I got a copy of A Revolution in Generosity last week when I attended the Generosity Forum at Denver Seminary. Wesley K. Willmer, editor of the book, is also author of the first chapter, “Creating a Revolution in Generosity.” I was taken by what he had to say about a fundamental shift in perspective concerning charity that has taken place in the American culture at large but also–and much more–in the Christian church over the last 170 years or so. The shift, from stewardship to philanthropy, has devastated both donors and charitable organizations. Read the rest of this entry »

How rich are you? You might find the answer enlightening.

Go to GlobalRichList.com and find out exactly where you rate among all the people in the world! Pretty shocking, actually. . . . Read the rest of this entry »

I got to attend a luncheon presentation this afternoon at WorldVenture. Greg Ringer, co-founder and CEO of PhilanthroCorp, spoke.

Everyone who attended had signed up weeks ago, but, to make his talk seem more relevant, I think, he retitled it to, “The Impact of the ‘Bailout’ on Philanthropy.” After the title, last week’s $700 billion federal bailout was never mentioned again. But the bailout did provide a slick way to talk a bit about the current state-of-affairs in American philanthropy.

Specifically, Ringer referred to a Wall Street Journal article called Nonprofits Brace for Slowdown in Giving. The third paragraph in the article says that, due to the slowdown in the economy, “Charities . . . are gearing up to tap their wealthy board members and other well-off supporters for extra cash.”

Ringer focused on this sentence and objected to the idea of tapping donors in the manner suggested. First, he objected to the idea of “extra” cash. “Who has ‘extra’ cash?” he asked.

But more saliently, he noted that Read the rest of this entry »

Do North American evangelical Christians really believe in heaven? Not if you look at their behavior, says one speaker. Here’s his evidence.

I’m at the The Seed Company‘s President’s Forum. Great stuff coming out.

One of the speakers spoke provocatively: “Based on their giving patterns, American evangelicals do not believe they are going to heaven.” Read the rest of this entry »

Below, you will find a portion of one of two videos we’ve seen from Bob Coy.

It matches what I just wrote about last night.

Actually, now that I think of it, Read the rest of this entry »

Our older son, Luke, raised a great question during our family meeting about “our” money–“family” money (or, in many ways, “John’s & Sarita’s” money)–as opposed to “my” money (the money that Luke [or any one of the kids] earns him- or herself).

“I don’t feel the same way about the money I get from Mom and Dad,” he noted. He said he almost feels ashamed either to ask for it or receive it. The only money he feels good about using or spending is the money he has earned himself. . . .

I thought that was a good observation and something we needed (and still need to) talk about: What is our attitude about money? What do we want for our kids? What do we specifically not want? . . .

I’ve told the kids, before, about how, when Sarita and I were first married and living at the bottom edge of the socio-economic spectrum, we always kept a practical and verbal distinction between “our” money or “family” money (which we shared together; i.e., especially in the very earliest days, pretty much all the money we possessed), “my” money and “your” money.

Neither one of us was permitted to spend any of “our” money–the “family” money–unless both of us agreed. Groceries, clothes . . . whatever was going to come out of that pool had to be by mutual agreement.

The individual money–”my” money and “your” money, the money that we individually counted as our own–amounted to all of a dime a week. Yes, ten cents. Enough, barely, to buy a small pack of gum at the time (in the late ’70s). But that little, tiny piece of breathing room meant we felt free. Neither one of us could judge the other for spending that money in some manner that the other wouldn’t approve.

That little bit of money, too, gave us the ability to say, when we gave the other a gift, “I bought this with my own money.” –The gift was a true, personal sacrifice.

I sense this little story may have something to say in answer to Luke’s question. But not much.

I’ll have to think on this one some more.

You know about investment portfolio management. And I’m sure you take time to ensure you invest wisely for financial returns. But what about eternal rewards? Read the rest of this entry »