Here at the Foundation we manage about $30 million in endowments and other long-term funds for our account holders. All of these investments are in full compliance with the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Guidelines of The United Methodist Church. Specifically we are forbidden in investing in any company that receives more than 10% of its […]

It was a meeting unlike any other in my years in the Foundation. The topic was money, a long-held fund at the church that had always been used for X but the committee was discussing using it for Y. But it wasn’t really about the money; it was about control of the money. It was […]

Last week I had a chance to be part of a conversation with a local church leader who was feeling some tension about reserve funds. One on side is the argument for strong financial reserves. I have heard discussion advocating as much as three months’ worth of expenses in a rainy day fund. On the […]

On Sunday morning I woke up but then began dreaming again.  No, I didn’t go back to sleep.  Instead I checked the news. No one had won the Powerball jackpot.  I had four more days to dream. So from now until Wednesday night I can dream and the scale of the dream is amazing.  An […]

We had some technical difficulties with our online presence for the last couple of weeks.  So many of you may have tried to click through to a blog post only to have it come up with an error. The problem has been fixed.  Below are the last few blog posts in case you missed one. […]

As you begin a new year with resolutions of better health, stronger finances and healthier relationships, I’d like to share the following benediction with you. I can’t prove it, but it seems to be one used by missionaries in India. May the Lord disturb you and trouble you, May the Lord set an impossible task […]

In less than five months I and others from East Ohio will be at General Conference in Portland, Oregon. During those ten days we will be asked to vote on literally hundreds and hundreds of issues. My committee assignment is the committee dealing with local church property, including endowments. But as you would expect there […]

A month ago or so this country tried to lose its mind when Starbucks unveiled its annual Holiday Cup that was plain red. In a startling victory of common sense, “It’s just a cup” overwhelmed social media and quickly quashed the notion that this disposable vessel of overpriced caffeine was the end of Christianity as […]

Now that your stewardship campaign has passed, it’s time to put stewardship away for the next 9 months or so, right? Hopefully not. Between now and next fall this is what I suggest you get busy with: What did you learn from your campaign? How did this year compare to last year? Are there any […]

I posted this December 2013 and 2014 and I’ve received so many positive comments about it, I thought I’d bring it out again.  Keep this in mind as you begin your festivities. A friend was telling me about the annual Christmas parade in a small town in Amish country.  He said it was in no […]