Creative Giving: Understanding Planned Giving and Endowments in Church

Intimidated by numbers? Most church leaders are. If you're not the sort who would find it fun to plot your budget in Roman numerals, this book is for you! Creative Giving is the perfect resource to teach ""words-rather-than-numbers"" staff about distinctive strategies for church financial planning, such as bequests and other planned giving. This book lays out a systematic means for non-experts to think about stewardship and long-term fiscal planning within the ministry and mission of the church. The authors will help church leaders understand the transfer of wealth through estates, wills, and other development arrangements. While comprehensive and complex in its topic, Creative Giving is written in a spare style. After reading this book, you'll have the tools needed to develop a successful and creative giving program within your congregation.

Michael Reeves serves as senior associate pastor and director of strategic resources at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Prior to this, he was president and chief executive officer of the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana. As senior consultant with two national stewardship consulting firms, Reeves designed and directed more than 200 capital campaigns. He holds an MA in Religious Education and a PhD in both Church Administration and Foundations of Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reeves is also an N.S.F.R.E. Certified Fund Raising Executive.
Rob Fairly is Vice President of the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana and provides general financial consultation to churches, institutions, and individuals throughout the state. A lifelong Methodist and an active member of First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, he has served in numerous local church leadership positions on the district and conference levels. Rob is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving and the current president of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Baton Rouge, a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, professional advisors and other community leaders established to promote public interest in charitable giving.
The Reverend Sanford Coon is an ordained elder and member of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Since 2001, he has served as Executive Director of the New Mexico Conference Methodist Foundation, Albuquerque, New Mexico.