Core Training Vision Session 1 Session Summary: Ron Blue draws from his 40 years of experience in the financial services industry to share some observations on foundational Biblical wisdom related to financial decisions. In addition, Ron shares his vision for an industry of Christian financial professionals serving the body of Christ, and explains the repositioning of Kingdom Advisors as a professional education, training and development organization. Ron Blue s Personal Mission Statement Helping Christians plan and manage their finances in order to free up financial resources for Kingdom purposes. Ron Blue s Personal Convictions Based on 40 Years in the Financial Services Industry: 1. Good financial advice always has its roots in. Financial advice is in reality spiritual advice because money is how you work out your belief system (values, goals, priorities). 2. Every financial decision made will have at its roots a spiritual value or. The person making the financial decision may not understand they are working out a spiritual conviction. 3. Life is all about. Decisions determine destiny. 4. God should receive all the praise and glory because He has given the advisor wisdom and the client/donor/family everything that they need to make good financial decisions. Observable Symptoms of Stewardship 1. Giving will be in proportion to income 2. Controlled 3. Taxes paid with integrity and thanksgiving 4. Husbands and wives set financial goals together 5. Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 1
Ron Blue s Vision 1. The Body of Christ Convinced a. Of the transcendence of Biblical for every financial question and need b. That the of their financial advisor is of critical importance 2. An army of trained competent, capable, Christian financial professionals 3. Bringing the need (the body) and the solution (advisors) together resulting in a. Trillions of dollars flowing into Kingdom work b. Every steward in the body being able to get whatever financial advice that they need from a competent Christian financial advisor c. A movement of Biblical Ron Blue s Passion CHRISTIAN, COMPETENT, AND CAPABLE IS NOT AN. The time is right for an industry of Christian financial professionals that offer financial advice from a Biblical perspective, which would result in a movement of Biblical stewardship. God s Strategy: 1. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NIV) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:4-8 NIV) Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 2
2. Cities To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NIV) As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1 NIV) Our Interdependency Clients/Donors Churches/Ministries Trusted Advisors God s Big Idea: God wants me to be. 1. Satisfied to the point of where I am not disturbed or disquieted. (Philippians 4:11 AMP) 2. Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money. (Hebrews 13:5 AMP) 3. A sense of inward sufficiency. (I Timothy 6:6 AMP) Contentment is looking back without regret, looking at the present without and looking at the future without fear. Dr. David Jeremiah Our call as Christian advisors is to develop a 1. Kingdom a. Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God 2. Kingdom Prayer a. Matthew 6:9-13 Thy kingdom come 3. Kingdom Mentality a. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink 4. Kingdom a. John 4:34-38 Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 3
Repositioning for the Future Our Brand Kingdom Advisors are positioned to assist clients in becoming more Kingdom-minded rather than just offering financial advice. Our Identity Vision and Mission: To engage, equip, and empower Christian financial advisors to to their clients, apply professional principles in their practices, and live out their faith in their marketplace for. 1. Engage And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV) Financial Services Industry (as of 2003): CFPs 46,000 CPAs 335,000 CFAs 46,000 CLUs 95,000 ChFCs 42,000 Series 6 & 7 600,000 Estate Attorneys 50,000 Evangelical Ministries 75,000 If the financial services industry has well over 1 million advisors, and if 10% of this group are evangelicals, then our market is more than 100,000. Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 4
Reviewing Our Progress 2003 16 members 2007 1200 members 250 certified 478 attended training 30 branches 65 branches in development Our Results a. Improved advisor/client relationships b. Clients realizing life change c. Increased giving and ministry opportunities d. Exponential Kingdom impact 2. Equip And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, (some financial advisors) and some pastors and teachers (financial advisors) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV text in parentheses added) Our Position We are positioned in the industry as a professional education, training, and development organization with the mandate to: 1. Transform how Christian financial advisors, and spiritual financial principles with their clients; 2. Encourage advisors to activate and fulfill their spiritual in the marketplace. Our Services We will provide a select portfolio of professional services, experiences and related opportunities: Content Create & Distribute Training & Equip Community Connect & Encourage Conferences Engage & Motivate Church Support & Enable Mentor & Coach Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 5
3. Dictionary make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. Bible But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NKJV) Our Proposition The needs of the advisor are both professional and personal, and are three dimensional: 1. for integrating spiritual wisdom in their advice 2. for improved practice development and management 3. realized in their spiritual calling for market influence Our Responsibility Our primary responsibility is to Biblical wisdom to financial advisors, trusting they will respond by integrating spiritual principles in their counsel so their clients may expanded opportunities for Kingdom impact. 1. Reveal a. Advisor Provides Financial Advice b. Provides Motivation and Direction c. Counselor Removes Barriers The key difference between a Christian financial advisor and the secular financial advisor is the and provided by the Christian. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3:16-17 NASB) The secular financial services world is built upon envy and selfseeking, which results in confusion. God s Word is built upon Biblical wisdom that results in true wisdom. Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 6
2. Respond A Biblical Approach to Financial Decision Making 1. Begins with a Biblical Worldview a. Offers an eternal perspective b. Answers the question, Why? 2. Is in Nature a. Takes into account all alternative uses b. Attempts to choose the Best c. Answers the question What 3. Fully in its Application a. Considers the impact on all other aspects of a financial life b. Answers the question How Networking Opportunities Kingdom Advisors will provide networking opportunities for you Implications of a Network 1. God has called and gifted each of us 2. Do not check your agenda at the door 3. Unity in diversity vs. unity in 4. vs. scarcity mindset 5. Synergistic impact vs. linear impact 6. Totally funding the great commission while the window of opportunity remains open 3. Realize Window of Opportunity (Escalating Evangelism) Those Coming to Christ Per Day: 1900 943 1995 100,000 1997 196,000 2003 240,000 Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 7
Household Wealth in America: 1980 $8 Trillion 1992 $13 Trillion 2002 $40 Trillion 2005 (Est.) $ Trillion 2015 (Est.) $100 Trillion Wealth in America: 2.5% of world s population and 40% of world s wealth 80% of world s wealth $30 Trillion of new wealth since 1980 $50 Trillion of new wealth in next 10 years $41-$136 Trillion to pass to next generation Christian Income in U.S is $ No real barriers to fulfillment of Great Commission With that in mind, consider these disturbing statistics: 40% of US wealth is held by only 1% Only 2.5% reach age 65 financially independent Only 2% of wills include Only 50% of Americans even have a will Giving trends in North America o As income increases, giving decreases o % of Evangelicals tithe to the local church o 9% of Born-Again Christians tithe (Barna Research Group) We have a grasshopper mentality in the American Church today. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. (Numbers 13:33 NIV) You should have the following expectations coming out of this training: 1. A new 2. Confidence 3. Renewed 4. Methodology for Networking 5. Challenged by God s Word Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 8
Encouragement Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NKJV) Ron Blue s Personal Convictions: 1. A fully will be characterized by: a. Professional advice wholly consistent with Scriptural wisdom and principles. b. Practice management epitomizing God s character. c. No inconsistencies in my personal and professional life. 2. God s strategy for reaching the world is nothing more or less than obedient disciples of Christ. 3. Good financial advice always has its roots in Financial advice is in reality spiritual advice because money is how you work out your belief system (values, goals, priorities). 4. Every financial decision made will have at its roots a spiritual value or conviction. The person making the financial decision may not understand they are working out a spiritual conviction. 5. Life is all about. Decisions determine destiny. 6. God should receive all the praise and glory because He has given the advisor wisdom and the client/donor/family everything that they need to make good financial decisions. Please take the time to complete your first pass at your own personal convictions related to this session on the Personal Convictions Worksheet. Session 1 Kingdom Advisors Core Training 9
Personal Conviction Worksheet Module: Vision Date: Ron's/Kingdom Advisor's Personal Convictions My Personal Convictions (First Pass) My Personal Convictions (Refined) 1. Good financial advice always has its roots in biblical wisdom. 2. Every financial decision made will have at its root a spiritual value or conviction. 3. Life is all about decisions. 4. God should receive all the praise and glory because he has given the advisor wisdom and the client/donor/family everything they need to make good financial decisions. 5. 6. God's strategy for reaching the world is nothing more or less than obedient disciples of Christ. A fully integrated life will be characterized by : a. Professional advice wholly consistent with Scriptural wisdom and principles. b. Practice management epitomizing God's character. C. No inconsistencies in my personal and professional life. 7. 8.
Conviction to Action Worksheet Module: Vision Date: Actions To Take In My Personal Life: Obstacles: What To Do To Overcome: When To Do It: A. B. C. D. Actions To Take In My Practice: Obstacles: What To Do To Overcome: When To Do It: A. B. C.