our respective places of service, may we encourage one another to see God's guiding hand "through it all."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Can we learn to teach STEWARDSHIP?
Here is a great article with simple "to do's" that anyone can apply. Being a good STEWARD is not only important - it is Biblical!
NEW YORK--We are a country of spenders who must learn the hard way to practice what our grandparents have always known: A penny saved is a penny earned.
Consider that about 43% of Americans spend more than they earn, according to estimates from the federal government, and the average household carries some $8,000 to $10,000 in credit-card debt.
To make matters worse, the average American no longer saves money. That's tumbled from a 10.8% average savings rate in 1984 into negative territory today. It's no wonder that many of us have been living way above our means for some time.
But that is getting harder and harder to do. Available credit for people to finance their lifestyles has shrunk if not dried up altogether and many Americans are standing by in shock watching their mortgage payments surge while the value of their 401(k)s drop.
It's clear Americans need to start spending less and saving more. That may sound easier said than it's done. The key is to be aware of your where your money is going and take steps to stop the leaks. Here are five simple tips that could save you hundreds of dollars a month:
1. Cash back at the pump
In the past five months gasoline prices have dropped 56%, from an average price of $4.11 to $1.80 a gallon. Somehow, households found the money to pay the higher price and survive so now people should take that excess money they are saving and bank it.
Jean Chatzky, author and personal finance expert suggests using the money you were spending on gasoline to build up that rainy day fund or to pay some your holiday expenses instead of racking up more debt.
2. Supper savings
Another great way Americans can cut costs each month is to eat at home, says Jonathan and David Murray, twin brothers who are financial advisers.
According to a recent Zagat survey, Americans will spend an average of $34 this year every time they go out to eat dinner, that's for one dinner, drink and gratuity; $76.00 if they live in one of the 20 most expensive cities. If a couple does that four times in a month the expense is close to $300 in low-cost areas and $600 in higher-cost regions, and if you have more than one drink or are treating family or friends, costs can add up quickly.
Plan a dinner or party at home and ask guests to bring a dish. If you're big on getting together with friends, family and work associates, this could save you hundreds of dollars a month.
3. Renegotiate bills
You may not be able to negotiate with the gas company or the electric company, but you can with credit cards, cable and phone services, among others. Do the homework and find out what competing cable companies, for example, are offering and ask your provider to renegotiate your bill. You may have to get through to a manager but Chatzky said she recently did this and got her monthly bill reduced by $50.
4. Smart shopping
Retailers are poised to have one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades and are offering deep discounts to move merchandise. But smart shoppers can save even more money by hunting down coupons. Before ordering online or going to a store, go to sites like Couponcabin.com and Ultimatecoupons.com or Google the name of a store and often you'll get a coupon code to enter at checkout. You can save 10% to 20% or more on the total order or maybe get free shipping.
There are also coupons to print out and take to the store for deeper discounts. And don't be afraid to pit one retailer against another by asking for a price match on sale items.
5. Keep the receipt
It is important to hang on to all your store receipts and keep track of sales. Savvy shoppers can possibly save even more on purchases by checking back to see if the retailers lower prices even further. If that happens within two weeks of your purchase, most stores will credit you the difference.
Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.
NEW YORK--We are a country of spenders who must learn the hard way to practice what our grandparents have always known: A penny saved is a penny earned.
Consider that about 43% of Americans spend more than they earn, according to estimates from the federal government, and the average household carries some $8,000 to $10,000 in credit-card debt.
To make matters worse, the average American no longer saves money. That's tumbled from a 10.8% average savings rate in 1984 into negative territory today. It's no wonder that many of us have been living way above our means for some time.
But that is getting harder and harder to do. Available credit for people to finance their lifestyles has shrunk if not dried up altogether and many Americans are standing by in shock watching their mortgage payments surge while the value of their 401(k)s drop.
It's clear Americans need to start spending less and saving more. That may sound easier said than it's done. The key is to be aware of your where your money is going and take steps to stop the leaks. Here are five simple tips that could save you hundreds of dollars a month:
1. Cash back at the pump
In the past five months gasoline prices have dropped 56%, from an average price of $4.11 to $1.80 a gallon. Somehow, households found the money to pay the higher price and survive so now people should take that excess money they are saving and bank it.
Jean Chatzky, author and personal finance expert suggests using the money you were spending on gasoline to build up that rainy day fund or to pay some your holiday expenses instead of racking up more debt.
2. Supper savings
Another great way Americans can cut costs each month is to eat at home, says Jonathan and David Murray, twin brothers who are financial advisers.
According to a recent Zagat survey, Americans will spend an average of $34 this year every time they go out to eat dinner, that's for one dinner, drink and gratuity; $76.00 if they live in one of the 20 most expensive cities. If a couple does that four times in a month the expense is close to $300 in low-cost areas and $600 in higher-cost regions, and if you have more than one drink or are treating family or friends, costs can add up quickly.
Plan a dinner or party at home and ask guests to bring a dish. If you're big on getting together with friends, family and work associates, this could save you hundreds of dollars a month.
3. Renegotiate bills
You may not be able to negotiate with the gas company or the electric company, but you can with credit cards, cable and phone services, among others. Do the homework and find out what competing cable companies, for example, are offering and ask your provider to renegotiate your bill. You may have to get through to a manager but Chatzky said she recently did this and got her monthly bill reduced by $50.
4. Smart shopping
Retailers are poised to have one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades and are offering deep discounts to move merchandise. But smart shoppers can save even more money by hunting down coupons. Before ordering online or going to a store, go to sites like Couponcabin.com and Ultimatecoupons.com or Google the name of a store and often you'll get a coupon code to enter at checkout. You can save 10% to 20% or more on the total order or maybe get free shipping.
There are also coupons to print out and take to the store for deeper discounts. And don't be afraid to pit one retailer against another by asking for a price match on sale items.
5. Keep the receipt
It is important to hang on to all your store receipts and keep track of sales. Savvy shoppers can possibly save even more on purchases by checking back to see if the retailers lower prices even further. If that happens within two weeks of your purchase, most stores will credit you the difference.
Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Teach Stewardship or...?
As we approach the year 2009, we find that the economic situation is far from reaching the bottom. I am hearing from many Pastors and church Administrators that they are "cutting" budgets in 2009 and expecting the church financial picture to get worse. At one national conference, a speaker even informed attendees that buiding and expanding ministry needed to halt due to the simple fact that the younger adult generations would NOT pay for these.
Shining in front of us is the reality that our churches MUST teach Stewardship. And we need to do so quickly! A look at history will reveal that during the Great Depression, churches realized what was missing and reversed the trend. They began to teach stewardship in the Biblical light of Lordship (which is the right way) and what followed were some of the greatest days of ministry and growth in America by these churches.
Will the current economic crisis wake us up? I pray so! When we get Lordship right and thus Stewardship right, we get the church, our lives, and our families back in line with the Word of God. Stewardship is your great friend Pastor! Allow me to encourage you to teach it and teach it faithfully.
Give me a call should you need ideas or encouragent. I can share with you how God is using the teaching of Stewardship in some remarkable ways in many churches around the country!
May God Bless you as you teach STEWARDSHIP faithfully!
Shining in front of us is the reality that our churches MUST teach Stewardship. And we need to do so quickly! A look at history will reveal that during the Great Depression, churches realized what was missing and reversed the trend. They began to teach stewardship in the Biblical light of Lordship (which is the right way) and what followed were some of the greatest days of ministry and growth in America by these churches.
Will the current economic crisis wake us up? I pray so! When we get Lordship right and thus Stewardship right, we get the church, our lives, and our families back in line with the Word of God. Stewardship is your great friend Pastor! Allow me to encourage you to teach it and teach it faithfully.
Give me a call should you need ideas or encouragent. I can share with you how God is using the teaching of Stewardship in some remarkable ways in many churches around the country!
May God Bless you as you teach STEWARDSHIP faithfully!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)