generous-children Archives - Finish Line Pledge https://www.finishlinepledge.com/tag/generous-children/ Run a Different Race Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:42:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-Finish-Line-Pledge-Favicon-512px-32x32.png generous-children Archives - Finish Line Pledge https://www.finishlinepledge.com/tag/generous-children/ 32 32 Clare DeGraaf, Businessman, on Decisions that can Change Your Life https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode194/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode194/#respond Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:34 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=9397 The post Clare DeGraaf, Businessman, on Decisions that can Change Your Life appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

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James Lenhoff, President of Good Sense Movement, on Freedom Through Defining Enough https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode188/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode188/#respond Mon, 18 May 2026 08:00:11 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=8482 The post James Lenhoff, President of Good Sense Movement, on Freedom Through Defining Enough appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

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Pete and Debbie Ochs, Business Owners, on the Shift in Perspective After Setting a Financial Finish Line https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode184/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode184/#respond Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:00:50 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=8309 The post Pete and Debbie Ochs, Business Owners, on the Shift in Perspective After Setting a Financial Finish Line appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

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Kristen Welch, Founder of Mercy House Global, on Intimacy with God Amidst Fruitful Ministry https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode175/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode175/#respond Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:06 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7957 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Kristen Welch is an author, speaker, and the founder of Mercy House Global, but her story is shaped less by achievement and more by surrender. Raised in a generous, Christian home, Kristen followed God’s lead into ministry, writing, and motherhood. Her love for writing led her into the […]

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What We’ll Cover

Kristen Welch is an author, speaker, and the founder of Mercy House Global, but her story is shaped less by achievement and more by surrender. Raised in a generous, Christian home, Kristen followed God’s lead into ministry, writing, and motherhood. Her love for writing led her into the early Christian mom-blogging world where she found community and influence, but it was a 2010 blogging trip to Kenya with Compassion International that unsettled her faith and reordered her calling. That encounter became the catalyst for Mercy House Global and for a lifelong journey of learning what it means to say yes to God with open hands.  

Through Mercy House, Kristen has spent the past fifteen years walking alongside vulnerable women and families through job creation, orphan prevention, and discipleship, both globally and locally. Along the way, she has learned that generosity and ministry busyness without intimacy with God can quietly hollow out the soul. Her story reflects the cost of faithful work, the danger of doing for God without being with Him, and the grace God offers through rest, repentance, and renewed friendship with Him.  

This conversation invites all of us to reflect on how God calls us to slow down, reorient our hearts, and rediscover satisfaction in His presence while living generously.  

Major Topics Include:

  • Generosity in hospitality
  • Obedience through small, faithful yeses
  • Using influence for Kingdom purpose
  • Serving without losing intimacy with God
  • The danger of doing for God without being with God
  • Identity rooted in sonship, not productivity
  • Parenting through embodied generosity
  • Slowing down to practice God’s presence

Quotes to Remember

  • “Just do the next right thing.”
  • “We were always looking for ways to use what we had for the gospel of hospitality.”
  • “The opportunity to use the writing skill and the blog platform for God’s glory really became a sweet spot for me and it changed my life.”
  • “I will spend the rest of my life answering the question, ‘what am I doing to help the vulnerable in our communities and in our world?’”
  • “God used the poor to help me find Him in a new way.”
  • “God doesn’t need us to do any of this, He invites us to do it.”
  • “Being with God is the best use of our time.”
  • “It is not a waste of time to spend time with God.”
  • “When we live as generous people, our kids will too.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Revelation 3:20 | Christ’s Invitation to Intimacy  

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  

Hebrews 2:1 | Drifting from Jesus  

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  

1 Thessalonians 5:18 | Gratitude amid Hardship  

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

Philippians 4:11–13 | Contentment in All Circumstances  

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Kristin Hammett, VP at the Signatry, on Family Alignment Over Agreement in Giving https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode174/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode174/#respond Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:58 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7952 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Raised on a central Missouri farm, Kristin Hammett grew up in a family that loved Jesus and lived out steady generosity, even amid the financial uncertainties of farming life. Watching her parents faithfully give a tithe planted early seeds, but it was during college that she made a […]

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What We’ll Cover

Raised on a central Missouri farm, Kristin Hammett grew up in a family that loved Jesus and lived out steady generosity, even amid the financial uncertainties of farming life. Watching her parents faithfully give a tithe planted early seeds, but it was during college that she made a deeper commitment to Christ, a decision that quietly set the trajectory for everything that followed.  

After college, she entered a sales role with a Fortune 50 company, surrounded by benefits and success, yet she began to sense that God might be inviting her into something more than selling consumer goods. After a season as a stay-at-home mom, she discovered a growing desire to see how her professional skills might serve Kingdom purposes. That curiosity led her to become the first part time development director at a local pregnancy center, where God reshaped her understanding of fundraising as ministry, connecting donors to the doers and inviting people to join Him where He is already working. That journey eventually opened the door to joining The Signatry, helping donors steward all God has entrusted to them for Kingdom impact.  

As Vice President of Family Generosity Services at The Signatry, Kristin has spent her career helping families move from reactive giving to intentional stewardship rooted in faith. Drawing from deep experience on both the nonprofit and givers sides, she now guides families towards alignment, trust, and faithfulness in how they move towards intentional generosity together.  

Major Topics Include:

  • Generosity as discipline, then joyful invitation
  • Stewarding all assets, not just cash
  • Fundraising as ministry and relationship
  • Connecting donors and doers in God’s work
  • Evaluating impact above overhead in giving
  • Understanding cause dynamics and realistic impact outcomes
  • Trust and partnership between givers and ministries
  • Thinking through non-cash gifts
  • Alignment over agreement in family generosity

Quotes to Remember

  • “God has all the resources that He needs to fund His work. My role is to connect the resources He’s entrusted to people with the work He’s already doing.”
  • “Impact needs to come before overhead.”
  • “If we’re only asking people to give from cash, we’re really not asking them to steward all that God has entrusted to them.”
  • “Let’s begin to change the conversation, not just about cash, but about all of their assets, and help them understand how those are an opportunity for generosity.”
  • “When you realize you’re connecting the donors and the doers, that’s a pretty incredible place to be.”
  • “You’re not trying to get something from someone. You’re inviting them to join God where He’s already at work.”
  • “In a family, alignment is much more important than agreement.”
  • “If you want everyone to give to exactly what you want to give to, that’s a top-down approach, and it rarely creates enthusiasm.”
  • “If you hold it open-handed and prioritize alignment over agreement, you’ll often find much more joy and engagement.”
  • “Donors are operating in a currency of trust. That trusted partnership is absolutely critical.”
  • “When there’s a trusted partnership between the giver and the organization, God does something formative in both.”
  • “Fundraising is ministry. Anytime you’re engaging someone around their resources, their finances, and their heart, that’s ministry.”
  • “We need to dissolve the barrier between where the ministry happens and where the money comes in, and realize it’s all ministry.”
  • “God doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts. And that’s really, at the end of the day, the message of generosity.”
  • “Generosity is not just for the ultra high net worth or those making a lot of money, it’s for everyone. God is not interested in the zeros. He’s interested in obedience.”
  • “We’re stewarding our whole life, not just our financial resources, because He wants our heart.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Malachi 3:10 | Testing God in Giving  

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.  

Matthew 6:21 | Treasure and the Heart  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

Psalm 50:10 | God Owns Everything  

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  

Philippians 4:15–19 | Giving as Partnership

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Michael Blue, Director of Discipleship at the Ron Blue Institute, on the Personal Journey of Surrender https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode172/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode172/#respond Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:00:24 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7930 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Michael Blue serves as Director of Discipleship and former President of the Ron Blue Institute, and his life reflects a steady journey of learning to trust God with open hands. Raised in a home shaped by biblical financial stewardship, Michael developed strong habits around money early on. Yet […]

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What We’ll Cover

Michael Blue serves as Director of Discipleship and former President of the Ron Blue Institute, and his life reflects a steady journey of learning to trust God with open hands. Raised in a home shaped by biblical financial stewardship, Michael developed strong habits around money early on. Yet it was in his thirties, amid professional success and financial security, that God exposed a deeper restlessness. What appeared stable on the surface revealed an inner hollowness, leading Michael and his family into a season of prayer, surrender, and renewed reflection on what faithful obedience truly means.

In his current role, Michael focuses on forming biblical and practical financial wisdom in the next generation, particularly among high school and college students. He has also helped pioneer the 9:23 Fellowship, a discipleship journey that invites believers to take up their cross daily and follow Jesus in every area of life, including how they steward money, grow in community, and trust God’s provision.

Michael’s calling is to help believers align their finances with wholehearted discipleship, viewing stewardship as worship and generosity as freedom rooted in trust. This episode creates space to rethink money, faith, and obedience in ways that feel both convicting and hopeful.  

Major Topics Include:

  • Learning to live openhandedly
  • Thinking through savings as a giver
  • Relying on God for provision
  • Engaging younger generations through the Ron Blue Institute
  • Helping the Church recognize and overcome greed and covetousness 
  • Four H’s of biblical stewardship for college students
  • The difference between “bread” and “seed”
  • Flourishing together in community
  • Learning to be a good receiver
  • Stretching your faith through steps of generosity

Quotes to Remember

  • “Giving ought to be joyful and saving ought to be purposeful, but if it’s just rote obedience, you can lose the heart behind it.”
  • “God delights in inviting us to participate in His story.”
  • “Stewardship is managing our money for the glory of God.”
  • “Our capacity to meet people in their time of need all comes down to our margin of time and money.”
  • “Whenever we feel like God gives us more, more often than not, it’s seed for sowing.”
  • “The most generous people are the least fearful people I know. They’re not wracked with anxiety about providing for them in the future.”
  • “We were made to flourish together in community.”
  • “We’re all created to be both givers and receivers, so a healthy church is one where I can both give and receive.”
  • “The thing that drives us to a life of continued generosity is hungering after who God is, what he’s done in our lives, and how we can grow nearer to HIm.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

2 Corinthians 8-9 | The Macedonian Church  

Matthew 6:33 | Seek First the Kingdom  

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  

Luke 9:23 | Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Alan Barnhart, Business Leader, on the Story that Sparked a Generation of Givers https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode160/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode160/#respond Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:00:16 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7536 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Alan Barnhart grew up in Memphis, where his parents ran a small crane and rigging company. After college he sensed a call to missions just as his parents invited him and his brother to take over the family business. As he wrestled with the decision, God’s answer was […]

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What We’ll Cover

Alan Barnhart grew up in Memphis, where his parents ran a small crane and rigging company. After college he sensed a call to missions just as his parents invited him and his brother to take over the family business. As he wrestled with the decision, God’s answer was clear; Alan’s full-time ministry was the business world.

From day one, the brothers regarded the company as God’s. To guard against the spiritual risks of wealth, Alan set a “lifestyle finish line,” capping his personal income at the level of a ministry worker. They also committed to give 50% of annual profits to God’s Kingdom. Over the next 39 years, the once-small firm grew toward a billion-dollar enterprise and now channels millions each year into gospel work. Later, Alan and his brother formalized their conviction by transferring 100% of their ownership to a charitable trust, while continuing to lead the company.

Alan’s example has inspired a generation of givers to steward their families, businesses, and resources with wisdom and courage. You won’t want to miss this story.

Major Topics Include:

  • Avoiding the dangers of wealth
  • Finding freedom in a financial finish line
  • How God led him to give away his company while still being it’s steward
  • Thinking though what to do with profit
  • Developing relationship with the recipients of your generosity 
  • Generosity decisions as a group
  • Responsive giving vs. strategic giving
  • Differences between giving from business capital and giving from personal capital
  • Making difficult decisions in generosity 
  • Relational aspects of being as a business and generosity leader
  • Managing a capped lifestyle with children
  • Thinking through company succession
  • Stewarding your generosity story

Quotes to Remember

  • “God, I’ll go wherever you want me to go.”
  • “My full time ministry was going to be in the business world.”
  • “Jesus warned about money more than He warned about anything else.”
  • “Contentment doesn’t come from stuff, it comes from enjoying what you already have.”
  • “Holding things with an open hand has led to freedom.”
  • “God isn’t trying to extract something from us. He doesn’t want our money, He wants us.”
  • “Generosity breaks the power of greed.”
  • “We say no to 99% of giving opportunities so we can give a big yes to the 1% we support.”
  • “We want to be as strategic in our giving of money as we are in our making of money.”
  • “What does God want us to do with His money?”
  • “There is work to being a steward.”
  • “What we’re doing is not crazy.”
  • “We didn’t see the company as ours, so our kids never saw it as theirs.”
  • “Be a steward of your story as much as you are a steward of your money, because your story may change someone else’s life.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Matthew 19:23 | A Warning for the Rich

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:24 | Choose Your Master

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:19-20 | Treasures in Heaven

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Luke 12:13-21 | The Parable of the Rich Fool

1 Timothy 6:6-7 | Godliness with Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Luke 21:1-4 | The Widow’s Offering

Matthew 5:16 | Your Good Works Give Glory to the Father

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 6:3-4 | A Time for Giving in Secret

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Mary Clayton Crow, on Giving Generously Expecting Nothing in Return https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode158/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode158/#respond Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:00:30 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7518 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Mary Clayton Crow’s life has been marked by radical generosity from the very beginning. After coming to faith in the Jesus Movement of the 70s, Mary Clayton’s parents freely shared all they had while living in community with other Believers, regularly opening their home to missionaries, and eventually […]

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What We’ll Cover

Mary Clayton Crow’s life has been marked by radical generosity from the very beginning. After coming to faith in the Jesus Movement of the 70s, Mary Clayton’s parents freely shared all they had while living in community with other Believers, regularly opening their home to missionaries, and eventually becoming missionaries themselves behind the Iron Curtain. This model of radical generosity set a strong foundation for Mary Clayton’s adult life as she lives to “give generously, expecting nothing in return.”  

Mary Clayton has a rich passion for relational, spontaneous generosity, often giving away personal items admired by others as a way to express God’s love while resisting the trap of materialism. She is also passionate about collaborative giving, and takes part in several giving communities that invest in local ministries, not only with their finances, but with their time and talents as well.  

Major Topics Include:

  • Making generosity your own
  • Being stretched and challenged in generosity
  • Wrestling the “elder brother” mentality
  • What does it really mean to expect nothing in return?
  • A Lenten generosity challenge
  • Resisting materialism with generosity 
  • Modeling generosity to your family
  • The power of community giving to local ministries 
  • Guarding against generosity burnout
  • Hearing from the Holy Spirit through other people
  • Creating a visual reminder to give generously

Quotes to Remember

  • “You can never outgive God. It’s going to come back to you 10-fold, 20-fold, 30-fold, 100-fold. And it may not be in dollars and cents, but it will be in joy.”
  • “I love generosity because it makes sharing the gospel so easy.”
  • “Expecting nothing in return means releasing the result and putting it in the Lord’s hand.”
  • “We need to detach ourselves from things owning us so we can be stewards of the things God has given us.”
  • “Generous tipping is one of the easiest ways to be an evangelist.”
  • “I’m excited to chase God.”
  • “I’m looking forward to God disrupting my life for new adventures.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Luke 21:3-4 | The Widow’s Offering  

And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”  

John 3:16 | The Ultimate Giver  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

Luke 15:11-32 | The Prodigal Son  

Matthew 20:1-16 | The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Mike Perez, Financial Advisor and Author, on the 5 Pillars of Finishing the Race Strong https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode155/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode155/#respond Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:00:26 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7494 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Mike Perez, a seasoned financial advisor and author of Faith and Finances, didn’t start his career thinking about generosity or Kingdom impact. He began in accounting, building a solid professional foundation, but deep down, something felt incomplete—both professionally and spiritually. A series of God-ordained encounters drew Mike into […]

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What We’ll Cover

Mike Perez, a seasoned financial advisor and author of Faith and Finances, didn’t start his career thinking about generosity or Kingdom impact. He began in accounting, building a solid professional foundation, but deep down, something felt incomplete—both professionally and spiritually. A series of God-ordained encounters drew Mike into the world of financial advising and, more importantly, into a place of full surrender to Christ. From that point on, his question became: What would it look like to truly live out my faith through my finances?  

Over the last 33 years, that question has shaped Mike’s entire career. Today, he carries a special passion for helping those in or near retirement “finish their race strong” by aligning their financial plans with their spiritual calling. In Faith and Finances, Mike distills decades of wisdom to help believers embrace biblical principles for financial success and radical generosity. Along the way, he offers profound insights on discovering your personal calling, setting a financial finish line that frees you to give boldly, stewarding your time and resources with eternal purpose, and building a legacy that outlives you and points others to Christ.  

Major Topics Include:

  • Mike’s journey through living out is faith in his finances
  • Learning generosity and stewardship in community
  • The importance of heart change on the stewardship journey 
  • What does it mean to finish well?
  • The five pillars of a faith-driven retirement
  • Important conversations about legacy
  • Advice for doing legacy well as a follower of Christ
  • Estate mapping with families
  • Tips for experiencing heart change
  • Three steps of a Journey of Generosity experience
  • Practical tips for setting a finish line
  • Living out calling beyond the working years 
  • Encouragement to keep growing and stretching in faith and generosity

Quotes to Remember

  • “Our industry is all about people getting the money thing right, and I think that’s fine and good. But I think what’s more important is getting the life thing right, especially in the second half of life.”
  • “Ephesians 2:10 says that you were designed for good works, it doesn’t say that all bets are off once you’re retired. You’re meant to do good works until the end.”
  • “We shouldn’t be asking God, ‘How much should I give?’ but rather ‘How much should I keep?’”
  • “Does it take more faith to give while you’re here or after you’re gone?”
  • “I don’t think the journey ever ends because God’s always working on our hearts.”
  • “Giving breaks the power of money.”
  • “Your best days can be ahead of you!”
  • “Just take your next step with Jesus.”
  • “Generosity is a muscle. The more you work it out, the stronger it becomes.”
  • “God just wants to know that He can use you.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Proverbs 27: 17 | Sharpened by Community   

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.  

Psalm 24:1 | God Owns It All  

The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,  

Ephesians 2:10 | Created for Good Works  

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  

Matthew 6:20 | Treasure in Heaven  

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Stan Reiff, Nonprofit Consultant at CapinCrouse, on God’s Provision in the Life of Faith https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode145/ https://www.finishlinepledge.com/episode145/#respond Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:00:34 +0000 https://www.finishlinepledge.com/?p=7419 Listen to the Show What We’ll Cover Stan Reiff, CPA and nonprofit consultant at CapinCrouse, has seen the faithfulness of God in difficult circumstances firsthand. Stan was born on the mission field, and in his early twenties, he and his wife felt called to missions like the generations before him. But Stan soon realized that […]

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What We’ll Cover

Stan Reiff, CPA and nonprofit consultant at CapinCrouse, has seen the faithfulness of God in difficult circumstances firsthand. Stan was born on the mission field, and in his early twenties, he and his wife felt called to missions like the generations before him. But Stan soon realized that the life of ministry that he was called to would look nothing like the life he had imagined. After many years of traumatic and costly circumstances, Stan was led on a journey that would take him from missionary to teacher to CPA and from Alaska to Atlanta where God would use his missions experience and accounting background to serve many nonprofits.   

At CapinCrouse, Stan helps faith-based nonprofits strengthen their governance, strategy, and operations, and his mission-field experience provides a deep personal understanding of ministry challenges to his consulting work. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Crown Financial Ministries and now draws on over 35 years of experience to help organizations thrive with integrity and purpose.   

Stan is also passionate about leading his family in a legacy of generosity, Kingdom work, and entrepreneurship, and he is full of practical wisdom to guide people into doing the same in their own families.  

Major topics include:

  • Stan’s remarkable backstory of faith and missions work in Alaska
  • Navigating traumatic events and a crisis of faith
  • Pivoting into bivocational ministry 
  • Becoming a CPA through Alaska Game and Fish
  • Volunteering as budget coaches and seminar instructors with Crown
  • Serving as COO of Crown Financial after 20 years of volunteering
  • Establishing rhythms and protocols for executive sabbaticals 
  • Helping Crown transition from radio to sharing principles worldwide
  • Story of coming to work for CapinCrouse 
  • Personal takeaways from leaders in the generosity space
  • Their family’s journey to a financial finish line
  • Equipping kids and grandkids for generosity 
  • Developing family core values
  • Their “family legacy experiment”
  • What to look for in an organization as a donor

Quotes to Remember

  • “If I can’t be on the front lines of ministry in a remote setting, then I will be part of the supply chain, and I will do the best I possibly can to help those who can go and are willing to go to have the best administrative support possible.”
  • “In many ways, I had to give up my passion to be a full-time missionary, and that was really difficult spiritually. But I came to understand that God had chosen to give us a child with disabilities, and that became my primary ministry.” 
  • “I love that I get to continue to marry my passion for missions, for ministry, along with the accounting experiences that God’s given me, and I get to live the dream in an ongoing fashion.”
  • “For me, the real learning came when I understood that God owns it all, not just the ten percent.”
  • “Money really isn’t a big deal. You can lose all your money in a day, and you can get it all back in a day.”
  • “Money is never the issue, it’s just an indicator of where the heart is.”
  • “It’s one thing to have a legacy of faith that’s generations long, but it’s also exciting to be in that first or second generation. It comes back to our first guiding principle, that faith has to be personal and it has to be yours, not some family member’s that’s preceded you.”
  • “Kingdom expands when you have more followers of Jesus who are committed to following Him in business, ministry or a combination. But it takes all of us working together to make sure the next generation is equally as passionate, committed, and engaged in Kingdom work.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Philippians 4:12-13 | The Secret of Being Content

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

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