Far More

The Baptist Foundation of Alabama

Far More is a conversation about faithful stewardship for the Church — pastors, lay leaders, and believers who want their ministry’s resources and their own to go further for the Kingdom in Biblical and Spirit-led ways. In each episode, we'll talk with pastors, financial leaders, SBC ministry leaders, and the team at The Baptist Foundation of Alabama about the practical side of ministry finance and its Kingdom impact. Generally, our conversations will be framed through our service offerings, such as legacy giving, investments, ministry accounting, generous giving, vision campaigns, church loans, scholarships, and the everyday stewardship decisions that shape the future.   "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20)

Episodes

  1. Sep 3 ·  Video

    Biblically Responsible Investing — with Jason Herbert

    Most churches have money sitting in reserve somewhere. Fewer have ever asked if where that money is invested lines up with what they believe. Jason Herbert serves on the ministry engagement team at The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. He's also an attorney who spent a decade in litigation before the Lord redirected him into ministry work. In this episode, he walks through what biblically responsible investing is, what it screens out, what it looks for, and the questions a church ought to answer before it invests anything at all. Along the way: whether a church should be investing reserves in the first place, whether any of this amounts to gambling, and what Matthew 25 has to say about money that sits buried in the ground. In this episode: — What biblically responsible investing actually means — The categories screened out, and why — The three questions to answer before investing a dollar: purpose, time   horizon, risk — Why reserves are a long-term posture, not a shortcut to fund a building   project — What changes in a congregation when its leaders steward openly CHAPTERS 00:00  Intro 00:18  Welcome to Far More 01:04  Disclaimer 01:32  Meet Jason Herbert 02:37  Leaving the courtroom for ministry 06:10  What biblically responsible investing actually is 07:45  What gets screened out 08:32  What gets invested in 09:53  Two companies behind the positive screens 13:28  Does investing this way cost you return? 15:13  Is this new, or does it have a track record? 16:34  Should a church invest reserves at all? 17:27  Matthew 25 and the servant who buried it 19:55  There is no one investment model for every church 21:25  Why reserves aren't a shortcut to fund a building 23:20  "Isn't this just gambling?" 24:06  Three questions before you invest a dollar 26:30  A church that paid its loan off early 29:43  What changes in a congregation 31:48  Gasoline on the fire 32:43  Closing The Baptist Foundation of Alabama has served Alabama Baptist churches, ministries, and individuals since 1940. More resources for more ministry. Learn more: tbfa.org Subscribe to Ministry Ledger, our newsletter, or other platforms at: tbfa.org/subscribe DISCLAIMER: The information discussed on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, legal, or tax advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Listeners should consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions. Far More is produced by The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. More resources for more ministry.

  2. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Church Financial Health — with John Ashworth

    This is a session on church finances that seminary probably didn't provide. John Ashworth, President of The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, joins host Mitchell Bruce for the first episode of Far More. John has spent years sitting with Alabama churches of every size, and he walks through what financial health actually looks like for a church, the blind spots he sees most often, and the one change he would ask every church to make this year. In this episode: - Where to start if your church has never reviewed its financial health - The estate-planning gap in most congregations, and what it costs the church - How a legacy ministry works, and why the church has to own it - Reserves: what to consider — what that money should be doing - Financial controls most churches assume they have and don't - Ministerial payroll, bookkeeping, and the retiring volunteer problem - The stewardship principle underneath and the model it provides Chapters: 00:20 Welcome to Far More 01:51 Meet John Ashworth 04:52 TBFA Professionals 05:48 Disclaimer 07:18 Where to start a financial review 09:19 The biggest blind spot: estate planning/legacy ministry 12:00 What a legacy ministry looks like in practice 13:22 Why the church has to own it 14:11 Profile of a church positioned for what's next 16:00 The reserves tension: hold back or put it to work 18:25 Church money vs. personal money 19:29 The Consistent Mistake: Fraud controls and bookkeeping 21:25 Ministry Accounting: what it actually does 23:50 One thing to change this year 26:00 The stewardship principle underneath all of it 28:29 Closing Have a question about your church's situation? Use the 'Connect with Us' button at tbfa.org The Baptist Foundation of Alabama is a Cooperative Program ministry of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, serving Alabama Baptist churches, ministries, and individuals since 1940. The information discussed on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, legal, or tax advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Listeners should consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions. Far More is produced by The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. More resources for more ministry.

About

Far More is a conversation about faithful stewardship for the Church — pastors, lay leaders, and believers who want their ministry’s resources and their own to go further for the Kingdom in Biblical and Spirit-led ways. In each episode, we'll talk with pastors, financial leaders, SBC ministry leaders, and the team at The Baptist Foundation of Alabama about the practical side of ministry finance and its Kingdom impact. Generally, our conversations will be framed through our service offerings, such as legacy giving, investments, ministry accounting, generous giving, vision campaigns, church loans, scholarships, and the everyday stewardship decisions that shape the future.   "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20)