FIRSTFRUITS FINDINGS NEWSLETTER VOL. 10 NO. 4 JULY - AUGUST 2005 A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR For nine years, through this column, I have shared my journey in understanding financial stewardship and the experiences related to stewardship. Perhaps you have read Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, and its theme of modeling the purpose God has for each of us. Over the years, my wife and I have given to many ministries. We have also helped our children with home improvement projects. This has provided opportunity for wonderful conversation with our children about the desire to be generous people. They shared with us the impact of our example in modeling financial faithfulness and the importance of budgeting and being generous. Now has come a time when my wife and I have chosen to be open about our struggles. I am fighting pancreatic cancer. To me, modeling in adversity is sometimes difficult to do. It is also very humbling to be on the receiving end of the warmth, admiration and generosity of others. The time has come to leave Barnabas Foundation as I focus full-time on this challenge. It has been a privilege to share with you our journey of financial stewardship. My prayer for you is that you: Live your life knowing that you too are a model. ~ Norm Vander Wel Editor’s Note: To our friend and colleague, Norm: You have not only provided a voice of instruction and encouragement in the area of stewardship over the past 11 years, you have been a godly example of how giving is an expression of our daily lives. In your own words, “As we give of ourselves, we are more able to receive”. On behalf of your family at Barnabas Foundation, we thank God for you and for the gifts you have shared with all of us. – Laura De Vries RAISING CHEERFUL GIVERS This is the seventh and final article in our series on “Raising Cheerful Givers”. Helping our children understand financial principles will not only help them manage their money, but also become joyful stewards. MODELING FINANCIAL FAITHFULNESS Have you ever heard the saying, “We can teach what we believe, but we only reproduce who we are”? The most powerful tool we can use to teach our children is how we conduct our lives everyday. When we do this intentionally, we follow the Lord’s instruction in Deut. 6:6-7: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Notice how the Lord suggests not only talking about his commandments but also modeling them. It is our responsibility to teach, talk and model. As we’ve discussed in this series of articles, today’s kids need all the help they can get to thrive financially in this world, while fully understanding the connection between faith and finance. Helping them understand financial principles will not only help them manage their money but also become good stewards. As Nathan Dungan states in his book Prodigal Sons and Material Girls, “You are your child’s best hope for growing up resistant to the consumer culture. Parents have great influence in shaping their kids’ values, priorities and habits. And the sooner you realize that virtually every message your child hears about money promotes spending, the more prepared you will be to counter with messages on the value of saving and the joy of sharing.” When we are looking for it, life brings countless opportunities to model to our children an eternal perspective on life, money and possessions. Some ways to do this are: Show an attitude of thankfulness at all times. * Get children involved in your giving activities. * Be honest with your children. Let them know that giving isn’t always easy but that it shows how much we value what God values. * Show children how to save as a family for special activities such as vacations or other items. * More is not always better. Just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you need to have it. Let your children witness contentment in your life. The most important thing we can do is to pass our faith in Christ to the next generation. As parents (and grandparents), we have a great responsibility to share practical biblical truths to our children. In many ways we are in a race against time. Unless our children learn and understand God’s financial principles of sharing, saving and spending, they will not be financially able or have the motivation to support the Lord’s work in this world. Our prayer is that every parent and grandparent reading this article will clearly model financial faithfulness to future generations. May God bless us in this task. LEAVING FOOTPRINTS Watch a small boy follow his dad through the snow. He stretches to step where his dad stepped. Not an easy task. His small legs extend as far as they can so his feet can fall in his father’s prints. The father, seeing what the son is doing, smiles and begins taking shorter steps, so the son can follow. It’s a picture of discipleship. In our faith we follow in someone’s steps. A parent, a teacher, a hero – none of us are the first to walk the trail. All of us have someone we follow. In our faith, we leave footprints to guide others— a child, a friend, a recent friend, a recent convert. None should be left to walk the trail alone. It’s the principle of discipleship. - Max Lucado HELPFUL LINKS The National Council on Economic Education at http://www.ncee.net, offers free lesson plans on a variety of economic topics and designed for use with kids of all ages. Once you’re on the site, click on “resources”. Crown Financial Ministries’ site is www.crown.org Click on “library” to find many informative articles on home/family. There are articles on children and finances, teaching kids self-discipline in the area of finances, giving children an allowance...just to name a few. This site also contains resources for purchase geared to children. Stewardship Nuggets for Children and Families are provided electronically thru the United Methodist Church at www.stewardshipcenter.org. By signing up for this free email, you receive stewardship readings for kids along with an activity and discussion questions. The non-profit Young Adult Consumer Education Trust (YACET) offers an interactive program at www.consumerjungle.org teaching teens about buying a car, credit cards and more in an online “safari”. Guides for parents and teachers are included. Sense & Dollars, sponsored by Maryland Public TV is aimed at middle and high school students. This website is http://senseanddollars.thinkport.org/ The site includes online games and exercises that teach the real cost of using credit, how to plan for an upcoming expense, how to read the financial charts in newspapers, and more. TIPS TO TRY Clever cost-cutting ideas to use at home: Muffins. When it’s too hot to crank up the oven for an hour, bake your favorite quick bread in muffin pans rather than loaves. It cuts baking time 15-20 minutes, and the muffins are great take-alongs for summer picnics. Taming the itch. One of the most soothing topical treatments for bug bites, poison ivy rashes, and the like is your teen’s over-the-counter acne medication. It will dry the infected area and reduce the itch. Dusty curtains. Don’t dry-clean curtains that are simply dusty. Toss them in the dryer with a couple of dryer sheets on “air dry”. This will fluff them up and loosen and release the dust. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE “Money: What’s God Got To Do With It?” By Kristin Buursma This 4-week, high school small group curriculum helps students learn basic Biblical principles about money. Topics include work, giving, spending, saving and debt. Great group activities keep teens involved, and the weekly, personal applications give them a real hands-on activity to apply in their own lives. Leader guide and student handouts are available for purchase or FREE download. To order, contact Kristin at 616-988-0827 The Leader Guide is available for $25 or it can be downloaded FREE at http://www.threerules.org/HighSchool.html (website avail: 7/22/05)