It has been said that country music is just “three chords and the truth.” Now I am not sure who “they” are, but I wholeheartedly agree. In all the opening lines of country music, David Ball’s 1994 song must sit at the top of the list for truth. The song begins, “Yes, I admit… (with the prototypical nasal tonality I might add) I’ve got a thinkin’ problem.” Mr. Ball hits upon the gravest of all problems, a thinkin’ problem. I was forced to review this problem recently while preparing a … [Read more...]
Why did we buy Windermere?
(See related stories here and here) So you might be wondering…Why would Straightway Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of the Missouri Baptist Foundation, purchase a distressed campground called Windermere Baptist Conference Center? It is a reasonable question, and one in which our staff and trustees wrestled for some time. I would like to take this opportunity to attempt an explanation. In case you have not already heard, the real estate and real property of Windermere Baptist Conference … [Read more...]
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! No, I am not confused, I realize it is not January. But, in our world at the Missouri Baptist Foundation, our fiscal-year ends on Sept. 30. A fiscal-year is any 12-month period selected for accounting purposes. While most churches and many businesses use the calendar year, others – based on their particular business field – may choose another. We use the Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 time frame, just like the federal government, but don’t confuse us with them. Every church of … [Read more...]
MBF can help you get well, live well, finish well
I really enjoy my job. But, I have to admit, I questioned God about a move from the pastorate of the local church into becoming your Foundation president. I never really sought to be a “convention guy;” however, the Lord had placed me in certain roles and positions which seemed to confirm this was in fact His unique calling for me. I do have the desire to make our convention a better place to serve the Lord while serving each other. I am happy to do so as opportunities present … [Read more...]
Work in daylight, prepare for nightfall
So, in the house we are currently leasing, the master bedroom faces the morning sun. Which means I am very aware of the sunrise. This is not normally a big deal, as in the winter months I get up long before the sun does. But in the summer, especially on Saturdays…, well let’s just say I have no other place I need to be at 5:35 AM. This awakening is amplified by having only blinds on the windows rather than curtains where the light can be stymied from sneaking around the edges. But, I will … [Read more...]
‘The harvest is plentiful …’
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37 I was overwhelmed by the response. Last fall the Board of Trustees for the Missouri Baptist Foundation decided they wanted to demonstrate their commitment to Christian higher education and to the students. (We are so blessed to have three great Baptist Universities in our state, each led by a capable Christian scholar/administrator; plus, we have the unique benefit of an SBC Seminary in Missouri as well, and one that is … [Read more...]
‘These are great days for partnership’
These are great days for partnership! Not just in Missouri Baptist life, but across the globe. One reason is simply the fact that we can get more done together than we can separately. (Baptists, of course, have always believed it, even when we haven’t practiced it. The Cooperative Program, for instance, is the premier example of “crowd sourced funding” long before we had the internet.) Which brings me to my point. Our goal at the Missouri Baptist Foundation is to be your Generosity … [Read more...]
Use finances to advance the gospel across the globe
I have been to a lot of conferences in my time. (I have always liked attending conferences and learning from others. I especially like learning from their mistakes so I can pursue my life goal of constantly making new mistakes, rather than repeating the same ones over and over again). So, in my new role of serving you in the areas of development, management and distribution of financial resources while encouraging generosity, in order to Advance the Gospel, a whole new genre of conferences … [Read more...]
Giving your estate plans a check-up
One of the goals people might be working on now is being sure their tax preparation is completed by the April 15 deadline. Once a person has filed the 2018 tax returns, the next best goal to set and accomplish is to make or review your estate plans. With the most complete and current picture of one’s financial affairs in mind, now is a good time to give yourself the “peace of mind” by having a plan that cares for family and the ministries and/or charities that are loved and respected. It is … [Read more...]
An effort to fund Christian education
So have you checked out the price of college these days? I remember my first semester back in 1989, the tuition was $600 for the entire semester. (I am not even sure that would buy you a single credit hour today, especially if you add in all of the fees.) OK, so I may be exaggerating a little bit, but the point is still just as true, a good college education is not as inexpensive as it once was. While it is true for all education, it is especially true for private educational … [Read more...]
MBF clarifies church loan terms, offers savings options
On February 5th of this year my wife, Kendra, will have been married to me for 25 years. I know what you are thinking, she deserves a medal or something. And I would agree. She has been forced to live in four different states (while often visiting the state of confusion) having had at least 13 different addresses in those years, has had to leave jobs and friends she loved along the way, and endured child birth two times. And those are the easy things. Yet at the end of the day Kendra … [Read more...]
Stewarding finances to make disciples
Last month at the annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention, we introduced a brand new look and logo for the Missouri Baptist Foundation. This new logo represents our past, our present and our future together. I thought it would be good to take a moment and tell you what this new logo represents. You will notice the simple logo consists of three green bars of ever increasing length along with our name. The three bars remind us of our original mission, as we were created to … [Read more...]