Why Churches Should Leverage Teaching on Investing to NexGen as a Discipleship Opportunity
Guest Author: Matt Bell, Sound Mind Investing
Like so many areas of life, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the investing world upside down. But not in the ways you might imagine.
Usually, when the stock market tanks, investors run for cover, often selling at the worst possible time (when their investments have lost value). Then they typically wait on the sidelines too long, too fearful to get back in even as the market recovers.
Not so with the COVID crowd. In the first quarter of 2020, as the dread disease started moving through the U.S. in earnest, initially there was a lot of fear-based selling. From mid-February of that year through mid-March, the U.S. stock market fell 34%. It had never fallen so far so fast.
But then something very unpredictable happened. The market rallied, finishing 2020 with a remarkable 21% gain. The next year, with COVID keeping kids home from school and people working from home, the market boomed, growing nearly 27%. A strange confluence of events propelled stocks higher.
Hello, Kitty 👋
Several social media influencers, including one who goes by the screen name “Roaring Kitty,” gained widespread publicity for live-streaming their day-trading. As the media frenzy grew, millions of people were drawn to the stock market for the first time, many certainly motivated by the lure of seemingly easy money.
And therein lies an opportunity for today’s churches.
There are, no doubt, many people attending our churches who are new to investing. Others who have been investing for some time are likely to have renewed interest in the topic, and perhaps some new questions.
If ever there was a need for good counsel in what is arguably the most complicated aspect of personal finance, that time is now. And if ever there was an institution especially well-positioned to provide that counsel, that institution is the church. The Bible has some very important guidance to offer that pertains to investing.
Remove the roadblocks
One reason churches may be hesitant to teach on this topic is a concern about how far they can go in giving investment advice. While churches definitely should not recommend specific investments, there is much to learn—and therefore, much the church could teach—before someone gets to the decision of what investments to make.
In fact, that’s one of the more important points to make in teaching about investing: Don’t focus too early on choosing what investments to make; instead, choose a trustworthy investing process and let it tell you what investments to make.
Broadly speaking, a biblical approach to investing is distinct in two ways: motives and methods.
Motives matter
God-honoring investing is all about glorifying God by providing for your family’s long-term needs and living generously. While retirement as our culture defines it has no basis in Scripture, the fact is that most of us will one day step out of the paid workforce. Oftentimes, that’s due to health issues or a change at work. It’s simply wise stewardship to build a nest egg that will help cover our family’s later life needs. As the Bible says, “Whoever does not provide for their relatives, and especially their immediate family, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
As far as generosity goes, giving after your salary days are over can be fueled from your investment account. Steadily contributing to an IRA or 401(k) plan account throughout one’s career can lead to a significant account balance at retirement, which, in addition to helping you provide for your family, can provide ample opportunities for generosity: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
Methods matter
Chief among the various biblical principles that apply to building an investment portfolio are diversification and taking the long view. Ecclesiastes 11:2 counsels, “But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead” (NLT). In a culture filled with headlines about this hot stock and that, diversification feels increasingly counter-cultural. And yet, it has stood the test of time as the wisest approach to investing.
The same can be said about Proverbs 21:5 (TLB): “Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.” On any given day, the stock market has about a 50% chance of increasing in value. However, the longer the time horizon, the more the odds move in an investor’s favor. In fact, over every 20-year period since 1926, the stock market has generated a gain.
Even faithful Christians can be tempted by headlines promising quick riches. Now more than ever, God’s people need to hear from their churches about how to invest in God-honoring ways.
Matt Bell is managing editor at Sound Mind Investing, a Christian company that helps Christians invest well. The company was founded over 30 years ago by Austin Pryor, prompted by his friend, Larry Burkett, who said Christians need a source of trustworthy, biblical counsel for their investing. The company’s four-session video based resource, Multiply: A Biblical Guide to Investing, is designed for use in a small group or workshop setting. The videos are available for free through RightNow Media or for purchase at this link.
For Further Reading
Diagnosing the Health of Church Giving
How Do I Grow Generosity at My Church?
3 Church Leadership Conversations on Giving
Stewarding Your Calling and Purpose
Capital Campaigns and Biblical Stewardship
How to Use “Thank You” as a Powerful Opportunity to Connect with Givers
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