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Scholarship Deadline Approaches
The Mississippi United Methodist Foundation Scholarship Deadline Is Approaching! The Mississippi United Methodist Foundation deadline for 2017 – 2018 academic year scholarship applications is June 5, 2017. The Foundation awards scholarships for undergraduate,...
Income Gaps
Income Gaps A recent article on MSN from Business Insider reported the average income gap between the top 1% in a state and the bottom 99%. The largest gap between the highest average income and the lowest average income is in Connecticut. The average gap is...
That Tiny Pocket on Your Jeans
The Tiny Pocket on Levi Jeans Have you ever wondered why there is a tiny pocket on your jeans? Reader’s Digest wrote on the subject recently. Apparently the small pocket was included on the very first pair of Levi jeans in 1879. The pocket was to hold a worker’s...
Annuals Vs. Perennials
Annuals vs. Perennials Spring is officially upon us, so the urge to plant is alive and well. It is exciting to visit a local garden center and see all the possibilities. The colors are so enticing. I almost want them all, but then I have to remember the annual...
Renting a Dog?
Renting a Dog? A recent article by Patricia Clark tells the story of Dawn, who wanted to buy her 7 year old son a new puppy after the death of their dog. She went into a pet store and ended up purchasing a $2,400 golden retriever. Later the family was reviewing their...
Christians Need Help Getting Final Wishes in Order
Christians Need Help Getting Final Wishes in Order The “State of the Plate” report for 2016 suggests that 46% of people who attend our churches have no will or estate plans. Most churches fail to realize that the largest donations they will ever receive are...
Lent and Money
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God. Psalm 51 1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. The Message Today marks the beginning...
Church Giving 2016
Church Giving 2016 Tithe.ly recently published its “2016 State of the Plate” report. 59% of churches surveyed reported decreasing or flat-line giving. They did discover that giving is moving more and more in the area of electronic giving. Churches still pass the...
Lost in a Crowd
Lost in a Crowd He went looking for community with those similar in age and lifestyle. He chose to sit near the front of the service, even arriving a little early. The hope was that someone would notice and speak. The space filled for worship. The worship was good,...
Electronic Giving
Electronic Giving Research done about 18 months ago with 1,002 U. S. Christian churchgoers found that most churchgoers are looking for electronic ways to give. The survey discovered that only about 25% of churches offered some type of electronic giving, but 60% of...
Christian Economics
“Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need. If you search...
Faithful Sensible Steward
“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.”— Matthew 24:45 NLT John D. Rockefeller has become one of history’s most successful businessmen. He was known for his...
Making a Difference
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” —James 4:14 NLT I have spent the last few weeks preparing for our scholarship meeting that will meet at the end of April. I have read...