Dividends November 2016- for flipbook

DIVIDENDS THE NEWSLETTER OF CROWN FINANCIAL MINISTRIES | FALL 2016IN THIS 40 years of MultiplyingISSUE Faithful Stewards – to the Glory of God2 Happy Anniversary Crown Financial! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY3 A Personal Note From CROWN Chuck Bentley FINANCIAL!4 In Their Own Words6 In the Next 40 Years ... Setting People Free7 Economy At A Glance Continued

FROM THE COVER changing principles of becoming a steward. This is definitely a “God thing”! But so many people are trapped. Financial slavery is a massive global problem. In the US alone, a recent survey He started it 40 years ago through the personal ministry indicated almost 70% of Americans have less than $1,000 in of Larry and Judy Burkett. Their vision, which started in 1976, a savings account. continues today. We are aiming even more tools and services to reach For 40 God-blessed years, Crown Financial Ministries those in need — and by His grace, our future ministry has been empowering faithful stewards and seeing the together will see even more financial captives set free. This impact ripple across the world in countless ways. is our calling and the mission God has given us. Larry Burkett pioneered the teaching of God’s financial 1. We will launch new teaching content based on the principles as a specialized focus of ministry. He passionately needs of people who are seeking help. We want to believed in the importance of understanding the concepts see them Get well. Do well. Finish well. of Lordship, Stewardship and Generosity. His books, radio program and training seminars impacted more than 50 million 2. We will increase our focus on reaching people right lives before Larry went home to be with the Lord on July 4, here in the United States through radio. 2003. 3. We will expand our coaching ministry, to help more Today, our ministry together continues stronger than individuals one-on-one. ever. 4. We will offer more online studies and tools to make We estimate that 4 million lives are touched every year our message accessible twenty-four hours a day, through our critical teaching ministry in the U.S. — plus in the seven days a week. 104 nations where Crown materials are being translated and used. 5. We will travel through the United States and globally, hosting events and trainings to spread By the grace of God, we are joining with God’s heart to see our outreach to areas of greatest need. His people free from financial bondage and embracing the life- Today, as we continue through our 40th year of ministry, we want to warmly invite you to be part of this life- changing mission. Please log on to our website, www.crown.org, to discover how God is working through friends like you, and your support of Crown, to change lives and expand God’s kingdom. And please prayerfully consider giving to our newly increased $500,000 Ultimate Freedom Matching Challenge. Your gift today will make twice the impact and help us reach more enslaved souls than ever in our ministry history with the principles of God’s Word! RECENTLY INCREASED! $500,000 ULTIMATE FREEDOM Matching Challenge “The truth will set you free” 2 John 8:32

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM CROWN CEO CHUCK BENTLEY40 Years ... Celebrate with Us!Without you, this celebration in need and teach them to manage their wouldn’t be what it is! resources to please God. Today, by God’s grace and with the Today, the impact of your generositystrong, generous support of friends will be powerfully multiplied throughlike you, Crown is by far the largest our recently increased $500,000 Ultimatestewardship organization in the world. Freedom Matching Challenge to raise up stewards and set people free from You’re helping us take the practical, spiritual and financial bondage.powerful principles of God’s Word to allwho need them — and God is honoring As you give generously, together, weyour giving by bringing dramatic change will see more marriages saved, morein people’s lives. families thriving, more bankruptcies avoided, more people liberated from Together, we are helping people begin poverty ... and more people drawn tothe journey of stewardship, teaching faithful stewardship.that God is the ultimate owner of allpossessions on earth. He has given us Thank you again for joining with usthe authority to be stewards of those in this effort. God bless you!resources and the responsibility tofaithfully manage them according to theprinciples of His Word. As we celebrate and move past our40th year of ministry, we are aiming ourtools and services to reach more peopleDouble the Power of Your Generosity:INCREASED $500,000 ULTIMATE FREEDOM Matching Challenge The challenge has been increased to help Help us meet our new challenge goal of $500,000us liberate more people from financial and so that it can be matched for a total of $1,000,000spiritual crisis! to help us minister even more effectively to people around the world. 3

In Their Own Words ““Nine years and three kids later — we’re completely debt-free!We’re writing to encourage you ... and to give testimony of stewardship counselors training materials developed by your how your ministry has changed our lives and outlook. organization and, in turn, trained a team of people in our church to counsel others. Jenny and I were married in 1983 — and saved by the grace andmercy of God a year later. We both had student loans, credit card Nine years and three kids later we are completely debt-debts, and auto loans to repay, and it was quite overwhelming. My free! We have an emergency fund equal to approximately sixwife was unemployed, and we thought our troubles would be over months of our income. We have begun and regularly add to threewhen she got a job. We were wrong. college funds, and we give a substantial amount to God’s work. And we did it all on just one income. All the glory is the Lord’s, and Jenny got a job, and it relieved financial pressure ... for a time. the thanks is yours!But we had no concept of stewardship, and, frankly, nodiscipline to overcome the bad habits we had developed. During the course of our odyssey, we became persuaded that stewardship is the cornerstone principle of the Christian walk. We We purchased a home (acquired a mortgage), bought a new must properly view “our” bodies, “our” time, “our” children, andcar (signed a note), and cosigned a car loan for a family member. all “our” possessions through glasses of stewardship. We prayAfter our first child was stillborn, my wife stopped working — and that God will continue to use you and others to transform thefinancial pressure began to build. minds of His people and conform them into the image of Christ. Just as you did for us. Our prayers are with you. But that was when she began to listen to you on the radio. Youimparted both the wisdom and hope we so desperately needed Thank you,but had received nowhere else. We were hooked! We developed John and Jennya spending plan and stuck to it. We completed the financialJohn and Jenny do not stand alone! Throughyour support of Crown, you’re reaching a worldin need with the transforming principles ofstewardship, found in God’s Word. 4 4

John and Jenny, Marlin and Jeannie. This is the power of your giving to Crown. And as you take part in our increased $500,000 Ultimate Freedom Matching Challenge, your gift will be multiplied in impact to continue blessing others!“Our involvement with Crown has placed “ our focus on finances in the correct placeWe are a busy family. We have 3 children and 10 As a family, stewardship is a continuation of our faith. Through grandchildren, and our family’s business just celebrated Crown, we have learned tools and gained strength as stewards of its 25th anniversary — a milestone we gratefully attribute all that God has given us — in all phases of life.to God’s grace and the stewardship teaching of Crown. Crown’s impact on the Kingdom is its primary ministry, the We have been personally connected to Crown for 40 years and teaching and mentoring of biblical stewardship in all phases ofhelped to develop the Business by the Book® Bible studies. I have life. There are a couple of ministries doing this, but Crown hasalso served on the Crown Board for many years. We greatly value been there for a long time. The brand and teaching level hasthe ministry of Crown. been enhanced. We’ve got great opportunities to enter into many other facets of stewardship, particularly at the international level. We discovered Crown long before we began personally serving Working with national church development and national churchalongside the ministry. Larry Burkett began broadcasting in the leaders, that’s a core focus for us.mid-70s, and we heard him preaching biblical stewardship on theradio. His teaching on debt-free living was a brand new concept to Our involvement with Crown has placed our focus on financesthe Christian community at the time. We had never really heard it. in the correct place. We share Crown’s passion for working on an international level to strengthen and develop the church — and Both Jeanie and I grew up in homes where stewardship was impact the Kingdom.practiced. Both sets of our parents were very committed totithing and giving, so we had that as a model, but the concept We’ve been blessed beyond measure. We’ve taught Crown’sof managing one’s finances to the point of not being controlled principles to our family by “walking the talk” — living out ourby them changed our lives. Without that key teaching, I’m not beliefs through communication, practice, and example.sure where we would have ended up. Money alone will never bring happiness. Money managed You give credit to those who mentor you. And Larry was our will accomplish much. But money invested into the Kingdommentor ... even though we didn’t know him and he didn’t know us brings purpose that has no earthly measure. Stewardshipat that time. sums it up and we can never outgive God. 5 — Marlin and Jeannie

40IN THE NEXT YEARS ... Setting People Free! “A private faith that does not act in the face ofMaybe you’ve been there. oppression is no faith at all.” —William Wilberforce, British abolitionistMaybe you — or someone you love — are even there right now … TRAPPED CHAINED BOUND ENSLAVED in a cycle of to a job that pays by loan upon loan, by your finances, to the “paycheck to the bills — but isn’t debt upon debt detriment of your marriage …paycheck” living. — with no end in family … career … business a good fit. sight. … relationship with God.People are hurting. And we are here to help them. As we move forward into our next 40 years of ministry, this is the heart of Crown. With everything we do, our focus is on helping people who are in pain to “Get Well. Do Well. Finish Well.” Our toolsand services — all geared toward those in need. Our calling, first and foremost, is to bring FREEDOM by extending the practical compassion of Christ — while wealso teach them God’s financial principles, disciple them into faithful stewards, and fulfill the Great Commission.So what does this look like in the next year? In the next 40?Crown’s God-given vision for the next 40 years is to1 Liberate the financially enslaved by providing Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be practical, compassionate help to get people out of burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” This is our calling crisis mode — and discipling good stewards to keep — and our message to a hurting world. Thank you for them out of crisis in the future. joining with us to share the gift of freedom.2 Strengthen the family by continuing to reach out 40 YEARS to families with proven-effective Crown programs — OF TRANSFORMING LIVES! as well as rolling out new teachings and resources.3 Build a robust online platform by making sure that all of Crown’s content is accessible online in a user-friendly format and our online community is 1975 2000 growing and thriving. Larry completes his first book, CFC and Crown Ministries Your Finances in Changing Times merge to form4 Increase Our Reach to Every Nation by 1988 Crown Financial Ministries mobilizing leaders of every nationality, tribe, and tongue to cover the entire world with practical, “Money Matters” radio program 2015 compassionate help. begins The MoneyLife radio feature is5 Spread Stewardship Throughout the Church. 1996 expanded to over 1,300 radio Central to all of these goals is making sure that the CFC’s website, now Crown.org, stations in the U.S. global Body of Christ understands how God views is launched money — and desires to live by the principles laid out in His Word. 6

Economy at a Glance by Chuck BentleyPresidential Election Year &Impact on the MarketsWith the election upon us, it’s helpful to consider the impact of the presidential election cycles upon the stock market. To do so,I have pulled data from three different sources: Merrill Lynch, Forbes, and Kiplinger. Remember, this article was written beforethe voters have gone to the polls so it is not intended to make a political statement but to provide investor insights.“This election, we’ve got a lot of uncertainties. And if there’s ............................................................................................................. “According to a MFS Investment Management research reportone thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.” entitled, ‘Primaries, caucuses and elections–oh my!,’ based on data from Ned Davis Research, from 1900 – 2008, the stock — Mary Ann Bartels, Head of Merrill Lynch Wealth market, as defined by the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Management Portfolio Strategy performed better when the incumbent party won each given election, regardless of the political party of the incumbent, though “Since 1928, the Standard & Poor’s 500 — a widely watched market performance has been better historically under Republicanbenchmark of U.S. large-cap companies — has dropped an average Presidents as opposed to Democrat Presidents according to thisof 2.8% in presidential election years that don’t include an incumbent research.” 2seeking reelection,” notes Stephen Suttmeier, technical researchanalyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research. “In fact, of 2 http://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2016/08/02/how-will-this-election-affect-the-stock-the eight years in a two-term presidential cycle, the final year of thesecond term — when the incumbent can’t run — is the only one that ..................market/#68f47bc3334e ........................................has averaged negative market returns,” Suttmeier says. “By contrast,in years when the sitting president is up for reelection, the S&P 500 has My Adviceaveraged returns of 12.6%,” he adds. (The average for all years from1928 through 2014 is 7.5%.) 1 So what can investors expect?1 https://www.ml.com/articles/how-presidential-elections-affect-the-markets.html Bear in mind that I am writing this BEFORE November 8th and have no clear indication who will be elected as our next President............................................................. However, the data clearly suggests that a Trump election will create more uncertainty and thus the likelihood of a greater short-term “Democrat or Republican? You may feel strongly about one party negative impact on the markets. Either way, overall average returnsor the other when it comes to your politics, but when it comes to your will likely remain consistent for long-term investors regardless ofportfolio, it doesn’t matter much which party wins the White House. which party is in the White House. The key is to be a “long-term”Conventional wisdom might suggest that Republicans, who are investor and not panic during a correction period.supposedly more business-friendly than the Democrats, would bemore beneficial for your stock holdings. In fact, looking back to 1900, Solomon advised us in Ecclesiastes 11:2 to always be diversifiedDemocrats have been slightly better for stocks, with the Dow up an because of the uncertainty of the future ... apart from the impactaverage of nearly 9% annually when the Democrats are in control, of a US Presidential election year. Solomon recommended “7 or 8compared with nearly 6% per year during Republican administrations. portions.” I take that to mean 12-15% in different assets.But normal variations in annual stock market returns dwarf thatdifference,” says Russ Koesterich, chief investment strategist at A simple, conservative policy followed by some good investors IBlackRock. He concludes that “a focus on which party wins the White respect is the 4 x 4 Strategy. They divide their investable dollars intoHouse is unwarranted — at least from an investing standpoint.” 3 equal fourths and invest in four different categories: cash, income producing real estate, stocks/bonds, and precious metals. This may3 http://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T043-C008-S003-how-presidential-elections-affect- be helpful for you to consider — especially if you are not aware of 7 the-stock-market.html or 8 different assets you know enough about to invest in. 7 The most important factor in your investment decision process is to be sure you understand what you are investing in. Education, patience and caution are more necessary in this environment than ever before.

Finding Opportunity in Uncertain Markets You won’t want to miss this timely Investing your resources wisely can sometimes feel impossible resource! Be sure— especially in today’s age of market instability and uncertain to request it todayeconomies. as you give for DOUBLE impact. But with insight from God’s Word and practical advice fromgodly experts, you can make the most of the resources God hasprovided and invest with confidence! On this practical CD teaching, Chuck Bentley does a fascinatingQ&A interview with Jerry Bowyer — an American economist andauthor with expertise in politics and investments.As you listen, you will ... Learn to make wise investments in any economy Understand the times more clearly — and how they impact financial markets Discover opportunities for wise stewardship in times of doubt And more!ANNOUNCING –Radio Expansion! Your life-changing impact through regular 60-second spot on biblicalCrown is about to get even BIGGER! money management on these stations starting in January. Crown is expanding its radio outreachonto Christian music stations across Want to hear Crown on your radio?the United States — reaching a broader Ask your local station to add Crownaudience of millions more listeners. to their rotation! Chuck Bentley will begin airing aULTIMATE FREEDOM Now a $500,000 Matching Challenge! Yes, Chuck— I want to see the impact of my Name Address generosity go twice as far to join with God’s heart to see His people free from financial bondage through Phone ( ) our ministry together. I enclose: Email $ ________________________ I have enclosed a generous gift. Please send me Finding Opportunity in Uncertain Markets [FOK16] Giving by credit or debit card? Please visit crown.org/dividends. Please make checks payable to: Crown Financial Ministries • PO Box 740209 • Atlanta, GA 30374-0209© 2016 Crown Financial Ministries. To publish or quote this information in your publication, contact Crown at [email protected] to request permission.