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Family

What Are You For?

2 days ago By The Signatry

Our world is full of division and hurt. Injustice surrounds us. This is nothing new, it is the fruit of the fall—the curse of sin—manifested around us every day. So what should be our response to these things? As the church and as individuals, we must examine when to fight injustice and where to grow deeper into God’s justice. This is part of whole-life generosity. A sacrificially generous lifestyle will stand up for those in need, for what is right. We must live out what we are for. It is not enough just to say we care about a cause…

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Ministry

Potential in the Middle

1 week ago By Kristin Hammett

Whether it is middle school, middle age, or the middle of the year, the middle of anything indicates something critical: potential. The middle suggests something is not finished. It is continuing along the path. Unfortunately, in donor development, the “middle” donors are often forgotten. While mid-level donors may not represent a big segment of a ministry’s database, although sometimes they do, they do present an opportunity for relationship, engagement, and growth. Who are they? The definition of a mid-level donor may vary, but it is safe to say that these donors do not make the major donor list but give…

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Family

Fathers for Generations

2 weeks ago By Len Urbas

As Fathers Day appears on June’s calendar, it can stir many emotions and feelings inside of us. Some have the benefit of a deep and continuing relationship with their fathers, while others may have never met their father. But fatherhood is not limited to biology or earthly definitions – it is about so much more. It is about what God intended for family, lessons learned, experiences shared, spiritual relationship and legacy passed down. We spoke with Len Urbas Jr., our Rocky Mountain regional president, about his experience with his father and as a father himself. Len described his relationship with…

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Advisor

Innovate with Real Estate Gifts

3 weeks ago By Evan Lange

Real estate is one of the best charitable gifts an individual can make, and you can use these two main strategies to educate your clients on the opportunity. For a concise summary to share with clients, see our real estate fact sheet here with the details of these strategies, but below are the basics of how to make real estate gifts a reality for your clients. Strategy #1 – Gift Before a Sale Gifting all or a portion of a piece of property before the sale occurs. Key Points: The gift, meaning actual transfer of ownership, needs to occur before…

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Story

An Eternal Investment: Celebrating 20 Years

4 weeks ago By Bill High

Twenty years. It has a long time. I started June 1, 2000. I resigned from the law firm to start what was at that time called the Christian Community Foundation in Kansas City. We started with a big dream: we wanted to be part of encouraging radical generosity in order to advance the gospel around the globe to those who had never heard. When I started, there was little fanfare. No press releases or big announcements. My first big act was to create articles and bylaws, and to file for tax-exempt status. I worked from a home office. It took…

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News

Where is 2020 Giving Going?

1 month ago By The Signatry

The Too Early Predictions for 2020 Charitable Giving: What We Know Now and Where it May Go Buildings closed. Events canceled. Shelter in place is part our language now. With the lockdown, the economy has been severely impacted—but what about philanthropy? What should nonprofits expect for this year? At The Signatry, both donors and ministries keep asking us, “Where is giving headed for 2020? Will we recover? What are we seeing?” While it is too soon to give a final answer on 2020 giving, we have been hard at work. Webinars. Zoom calls. Calls with nonprofit leaders, churches, consultants and…

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Ministry

Pocket Tools and Purpose

1 month ago By Kristin Hammett

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and his wife Darlene were looking for a way to give more freely to those in need. 1 Timothy 6:18, “ready to give, willing to share” was the catalyst for them as they developed the “God pocket” concept. They committed an amount of money, put it in their pocket, and waited for a “nudge” from God to give to someone in need. This commitment in advance gave them the freedom to act. “When God signals, we can respond…” he says. In his book, The God Pocket, Dr. Wilkinson explains the concept is simple: [God] owns it. You carry it.”  That is really what…

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Ministry

COVID-19: Next Steps for Christian Higher Education

2 months ago By The Signatry

This article was written by David Dockery, President of the IACE, and published on The Signatry’s site with permission. David S. Dockery serves as President of the International Alliance for Christian Education as well as Theologian-in-Residence at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served as president at Union University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. ————- From this point forward, institutional histories will be written in terms of pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19. We now clearly find ourselves in one of those defining historical moments, representing a genuine paradigmatic shift in the world of Christian higher education as we have known it. The…

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Family

Stories of Motherhood

2 months ago By The Signatry

The stories of motherhood leave a legacy imprinted on our hearts. Sometimes, they are stories of quiet, gentle, sacrifice recognized years later. Sometimes, they are those humorous stories of family lore. Sometimes, they are stories of great sorrow and loss, wounds that God is healing. So today, we celebrate and honor them all. The women of The Signatry are celebrating the moms who inspire them so that as women we are speaking life to one another. Join and share your own stories that inspire you from motherhood. The Sacrifice of a Single Mom On this Mother’s Day, as we look to those women in our lives that have inspired us, for me, it is my mother. Growing up in a single-family home, her sacrifice to support my sister and I was evident in that she was willing to work 3rd shift at General Motors to make sure we were taken care of. It meant my sister taking care of me the best that she could after school each day. It included cooking dinner for the both of us and attempting to help me with homework. As an adult, I have seen those years of support move to that of a mother who truly is a prayer warrior. Instead of nights spent up with me as a child, they are now in fervent prayer for our family. She truly inspires me to be a mother of prayer and strength. -Rhiannon K.

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