You sense a call on your life to serve God full-time.
	You want to serve Him in missions but sense you cannot be self-supporting.
	You sense a call on your life but not yet — there is the family to raise.
	If the opportunity were right I could retire in a few years after my children are out of the home or beyond college.

Research Shows:

In a 1998 study the boomer generation, born between 1943 and 1956, was asked to describe their financial situation as it applies to entering ministry: (This is gleaned from the Finishers Project 1998 research study.)

20% are fully self-supporting including travel and ministry funds.

20% are self supporting but must raise travel and ministry funds.

20% need full support, but eventual retirement is provided for.

20% need full support and eventual retirement funds.

20% are in debt.

If your situation is described in either of the two highlighted areas above, the best recommendations as to how to proceed will depend on your age.

Your Age Bracket:

Age: Under 35 —

You are in the wealth accumulation life-stage. You have a great opportunity to accumulate wealth simply because you have more time. A discipline of consistant savings is needed, especially if you are raising a family. Developing habits of saving and investing during this period of life will often determine if you will be financially prepared as you turn 50 for life after college expenses. Procrastination is your greatest enemy. It could cost you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars over a long period of time. Count the cost (Luke 14:28-30) now to build for your second-half.

Buying the latest TV or a new luxury car to impress your friends could cost you significant wealth in the end. You want to have oil in your lamp (Matthew 25:1-14) to fuel your second-half ministry possibilities. Read a best seller on the subject, The Millionare Next Door, to see how ordinary people are able to retire early and fund their second-half dreams.

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Age: 35-45 —

You are probably in the process of raising a family. The demand on you time and income are great. The future seems to be significantly less important than the present situation. This is exactly the time you need to stay focused on wealth accumulation. By simply continuing to contribute to you company sponsored retirement plan you could make a significant difference in the value of your account at retirement. Saving during this period of life could require creativity both in managing expenses and in thinking of ways to provide additional income.

Age: 35-45 — What should my financial strategy be?
1.	First, tithe 10%.	Giving first, upfront, off the top. Tithing made easy and cheerful.
2.	Pay Cash, Not Credit Save: 10% of your income Any bonus income Second income	Contribute to company retirement plan Fund Roth or Traditional IRAs Use Educational IRAs and 529 college savings plans for college funding Invest using non-qualified variable annuities or mutual funds
3.	Manage standard of living	Write down your goals Set-up a budget / spending plan Avoid impulse buying

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Age: Over 45 —

You could be in the most productive period of your life. You have significant experience and still have the energy necessary to be highly effective. At the same time, you could also be in a period of declining expenses. Your children might be leaving home and you might be finishing you mortgage payments. For these reasons, you could accumulate substantial wealth. You do need to recognize you do not have a significant amount of time for growth; therefore, your savings rate should be higher now than in other periods of your life. With a disciplined approach, you could make up for lost opportunities in the past. br>

Age: Over 45 — What should my financial strategy be?
1.	First, tithe 10%.	Giving first, upfront, off the top. Tithing made easy and cheerful.
2.	Pay Cash, Not Credit Save: 10% of your income Any bonus income Second income	Contribute up to maximum limit into company retirement plan Fund Roth or Traditional IRAs Use Educational IRAs and 529 college savings plans for college funding Invest using non-qualified variable annuities or mutual funds
3.	Manage standard of living	Write down your goals Set-up a budget / spending plan Avoid impulse buying

Support Raising:

No matter what age you are or what financial resources you have, you may be sensing God's call for your life is to begin mission work immediately. You may need to consider ways to raising financial support. See the section on fundraising for your review.

Financial Planning (Life Planning):

It may be you are not ready for missions now but would like to be in the years ahead. You wish to have "oil in your lamp" by the time you reach 50. You need a plan of action. It is useful to seek professional help to give you confidence that your financial plan is designed to meet your life-objectives. You want to use the best strategies and techniques available.

The Planning Process Defined

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Resources:

Websites:
www.financialengines.com
www.nfcc.org (Nat'l Foundation for Consumer Credit)
www.crown.org (Crown Ministries)

Books:
The Millionaire Next Door Thomas Stanley and William Danko
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
The Family Financial Workbook Larry Burkett
Debt Free Living Larry Burkett
Rapid Debt Reduction Strategies John Avanzini