BBT’s free financial and stewardship workshops can help your congregation.

Photo by Brian Solem

How can you offer your congregation or district assistance with financial matters? By asking the Church of the Brethren’s finance and benefits agency, Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), to lead a free workshop.

Sessions about financial management, retirement planning, stewardship, long-term care, and more are available to Brethren congregations, districts, and Brethren-affiliated employer groups.

Not only do BBT’s workshops offer sound guidance on difficult topics, but they do so with a uniquely Brethren approach.

“Bringing financial guidance within the congregation is a good way for people to get the information that they may be looking for,” said Lynnae Rodeffer, a workshop leader for BBT. “It’s also helpful to keep it in a biblical context.”

BBT provides 12 different workshops that can be tailored to the needs of churches, district gatherings, retirement community employees, and other Church of the Brethren-affiliated communities. These sessions are free and subject to BBT staff availability.

BBT has added several workshops to its list for 2013, including:

• “Living and Leaving Your Legacy” -- Come and explore the different ways that you can give a gift to your local congregation, district, or other Church of the Brethren-related organization--either now or in the future. We will talk about charitable gift funds and deferred gifts, along with other gifting options.

• “It’s More Than Counting the Cash and Paying the Bills” -- It’s not just about counting the offering and writing checks--there is so much more involved in being a church treasurer. We will offer helpful guidance and tips to church treasurers about how best to fulfill those duties for their churches. Watch a preview of this session at www.youtube.com/brethrenbenefittrust .

• “Your Church as a Small Business” -- Managing the business side of a church can be challenging, but this presentation for congregations will help empower church leaders to feel confident in their financial and human resources decisions. Learn about best practices in financial management; health care reform and the church; the latest pastoral housing issues; and taxation, compensation, and retirement issues. This presentation is designed for pastors, church treasurers, financial secretaries, stewardship and finance committee members, and others involved with managing the business side of a church.

Visit www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/workshops to read the complete list. To learn more about hosting a workshop at your church, district event, or organization, contact Loyce Swartz Borgmann at 800-746-1505 ext. 364 or lborgmann@cobbt.org.

-- Brian Solem is coordinator of publications for Brethren Benefit Trust.

Source: 1/24/2013 Newsline