A church in Camden Arkansas that needed to remodel a major portion of their buildings began the process two and half years ago. Just as the giving had started to flow, the economy hit bottom. But God is not tied to Wall Street or Banks. It is also important to realize that this area of Arkansas has been impacted greatly before and during the recession.
Here are the specifics:
Church Ave Attendance: 200
Campaign Goal: $1.6 million
Commitments: $1.8 million
Actual Dollars Given: $2.2 million and 5 months to go!
Budget Giving: Over budget income each year with increase budget each year.
Missions Giving: Up 1% each year (now 3%) on top of the above
God can work in ways man cannot understand! When a church does what God's Word shows and says, He will bless - and He will do it greatly.
To God be the glory!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Your Personal Financial Bailout
The following is a list of certain things that many families in America are missing financially. In fact, making adjustments in these areas can be like getting a raise! It will not be the government bailing you out but you providing the relief that you need. And don't miss the part that actually teaches children self discipline and focus. One of the greatest needs among teenagers today is the proper understanding of money and how easily it can be wasted. We are raising a whole generation of self indulging people that will not find the life of adulthood easy unless we make major changes.
1. Extended Warranties - Generally, they’re not worth the money. (The only thing I now have a warranty on is my laptop computer, and that’s because I practically beat it to death.) If a new gadget or appliance is going to fail, research tells us it will do so during the manufacturer’s warranty period or long after the extended warranty has expired. That makes extended warranties, which can cost anywhere from $5 to hundreds of dollars, a big profit center for retailers and a pretty useless expense for consumers.
Get Smart: If you’re worried about a breakdown, take the money you’d spend on a warranty and stash it into a special savings account. If your item fails, you’ll have the money to repair it. If not (which is more likely), in three or five years when everything’s gone well, you’ll have stashed away a nice little nest egg.
2. Gym Fees - The sales pitch is compelling and the promise of better health is hard to deny. But getting roped into a legal obligation to pay a big monthly fee for the next two or three years—whether you use the gym or not—makes no sense.
Get Smart: Find a gym or health club that requires no contract (you pay by the month if and when you desire). Or don’t pay at all: There’s a big wonderful world out there where you can walk, jog or run for free!
3. Fast-Food Runs - You know how ridiculous it is to spend $3 or $4 for coffee—over and over, day after day. But how about the other snacks and food purchases that can cause your bank account to evaporate? A morning egg sandwich here, an afternoon bag of chips there…before you know it, you’ve spent $20 or more a week.
Get Smart: Before you leave the house in the morning, figure out how much cash you’ll need for the day, then take only that amount with you. Bring your own snacks and pack a brown-bag lunch to reduce costs even more.
4. Cell Phone Apps and Ringtones - OK, so it’s cool to have ringtones, apps and games on your cell. And sure, $2 to $3 a pop or $10 a month may not seem like a lot of money for so much fun. But watch out. You can blow through a lot of cash in no time.
Get smart: Make a hard-and-fast rule that you do not pay for ringtones, apps or games—then find them for free. They’re out there; you just have to search for the ones that work on your particular phone and with your service provider. Check out Phonezoo.com or Myxer.com. You can even make your own ringtones for free, using MP3s you already own.
5. Fees (Late, Over Limit or Worse):Not paying attention to your bills is a big mistake these days, when banks are doing all they can to boost their profits. Getting credit card payment in late can mean a $39 whack on the wrist. Being sloppy with your bank account and bouncing a check can cost you around $27.
Get smart: Find your inner private detective. Go over every statement and question every entry. Don’t know what it is? Find out! Get bold! If you’re charged a fee for something silly like allowing your balance to drop a few bucks below the agreed-upon minimum or sending your payment a day late, call customer service. Explain that this is so not like you, as evidenced by your clean record. Then ask them to waive the fee or reverse the charge if it has already been assessed to your account.
6. Landline Extras - Have you looked at your home phone bill lately? I mean really carefully? You could be paying for features you never use: call forwarding, call waiting, who knows what else. Those add-ons could be costing you $15 a month or more.
Get smart: Can’t find a recent bill? Pick up the phone and call customer service. If you use your mobile phones more often than your home landline, consider canceling the bells and whistles to get your home service down to the bare minimum.
7. Rental Car Insurance - Saying yes can add anywhere from $9 to $30 or more per day to the cost of the car. That’s a waste if you carry insurance on your cars at home, or if you pay with a credit card that offers rental car insurance as a perk. Your existing auto policy may be all you need if it includes third-party liability, collision and comprehensive coverage for rentals (most do!).
Get smart: Before you even get to the car rental counter, call your insurance agent to make sure you’re covered.
8. Computer Software - You got a great deal on that new computer, so why go broke loading it up with software? Before you spend a dime, take a look at all the freeware out there. You’ll find programs written by enthusiasts and distributed with no strings attached: games, graphics, office suites, fonts, every kind of desktop tool and gadget imaginable.
Get smart: Check out FreewareHome.com, an index site that lists more than 5,500 programs that really are free. No request for money in the documentation, no nag screens asking for payment or donations, no time limits!
9. Unlimited Texting - Most cell phone plans include a certain number of texts with the basic service. Texting is fun, but it can get out of control in a big hurry. Upgrading to an unlimited plan can add $15 (about $180 per year per phone on your cell plan) just so you can engage in a lot of meaningless chatter. How dumb is that?
Get Smart: Forget the upgrades. Scale back to a limited number of text messages for you and the kids, too. A little selfdiscipline could be a good thing for everyone involved.
10. Bottled Water - You’ve got to hand it to the bottled water industry. They’ve managed to convince otherwise rational people to pay around 800 times more to purchase water in a bottle rather than get it from the tap. These days a 16-oz bottle of “spring” water goes for about a dollar, which works out to about $8 a gallon—twice the cost of milk, and roughly on par with soft drinks. Home delivery is less per gallon, but still around $40 a month, according to online averages. However, 16 8-oz glasses of tap water cost about a penny. Bottom line: You’ve heard it before, but now you have to do it. Lay off the bottled water!
Get Smart: The next time you feel thirsty, turn on the tap. Don’t like the taste of your tap water? Invest in a filter pitcher or install an inexpensive faucet filter. You’ll still come out ahead.
Music DownloadsUnless you’ve got money to burn, paying 99¢ or more per tune can add up. But not to worry. There are plenty of ways to get free music downloads, all totally legal and easy to access.
Get Smart: Check out the free classical catalog at ClassicCat.net. Or take advantage of the free downloads section at Rhapsody.com. Want country? At CountryWeekly.com, click on “Free Music Downloads” under “Music.” At Amazon.com, click on “Digital Downloads” from the lefthand menu, then “MP3 Downloads.” On the left under “Browse MP3s,” there’s a Most Popular category. There you’ll see an option for “Free Songs & Special Deals.”
1. Extended Warranties - Generally, they’re not worth the money. (The only thing I now have a warranty on is my laptop computer, and that’s because I practically beat it to death.) If a new gadget or appliance is going to fail, research tells us it will do so during the manufacturer’s warranty period or long after the extended warranty has expired. That makes extended warranties, which can cost anywhere from $5 to hundreds of dollars, a big profit center for retailers and a pretty useless expense for consumers.
Get Smart: If you’re worried about a breakdown, take the money you’d spend on a warranty and stash it into a special savings account. If your item fails, you’ll have the money to repair it. If not (which is more likely), in three or five years when everything’s gone well, you’ll have stashed away a nice little nest egg.
2. Gym Fees - The sales pitch is compelling and the promise of better health is hard to deny. But getting roped into a legal obligation to pay a big monthly fee for the next two or three years—whether you use the gym or not—makes no sense.
Get Smart: Find a gym or health club that requires no contract (you pay by the month if and when you desire). Or don’t pay at all: There’s a big wonderful world out there where you can walk, jog or run for free!
3. Fast-Food Runs - You know how ridiculous it is to spend $3 or $4 for coffee—over and over, day after day. But how about the other snacks and food purchases that can cause your bank account to evaporate? A morning egg sandwich here, an afternoon bag of chips there…before you know it, you’ve spent $20 or more a week.
Get Smart: Before you leave the house in the morning, figure out how much cash you’ll need for the day, then take only that amount with you. Bring your own snacks and pack a brown-bag lunch to reduce costs even more.
4. Cell Phone Apps and Ringtones - OK, so it’s cool to have ringtones, apps and games on your cell. And sure, $2 to $3 a pop or $10 a month may not seem like a lot of money for so much fun. But watch out. You can blow through a lot of cash in no time.
Get smart: Make a hard-and-fast rule that you do not pay for ringtones, apps or games—then find them for free. They’re out there; you just have to search for the ones that work on your particular phone and with your service provider. Check out Phonezoo.com or Myxer.com. You can even make your own ringtones for free, using MP3s you already own.
5. Fees (Late, Over Limit or Worse):Not paying attention to your bills is a big mistake these days, when banks are doing all they can to boost their profits. Getting credit card payment in late can mean a $39 whack on the wrist. Being sloppy with your bank account and bouncing a check can cost you around $27.
Get smart: Find your inner private detective. Go over every statement and question every entry. Don’t know what it is? Find out! Get bold! If you’re charged a fee for something silly like allowing your balance to drop a few bucks below the agreed-upon minimum or sending your payment a day late, call customer service. Explain that this is so not like you, as evidenced by your clean record. Then ask them to waive the fee or reverse the charge if it has already been assessed to your account.
6. Landline Extras - Have you looked at your home phone bill lately? I mean really carefully? You could be paying for features you never use: call forwarding, call waiting, who knows what else. Those add-ons could be costing you $15 a month or more.
Get smart: Can’t find a recent bill? Pick up the phone and call customer service. If you use your mobile phones more often than your home landline, consider canceling the bells and whistles to get your home service down to the bare minimum.
7. Rental Car Insurance - Saying yes can add anywhere from $9 to $30 or more per day to the cost of the car. That’s a waste if you carry insurance on your cars at home, or if you pay with a credit card that offers rental car insurance as a perk. Your existing auto policy may be all you need if it includes third-party liability, collision and comprehensive coverage for rentals (most do!).
Get smart: Before you even get to the car rental counter, call your insurance agent to make sure you’re covered.
8. Computer Software - You got a great deal on that new computer, so why go broke loading it up with software? Before you spend a dime, take a look at all the freeware out there. You’ll find programs written by enthusiasts and distributed with no strings attached: games, graphics, office suites, fonts, every kind of desktop tool and gadget imaginable.
Get smart: Check out FreewareHome.com, an index site that lists more than 5,500 programs that really are free. No request for money in the documentation, no nag screens asking for payment or donations, no time limits!
9. Unlimited Texting - Most cell phone plans include a certain number of texts with the basic service. Texting is fun, but it can get out of control in a big hurry. Upgrading to an unlimited plan can add $15 (about $180 per year per phone on your cell plan) just so you can engage in a lot of meaningless chatter. How dumb is that?
Get Smart: Forget the upgrades. Scale back to a limited number of text messages for you and the kids, too. A little selfdiscipline could be a good thing for everyone involved.
10. Bottled Water - You’ve got to hand it to the bottled water industry. They’ve managed to convince otherwise rational people to pay around 800 times more to purchase water in a bottle rather than get it from the tap. These days a 16-oz bottle of “spring” water goes for about a dollar, which works out to about $8 a gallon—twice the cost of milk, and roughly on par with soft drinks. Home delivery is less per gallon, but still around $40 a month, according to online averages. However, 16 8-oz glasses of tap water cost about a penny. Bottom line: You’ve heard it before, but now you have to do it. Lay off the bottled water!
Get Smart: The next time you feel thirsty, turn on the tap. Don’t like the taste of your tap water? Invest in a filter pitcher or install an inexpensive faucet filter. You’ll still come out ahead.
Music DownloadsUnless you’ve got money to burn, paying 99¢ or more per tune can add up. But not to worry. There are plenty of ways to get free music downloads, all totally legal and easy to access.
Get Smart: Check out the free classical catalog at ClassicCat.net. Or take advantage of the free downloads section at Rhapsody.com. Want country? At CountryWeekly.com, click on “Free Music Downloads” under “Music.” At Amazon.com, click on “Digital Downloads” from the lefthand menu, then “MP3 Downloads.” On the left under “Browse MP3s,” there’s a Most Popular category. There you’ll see an option for “Free Songs & Special Deals.”
Friday, May 15, 2009
Your weekly giving can increase!
Article after article reveals that some of our church in America are experiencing a drop in giving during this tough economic time. A few Pastors have shared that they are experiencing some feelings of despair as they seek to lead their people. Vision requires money. Can your church still grow and increase in vision and ministry during this time in our nation.
YES!
Example #1 - a small new Texas church trying to get in position to build their first building just finished the intensive part of their Capital campaign. The results in budget given are incredible. A new staff member has already been hired as giving has increased over 50% as a result of the campaign. The giving to the campaign is above this number is setting a record.
Example #2 - a church in Minnesota that needed to lower it's debt experienced a 25% increase in giving as a result of their intensive time of the Capital Campaign. In fact, they raised one time their annual budget with no other motivation than to pay off debt. And to top that off, over $50,000 has already been given in the first month. The church runs less than 200 on the average Sunday.
Example #3 - a large Oklahoma church in it's first year to lower debt has already seen given to it's campaign over $600,000 in it's first six months. Again, debt was the only motivation.
These three are just a sampling.
God is blessing in huge ways. Are you wrestling with a decision on vision and stewardship. We can help. Let us know how we might be able to partner with you.
YES!
Example #1 - a small new Texas church trying to get in position to build their first building just finished the intensive part of their Capital campaign. The results in budget given are incredible. A new staff member has already been hired as giving has increased over 50% as a result of the campaign. The giving to the campaign is above this number is setting a record.
Example #2 - a church in Minnesota that needed to lower it's debt experienced a 25% increase in giving as a result of their intensive time of the Capital Campaign. In fact, they raised one time their annual budget with no other motivation than to pay off debt. And to top that off, over $50,000 has already been given in the first month. The church runs less than 200 on the average Sunday.
Example #3 - a large Oklahoma church in it's first year to lower debt has already seen given to it's campaign over $600,000 in it's first six months. Again, debt was the only motivation.
These three are just a sampling.
God is blessing in huge ways. Are you wrestling with a decision on vision and stewardship. We can help. Let us know how we might be able to partner with you.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
God works even in BAD economy
As the Spring campaigns are winding down Eklund Stewardship is seeing some wonderful works of God. All of our campaigns have met their goals and many have exceeded them. To God be the glory. One of the key points in all of this is that we did not lower expectations due to the economy. Not at all.
God works regardless of how a nation or even the world is doing. He is not bound to economy. His economy is full and always abounding. Pastors are telling us that spiritual awakening is really taking place among their people and the excitement for the things of God are building like never before.
Our Fall schedules are beginning to max out. Surely people are sensing the need for churches to move forward. Let us know how we can partner with you and your people.
God works regardless of how a nation or even the world is doing. He is not bound to economy. His economy is full and always abounding. Pastors are telling us that spiritual awakening is really taking place among their people and the excitement for the things of God are building like never before.
Our Fall schedules are beginning to max out. Surely people are sensing the need for churches to move forward. Let us know how we can partner with you and your people.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
My Christian Blogs
Check out the link on the left to find great blogs to enhance your thought and challange you in your walk with Christ!
Thanks Tony for providing this!
TG
Thanks Tony for providing this!
TG
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Steward Culture
While reading articles on the current economic perspective of the average person I discovered a great statement that reveals a "turning" in the mindset of people that is actually the foundation of a great culture of stewardship.
Here it is:
"A consumer culture invites us to want more than we can ever have; a culture of thrift invites us to be grateful for whatever we can get. So we pass the time by tending our gardens and patching our safety nets and debating whether, years from now, this season will be remembered for what we lost, or all that we found."
Call it thrift or steward - they both imply the same. Americans are beginning to see the difference and the foundation is being laid for stewards. It is a great time to teach stewardship. People are hungry for it and actually willing to learn it.
Are you teaching your people to be STEWARDS?
Here it is:
"A consumer culture invites us to want more than we can ever have; a culture of thrift invites us to be grateful for whatever we can get. So we pass the time by tending our gardens and patching our safety nets and debating whether, years from now, this season will be remembered for what we lost, or all that we found."
Call it thrift or steward - they both imply the same. Americans are beginning to see the difference and the foundation is being laid for stewards. It is a great time to teach stewardship. People are hungry for it and actually willing to learn it.
Are you teaching your people to be STEWARDS?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Stewardship is thriving today!
Over the past year we have all heard and seen the comments that appear to mark the death of Christian Stewardship in America. The main thought being expressed is simple; we have lived past the days when people are willing to give the tithe and we must accept this fact.
The great news is just as simple; churches across America are seeing an increase in Stewardship in all areas even during these tough economic times. How? When the biblical principles are taught, God works in the hearts of His people and the result is His! The promises of God are as active today as they were two years ago. God is still God and God is not bound to any economic system or collapse of such.
From the North to the South, East to the West, God is working in many ways as leaders lead their people to live obediently to God. Three churches in the past 4 months have seen a 30%+ increase in tithes weekly as God has worked during Capital Campaigns. Those same churches have met or exceeded the norms that Eklund Stewardship has witnessed for years during such campaigns. Young and old are seeing that God can use them and that their finances can get straight with Him in the lead. Churches are reducing debt loads and paying for new buildings and ministries. All that is needed is Steward Leaders! Are you experiencing this move of God?
Yes, stewardship is thriving. Give us a call and we will gladly share with your how you and your people can experience the work of God in your finances. God's churches should never experience a shortfall - He owns it all. We simply must be good stewards.
The great news is just as simple; churches across America are seeing an increase in Stewardship in all areas even during these tough economic times. How? When the biblical principles are taught, God works in the hearts of His people and the result is His! The promises of God are as active today as they were two years ago. God is still God and God is not bound to any economic system or collapse of such.
From the North to the South, East to the West, God is working in many ways as leaders lead their people to live obediently to God. Three churches in the past 4 months have seen a 30%+ increase in tithes weekly as God has worked during Capital Campaigns. Those same churches have met or exceeded the norms that Eklund Stewardship has witnessed for years during such campaigns. Young and old are seeing that God can use them and that their finances can get straight with Him in the lead. Churches are reducing debt loads and paying for new buildings and ministries. All that is needed is Steward Leaders! Are you experiencing this move of God?
Yes, stewardship is thriving. Give us a call and we will gladly share with your how you and your people can experience the work of God in your finances. God's churches should never experience a shortfall - He owns it all. We simply must be good stewards.
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