by Clarence E. Stowers | Oct 17, 2008 | Current Affairs, Family, Money and Finance, Politics, Relationships
I believe we are in a period of economic uncertainty and churches would be wise to watch the economic indicators around them. Our church is in an area that is undergoing tremendous economic change. Lost jobs, lost wages translate into fewer contributions, plus some members have moved to other states to find better paying jobs.
The national economy, battered by the mortgage housing crisis and sky-high fuel costs, is starting to take its toll on all houses of worship. As wallets get thinner, people face increasingly difficult choices between paying the bills and supporting their congregation. In short, this downturn is hurting everybody. I crafted a short survey to get your input on this important matter. Thanks for participating!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Oct 16, 2008 | Family, Leadership, Money and Finance
Well. Congress voted to bailout the economy. So here are my thoughts. I think you can find biblical basis for most of them.
- This was a much for ML King street as for wall street. the vast majority of Americans caused this mess, not just wall street.
- It's time we once again learned to live within our means.
- It's time for some CEOS and Bank Presidents to go to jail for telling people they can afford a $300,000 house when all they can afford is a $150,000 house.
- It's time to tithe to our church and to our retirement account (or start one if you don't have one).
- It's time to make contributions to our retirement account because the market will go up again some day.
- But in the end its time for the American consumer to wake up to
the fact that you buy things only if you have the money. This seems
like such a simple suggestion but it is the heart of all this mess.
Another word for it is greed on both sides of the street, both Wall
Street and Main Street. Now its time for all of us to get back to what
we do best- be Americans and that means pulling together.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Oct 3, 2008 | Christian, Christianity, Money and Finance, Preaching, Worship
I was inspired to preach this series after hearing Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor of Northpoint Church in Alpharetta, GA. I got permission to modify, contextualize, & share it with my Mars Hill family.
In this day and age, most people are striving for more…a better job, a larger house, a flashier car, and the list goes on. However, the recent economic downturn has temporarily placed the chase on hold.
There is more to life than chasing that elusive carrot
that dangles so temptingly in front of you.
Even in the midst of an economic downturn you will discover how to be truly rich, with what you already have. Join us this Sunday @ 8AM or 10:30AM to learn "How To Be Rich." This series IS NOT about how to "GET" rich…It's all about how to "BE" rich.
As the series unfolds, I will post a link to my teaching notes online along w/discussion questions for all who want to engage in dialog. If you're interested, shoot me an email so I'll know who's participating. It's sorta like a "cyber small group" discussion. I firmly believe we grow stronger together.
Have a great weekend!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Sep 22, 2008 | Empowerment, Leadership, Money and Finance
Often I run across information that I believe to be vital for church leaders. Since I believe in the "learn & return" principle, I plan to share information that I believe would help church leaders lead their respective churches, ministries, & organizations.
THIS WEEK'S GEMS:
Churches
need to establish a three month emergency fund of cash reserves to be
used during a financial crisis. The church’s emergency fund will allow
the church treasurer/financial secretary or finance committee time to
develop a course of action when a financial crisis occurs. <Read More>
More important than theological orientation is the religious character
of the congregation and clarity of mission and purpose, the survey
highlighted. Growing churches are clear about why they exist and about
what they are to be doing. <Read More>
WHY PEOPLE DON'T ATTEND CHURCH
Compared
to regular churchgoers, the Unattached are: more likely to feel
stressed out; less likely to be concerned about the moral condition of
the nation; much less likely to believe that they are making a positive
difference in the world; less optimistic about the future; far less
likely to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in its principles;
substantially more likely to believe that Satan and the Holy Spirit are
symbolic figures, but are not real. <Read More>
by Clarence E. Stowers | Sep 3, 2008 | Current Affairs, Empowerment, Family, Leadership, Money and Finance, Parenting, Politics
We will continue to push for superior schools for disadvantaged children until the problem is solved!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 11, 2008 | Empowerment, Money and Finance, Vision
Today, I had the privilege to participate in my final conference call with a few multi-millionaires and guess what, they think very differently about money, life, and relationships.
Have you noticed that some people
struggle with money for years and even
decades and others seem to experience
continual success? Even when successful
people experience tough times it is
usually just a short time until they are
right back on top. The reasons for this is not rocket
science, it is a simple matter of
their beliefs and the actions they take.
I discovered millionaires become millionaires because
they believe truths about money and take
actions to build wealth.
Additionally, I also discovered the #1 reason people are in
financial bondage is because they
believe lies about money. Your beliefs control your behaviors
and your behaviors determine your
results. In order to achieve better
results in your finances you must work
on your beliefs.
I learned 10 valuable lessons while participating in these calls that I'd like to share with you. If you would take the necessary time and apply them to your life, I guarantee your outlook would change for the better.
Lesson #1: Millionaires think long-term in every area of their lives (especially finance & relationships).
A multi-millionaire explained how society is broken own into 5 groups and each thinks differently about money and life:
- The Very Poor think day to day – their goal is to survive
- The Poor think week to week – their goal is to survive as well
- The Middle-class think month to month – their goal is comfort
- The Rich think year to year – their goal is freedom
- Millionaires think decade to decade – their goal is total freedom
So, what do you think?
