Leadership: A word from Mennonite leaders

Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.—2 Corinthians 13:11

Stewardship is one of our church’s priorities. As stated in the Purposeful Plan of Mennonite Church USA, we seek “to reflect God’s abundance through our generosity as God’s stewards, in order to achieve missional goals across all parts of the church.”

Discovering God’s purpose
Becoming faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us is rooted in our relationship with Christ. Beryl Jantzi, stewardship education director at Everence, says, “Stewardship is everything you do after you say you believe.” Financial planning begins with discovering God’s purpose and plan for our lives. No matter what level of resources we have or our stage of life, God calls us to a path of Christian stewardship—and integrating our faith and values into our financial decisions is a good guide for that journey.

Living generously
Financial planning grows out of our relationships in the faith community. Discerning the use of our money, time and talent for the benefit of God’s children helps us develop habits of generosity and care for others. Good financial planning helps us see and understand God’s abundance in our lives, which gives us a sense of financial security and peace. That releases us to manage our resources with open hands of generosity rather than clinched fists of fear and anxiety. Living generously is about putting our faith into action.

Planning for your journey
Becoming an effective steward of our financial resources is a multifaceted journey that can be complicated to walk through alone. Sometimes we need someone else to alert us to potential opportunities, detours and missteps and to hold us accountable along the way.

That is where Everence can help. Our professional advisors can work alongside you to determine a financial path that fits your goals and values. Together, we help you achieve what many never experience in their financial lives: the chance to find financial peace.
A financial plan can give you an overarching understanding and guide for your stewardship journey, including:

• Cash flow planning: By learning how to manage your money in ways that are efficient for you and that honor God, you can remove stress, increase peace, live freely and give generously.
• Protection planning: You can’t always know what will happen in the future, but you can take steps to have resources in place for your loved ones in case the unexpected happens.
• Investment planning: From retirement income to college funding, there are many reasons we invest our money. In order to have that money for our future needs, we must think strategically about the way we are investing.
• Retirement planning: Many people are afraid of running out of money in retirement. Whether you’re 25 or 65, it’s important to determine how much you will likely need in retirement and how you might get there.
• Tax planning: Nearly every financial decision you make has tax consequences, and it’s important to understand how it might impact your financial situation.
• Estate planning: Creating an estate plan is one of the most important acts of Christian stewardship. It’s a way for you to make your wishes known and take some heavy burdens off the shoulders of your loved ones.
• Charitable planning: Most financial planners don’t focus on this seventh area of your financial life. But Everence believes that being generous is a significant way to live out your faith. Developing a financial plan helps give you the freedom to be more generous, so you can make an impact on the ministries closest to your heart.

Everence advisors specialize in helping you identify your values and incorporating them into your financial decisions. Our systematic process helps you develop an overarching financial plan for your life, and our financial planning fees are based, in part, on your personal situation.

A stewardship plan is a way for you to achieve financial peace and live with open hands of generosity, regardless of where you are at in life.

Larry Miller is president and CEO of Everence. He retires at the end of August.