FirstFruits Findings Fall 2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Note From The Director We are working with a number of churches that have said, “time just seems to fly, and we need to get our plans implemented. It’s almost September and we do not have any plans for the next year.” If you can identify with these comments, give us a call at FirstFruits®. We’d like to help make your plans successful for the coming year. Our inside support person, Doreen Bulthuis, is in contact with many new and existing stewardship teams. We have learned much from these churches which can be helpful to you as you plan for the upcoming season. ~ Norm Vander Wel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Time flies! How true for us. We often look at our clocks and cannot quite believe the time; it escapes us and passes us by. Before we know it, it is the end of a day, a season, or a year, and we are still planning to get organized and learn b e t t e r t i m e management. Are we filling our days with things that are wasteful? When was the last time you took inventory of the things that take up your time! Principle #3 LIVE ON MARGIN When we live in a world where the phone is always ringing and e-mail needs to be answered, a myriad of duties need to be tended to at home, there is involvement in school and church-related activities, it becomes harder to set aside time to renew and recharge ourselves. Unfortunately, most of us take few precautions in our lives to protect against our own hectic schedules. It’s internal resources have that run out first when it comes to marriage, childrearing, decision making and life prioritization. It’s hard be a person who is inwardly peaceful who doesn’t carve out at least a little quiet time and reflection everyday. The starting point is God. He is the One who gives us our directions. Take time to listen to God’s voice in everything you do. Then sort out the meaningless, and re-prioritize. Does your schedule for last month reflect the priorities you deem most valuable? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIME SAVERS 1. Establish a quiet hour in the morning and pray through the upcoming items in your day. 2. Learn to say no when you’ve something important to do. 3. Learn to delegate. 4. Don’t over-schedule. Allow some flexible time for crises and interruptions. 5. Do difficult things quickly; waiting doesn’t make them easier. 6. Start with “A” priority tasks. Is it the best use of your time? 7. Try to handle paper only once. 8. Accumulate similar tasks and do them all at once. 9. Concentrate on what you are doing. 10. AVOID PERFECTIONISM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRS ISSUES NEW TAX GUIDE FOR CHURCHES The Internal Revenue Service recently released “Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations,” IRS Publication 1828. The guide explains the benefits and responsibilities under the federal tax system of churches and other religious organizations. Topics include tax-exempt status (and jeopardizing same), issues of unrelated business income and political campaign involvement, to name a few. You can obtain a copy by going to the NEWS box on the Barnabas Foundation home page at: www.barnabasfoundation.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIPS TO TRY - Clever cost-cutting ideas to use at home Grocery list. When you pick up an item not on your grocery list, place it in the child’s seat of the shopping cart or in the lower level of the cart. Just before checking out, re-evaluate if the item(s) will fit into your week’s food budget. This may help control impulse buying. Wash the washing machine and dishwasher. Lime and other mineral deposits clog drainage systems in these appliances. Run a cycle through each machine without clothes or dishes. Washing machine: run full cycle using hot water and add a gallon of white vinegar at the beginning. Dishwasher: set a bowl containing three quarts of vinegar on the bottom rack and run a cycle with the hottest water possible. Clothespins. Toss some clothespins into your luggage when you travel. They’ll turn any hanger into a makeshift clothes dryer. Travel tip. Photocopy everything in your purse/wallet so if you lose it you will have the exact information. SIMPLY SIMPLIFY * A little at a time * One of the problems we have in working with stewardship committees is that often plans for the coming year contain significantly more than can probably be done in five years. Frustration comes from seeing a mountain of work and not knowing where to begin. FirstFruits® has developed a model for the future in terms of stewardship involvement. It includes the role of the pastor, the congregation and leaders in the church. Perhaps you can begin by carefully choosing a few things and simplifying the tasks. For instance, one church with which we work has begun by focusing on two projects….one is helping people develop a spending plan through an investment club, and the other is simply working with the deacons by having them pray very simple prayers prior to the offering. (You can access a number of offering ideas on our website at http://www.barnabasfoundation.com/ firstfruits/52ideas.) “Simply simplify” can mean taking bite-size chunks out of that mountain of work that needs to be done. A few successes go a long way toward making a job both doable and enjoyable.