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 home > Get Involved: Protect your assets
Don't make the mistake of
poor financial planning
It would be sad for an individual who has spent a life serving God, has given generously, and has attempted to be a good steward to face God and find that his final act of stewardship had not been completed.
Estate planning is part of a total life of stewardship. As a good steward, do it now.
The confidential estate design is available to you as a service of Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries. We know you want to be a good steward of the asset that God ha entrusted to you. It is our ministry to you.
What is stewardship?
Stewardship does not include ownership. As stewards, we are only caretakers of 100 percent of what God has entrusted to us.
Our lifestyle is make up of the way we budget three areas of our lives: our time, our talents and our treasures. We spend part of our time in business, part with family and part for ourselves in enjoyment of life and working to become better persons. We give away part of our time.
Regarding estate planning, lifestyle giving says that a Christian estate plan is not one that gives 10 percent to a charitable organization and the remainder to whomever we wish. Tithing is a concept of income, not a concept of capital stewardship.
The Christian estate plan is one that recognizes God as owner of all property, and distributes that property at the time of death to those who will continue to use it to promote the Christian lifestyle. If family and friends have rejected this lifestyle, can we leave God's property in the hands of those who have rejected Him? As stewards, we must leave His property to be used to further the Christian lifestyle.
People are more important that dollars.
The estate planning process involves the transfer of property. In our attempts to avoid probate and save taxes, we often lose sight of people.
You have accumulated your estate by your labors and God's blessings. Whether your estate has a positive or negative impact on the people and organizations with whom you are involved is very important.
A parable in the Bible tells about a young man who asked his father for his inheritance. The son did not recognize his stewardship responsibility, and the impact of money upon his life resulted in the waste of his inheritance in riotous living. He found himself in a bad condition.
Genuinely sorry, he returned to his father who greeted him with open arms. He placed a ring on the son's finger and killed the fatted calf for the celebration of his son's return. Family relationships, however, were strained. His brother did not welcome him, though the father assured the brother than his inheritance was still intact.
This parable provides an insight into the family problems of estate planning. It illustrates the problem of distributing too much money to children before they have learned to be responsible in managing property. It also illustrates the problems in interpersonal relationships that may arise.
Let Alabama Baptist Children's Homes help
you wisely plan yours and your family's future.
The professionals at Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries is happy to provide any personal assistance you need to protect your assets, plan for your family's future, and at the same time prevent problems in interpersonal relationships after your death.
Take the first step in wise estate planning today. Contact Bob Dewhurst, professional estate design representative, by phone toll free 1.888.720.8805. Email your questions and/or request for help to Bob Dewhurst, or write to him at:
Alabama Baptist Children's Homes
ATTN Bob Dewhurst
P.O. Box 361767
Birmingham, AL 35236-1767
All estate design services of Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries are free of charge to you and are strictly confidential.
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