Grace Brethren pastors Joel Richards, Modesto, Calif., and Jason Carmean, Lexington, Ohio, were among the first to participate in the Aquila Project, a program that supplements the training of African seminary and Bible institute students through courses taught by experienced North American pastors and teachers. Carmean and Richards, who is also president of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers, participated in the 50th anniversary celebration of the first meeting of the African ministerium. Pictured with a monument marking the occasion are (left to right) Richards; Andre Mboi, president of the ministerium in CAR; Carmean; retired GBIM missionary Eddie Mensinger; and Pastor Jean-Pierre Nadjelau.

Do you seek peace with God and a personal relationship with Him?

In How to Start a Kingdom Conversation, published by BMH Books (www.bmhbooks.com), author Duke Heller shows the “Romans Road” instruction for gaining peace with God. It’s called that because all the essential verses are from one book in the Bible—the book of Romans, the sixth book in the
New Testament.

Romans 3:23 points out that all have sinned and fall short. All.

Romans 5:8 explains that God, in His great love for us, sent His son to die that we might have forgiveness for our sins.

Romans 6:23 warns that the wages of sin is (eternal) death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. It is ours for the asking.

Romans 10:9-10 instructs that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts in Jesus Christ, we shall be
saved.

If you have not already done so, read these verses as prayers to God, committing your life to Him. Then find a good Bibleteaching church (perhaps the church from which you obtained this paper) and get instruction from God’s Word on what to do next.

The Romans Road is old, but it still leads to life everlasting and peace with God!

By Ron Dorner

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him (Psalm 145:18-19).

Have you ever wished you weren’t where you are financially? For more than 20 years I have taught principles of finance to believers. I warned them that a time would come when people who do not prepare will suffer great financial difficulties. I believe we are in that time.

The state of the current economy makes it necessary to prepare to live for a long time with much fewer resources. It is time to get serious about personal finances. Being prepared would have been the best plan, but for many, it is too late.

What are you to do now? The first step is often skipped. We tend to think that we must gain control of the situation. Wrong! It is imperative that you as a believer come face-toface with your situation before God. He knows exactly what you have done about financial responsibility and the motivation for your financial decisions. If you are honest, you should ask God to show you your past actions as He sees them. If you have failed to prepare appropriately, it is vital that you confess any sin and seek forgiveness. A cleansed heart is always a prerequisite to God’s working in and through people.

Every situation can be a learning tool. If one is obedient to what God wants to do through us. He can teach us and He will get the glory from our learning. Many of the economic events are beyond our control, and we must acknowledge our fears and feelings of frustration. We must seek God’s guidance and declare our dependence upon Him while clinging to His promises, such as Psalm 145:18-19.

Proverbs 24:3-4 says that a man builds his house and fills it with precious and pleasant riches by wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. If we seek God’s face about our financial condition and future, He will direct us. God may lead us to take stock of our current situation and seek ways to survive in difficult economic times.

It is critical to determine where one is financially. We need to determine the amount and quality of our income and how much money we need to meet minimum living requirements. If blessed with physical assets, we must determine how to best use them.

During a recession, quality of income is as important as quantity. We should identify a risk factor on our income(s). The higher the risk, the more cautious we must be about our assets and expenses. For example, in a severe recession, a Social Security income of $1,000 a month might be more secure than an income of $4,000 a month in wages at an auto plant.

Next, we should establish a budget that reflects our current lifestyle. Once this is complete, create a survival budget. Evaluate each category of expense and delete unnecessary ones. Pare them to a minimum. During this process, it may be necessary to consider some difficult steps, such as planting a vegetable garden, selling an extra vehicle, eliminating entertainment, stop buying gifts, cutting 40 percent from the grocery category, buying used clothes for your children, renting a room in your home, and so forth. The objective is to develop a minimum budget that will reflect what it would
cost to live during an extended period of economic chaos. 

1. Mr. and Mrs. Average Joe both work. Mr. Joe is employed at a major retail store and brings home $2,000 a month. Mrs. Joe is a nurse at a local hospital and brings home $3,500 a month. Their current lifestyle budget is $5,300 a month which allows them to save $200 a month. Their minimum budget is $3,000 a month. They have stock worth $40,000 in Mr. Joe’s employer’s company.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Retired draw combined Social Security of $1,400 a month. Their current lifestyle budget is $1,400 a month. The minimum budget is $1,200 a month. They have $20,000 in certificates of deposit.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average and Mr. and Mrs. Retired now need to look at risk.

1. Mr. Joe’s job might not exist in a long recession as consumers cut back on spending. Mrs. Joe’s job should be secure. Even with only Mrs. Joe’s income they could live on their minimum budget with some surplus. The overall probability of surviving a long recession looks promising. However, the stocks they own may drop significantly in value.
2. Mr. and Mrs. Retired would live through a prolonged recession with little impact on their lifestyle. Their nest egg is safe.

God expects us to take a careful look at where we are and what we may need. There should be a balance between leaving it in God’s hands and working it out ourselves.

Earlier, I suggested that we must first come into God’s presence humbly, repenting, if necessary. If we do this first, God will direct in our applying these suggested steps.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him (Psalm 145:18-19).

---

Ron Dorner is director of Biblical Money Management. BMM has been helping believers handle their finances and estate planning since 1984. Online counseling is available at www.BiblicalMoneyManagement.com.

Events of general interest among Grace Brethren Churches. Details and registration information are available from the sponsoring organizations
or at www.fgbc.org.

January 5-17 – J-Term (GC&S)
January 19 – Spring Semester Begins (GC&S); Campus Visit Day (GC&S)
January 12-15 – National Youth Ministries Conference, Winona Lake, Ind. (CE)
January 26-28 – Southwest Focus Retreat, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (FGBC)
January 30-February 1 – Women’s Leadership Summit, Seal Beach, Calif. (WGUSA)
February 23-25 – South Focus Retreat, Haines City, Fla. (FGBC)
March 13 – Day Away, Wooster, Ohio (CE)
March 13-22 – Spring Break (GC&S)
April 2 – Campus Visit Day (GC&S
April 23 – Day Away, Rhodes Grove, Pa. (Mid-Atlantic District & CE)
May 9 – Commencement (GC&S)
May 18-20 – Northwest Focus Retreat, White Pass, Wash. (FGBC)
June 19-July 18 – MasterWorks Festival (GC&S)
June 25-28 – Driven Young Adult Conference, Westerville, Ohio
July 13-19 – Momentum Youth Conference, Pittsburgh, Pa. (CE)
July 26-31 – Equip09, Columbus, Ohio, (FGBC)

CE = CE National
FGBC = Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
GC&S = Grace College and Seminary
WGUSA = Women of Grace USA

Have you ever put a deposit on something valuable? You pay a little now in order to enjoy the full value later.

The best deposit we can make is of ourselves in the lives of future leaders. Deposit your passion, your wisdom, and your support in a younger person and watch the high-yield dividends flow for generations.

Equip09, the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is designed to be that sort of deposit. Bring your staff and leadership team and invest in each other’s lives. This one-week event includes one, two, three, and five-day courses on everything from trends in church and culture and how to teach effectively across cultures to Bible book studies and classes on preaching and prophecy.

Equip09 begins Sunday evening July 26 at the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio, with an opening celebration. Classes are offered from 9 a.m. to Noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tuition includes breakfast and lunch each day of classes.

Child care is offered for infants through kindergarten and a special Kids Conference is offered for children in grades 1-8. Seniors are invited to a special two-day conference including a class on The Life and Journeys of Paul led by Dr. Randy Smith and special afternoon seminars, as well as all plenary sessions of Equip09.

Special two-hour seminars are offered Monday – Wednesday for those who can attend only one day or less.

Equip09 is the third bi-annual equipping conference sponsored by the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. For more information go to www.equip09.com.

(Tom Avey has been the coordinator for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches for nearly 10 years.)