I hadn’t considered the relationship between the words Advent and adventure before, but their Latin roots aren’t far apart and for good reason, right? The days leading up to the birth of Christ were an incredible adventure!
Margin Where It Matters: Preparing the Church for a Potential Financial Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly have a long-term impact on the financial life of congregations, regardless of their denomination, size or makeup. In my conversations with pastors and leaders across the movement, it seems there’s a common denominator among those who aren’t experiencing the hardest and most immediate blows: margin. The congregations that went into the pandemic with some margin—financial, emotional, time, leadership, etc.—have been better equipped to weather the current conditions than those operating under tighter constraints.
The Rule of 72
Many of us are very familiar with the story: Jesus blesses the 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, and they’re multiplied to feed thousands (John 6:1-14) It’s such an amazing story. That kind of multiplication is hard to get your arms around or envision. It’s encouraging as believers to know we’re in fellowship with the One who has that kind of power to amplify what’s good. And we’re invited to participate with Him!
How Accurate Are Market Forecasts? Survey Says...
At Servant Solutions, our Church 403b Retirement Plan has provided quality investment choices for a number of years. Our firm belief? That carefully diversified investments and consistent saving habits are key ingredients to building adequate assets for retirement. This is especially true as we ride the rollercoaster of large percentage swings in the market. Amidst the chaos, many prognosticators are making predictions and forecasts. But how do we view them through an accurate, healthy lens?
What's an Investor to do?
Over the past two decades, the markets have experienced roughly seven different viral outbreaks, and the market has been able to recover from all of them. We do not pretend to know what will happen with this current outbreak, nor are we able to answer your questions as to where the ‘bottom’ is, when the market may recover, and what you should do with your investments. However, we can look to history for some answers.
Reacting to Market Volatility: How the Smart Investor Responds
Today a majority of economists surveyed believe the quarters ahead may be a little more challenging and may include more volatility, that is, more ups and downs. Most economists also believe that we are overdue for a recessionary period. No one can predict for sure. But looking at past cycles, it is normal for markets to take a breather and digest economic activity in bull markets when investments have gone up significantly.