Barnabas Foundation Blog

For most Americans, finances are a primary source of anxiety and fear. Even as believers, it’s easy to become consumed with worry about our financial security. Recently, I had the privilege of reading aloud the Sermon on the Mount while overlooking the Sea of Galilee, standing in the area where Jesus first shared this message.

Q: What kinds of gifts can I give in exchange for life income payments?

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV) What comes to mind when you picture “green pastures” and “still waters”? Rolling hills of lush grass and beautiful flowers? The banks of a gently babbling brook? Blue skies and a gentle breeze?

When The Navigators first came on board as members in 2020, they had a few self-identified struggles they hoped to overcome. They described their planned giving team as overworked and over-tapped. In particular, they struggled to maintain their charitable gift annuity program.

Q: What’s the advantage of talking with a planner when I can just go to my lawyer? A: You absolutely need to work with your personal attorney once you are ready to execute your legal documents. However, most people have many questions and concerns to work through before they reach that point.

Week after week, we meet with generous Christians to help them create estate plans that honor God, provide for their families and support the causes close to their hearts. If there is one commonality, it’s that one or more decisions have kept them from completing their plans.

When I’m driving down the interstate, I’m always amazed by the number of trucks on the road. Some of them are very flashy; others are plain. The look of the truck isn’t important. What really matters is their purpose: getting important commodities or materials from point A to point B.

For someone who began a banking career at age 17, Elanor sure had a low opinion of money. “I hated it,” she explains. “Customers were so rude, and the more money they had, the ruder they were!” Then Elanor came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. Slowly, her perspective on wealth began to change.