Kingdom Advisor 2024 Reflections
I was richly blessed by attending my first Kingdom Advisor conference. I would like to share some of my reflections in hopes that I can share that blessing with you.
The Power of Relationship:
I went to KA eager to learn from speakers and meet new friends. There are certainly some new ideas that I want to incorporate into my work (more on that below), but the biggest takeaway was actually a very old idea – the power of relationship. The conference exhorted the record number of attendees to Seek First the Kingdom of God. In Genesis, we see that it’s not good to be alone; we need to help each other remember, experience, and believe the truth that God’s deepest delight comes from providing for His children. What a gift to get to build a community of people in Lancaster that want to magnify the Lord as we encourage each other to live from and manifest His extravagant generosity to all of us.
Jim Wise: a heart formed by God’s passions
‘What are you passionate about?’ How often has someone asked you this in the context of a conversation about generosity? Jim flipped this on its head, pointing out that we should be passionate about the things God is passionate about. He shared that his extensive study of God’s generosity in scripture led him to identify 3 primary themes for God’s generosity: Word, Justice and Mercy. He encouraged us to create a pie chart that helps us see where we are giving; we may not give to all equally, but we should consider expanding our capacity to love as God loves. He then joyfully shared a testimony of how this realization led he and his wife to begin supporting anti-trafficking work such that now they are are as passionate about that as Bible Study.
Generational Wealth Transfer: shaping the next generation
“Have you considered how an inheritance can shape the next generation?” Jeanne McMains described the sacred work of helping families reflect on their view of God, their family values, and the legacy they wish to have. She suggested two exercises. In the first, you reflect on each child with respect to your dreams for them, your concerns for them, and most concretely what you think would happen to them were they to receive their inheritance today. With this in mind, she encouraged leaving 3 inheritances: Spend, Shape, and Share. Spend is focused on the money you think they should have to pay for things like college, marriage, buying a home. Shape is focused on things that pass on your values – if you want people to be lifelong learners, perhaps you pass on a budget for taking classes (even simple things like Italian Cooking). Share is money that is set aside for the children to give to others. (I’d love to talk with people about these ideas, for anyone that would like to go deeper.)
John Reinhart: are we receiving Our Father’s deepest delight?
“Your Father delights in giving you the Kingdom. Do you believe that?” John was speaking from Luke 12 when a brother asks Jesus to help split the family inheritance. John focused on how coveting (wanting more than you have) and anxiety (not believing you will have enough) are two manifestations of the same issue – do we really understand how much Our Father loves us and longs to take care of us as we give ourselves to His purposes and ask for His assistance? John observed that radical generosity was normative behavior for the church in Acts. He closed with a profound question: “What is one thing we could sell this year to give to a Gospel Ministry?”
This brings me back to the power of relationships. We are the hands and feet of Jesus as we give ourselves to His passions. His passion is to give, to help us know and experience His presence and to shape us with His values so we share all that He’s entrusted to us. It can be a short text. It can be an unexpected conversation at a conference. It can be a more regular or intentional community. I leave KA convinced that the most important thing we can do is give ourselves to relationships that help us see and believe the Good News of God’s love for us and the world around us.