Category Archives: stewardship

Bethesda Healing

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Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep [Gate] a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. For [from time to time] an Angel of the Lord would come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in [after the stirring of the water] was healed of whatever disease afflicted him. (John 5:2-4)

healingBethesda Healing Ministry on Dover Road in Columbus is a Catholic Christian ministry that for 22 years has served men and women suffering the effects of abortion in the spirit of the biblical Bethesda. The Stewardship Foundation has supported the ministry financially for several years, and is blessed for having done so. In April, we attended their Annual Event Dinner where the ministry hoped to raise $150,000 to fund their vision to extend “the arms of outreach” in Ohio. Up to now, the ministry has been run strictly by volunteers at no pay but now foundress Judy Schlueter feels they need to fill new leadership and staffing positions and broaden their reach so that more suffering people can experience healing.

We encourage you to visit their new website. You will be moved and inspired with their work and the real life stories told by women who chose abortion and have now experienced the healing power of God’s love.

Forward this blog to anyone you know who may need God’s healing love from depression, self-hatred, or trauma due to a choice made in secret or at a time of great confusion.

Forward this blog as well to anyone you know who may may be seeking investment advice from professionals who are principled and committed to Christian stewardship.

Socially Responsible Investing—Enough?

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Pope John Paul II stressed that “even the decision to invest in one place rather than another…is always a moral and cultural choice” (Centesimus Annus). Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is used and encouraged by the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in order to “exercise faithful, competent and socially responsible stewardship in how we manage our financial resources.”

Like the Stewardship Foundation, they base their values, directions, and criteria for financial choices on the Gospel. You can learn more about the Church’s SRI guidelines here.

But buyer beware. Outside the USCCB, the SRI movement is dominated by what some might consider left-leaning political concerns, not necessarily the issues supported by the Stewardship Foundation or the USCCB. For example, concerns might include torture and kidnapping in South America, forced child labor in Asia, and damage to the environment throughout the world. But what about the commercialization of sex through pornography, music, and motion pictures? Yet it receives little if any mention from most SRI advocates.

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to choose the right financial advisor with the right software, tools, and experience to help you choose an investment portfolio that that is fully vetted based on moral truth as given to us in the Gospel. To learn more about socially (or morally) responsible investing, call Joe Finneran now at (614) 800-7985. And please share this with your family and friends whom you believe may be interested.

Annual Report on Faith-Friendly Companies

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In front of the big Christmas buying season come the reports on the nation’s most Christian-friendly businesses. So we set out to find out exactly what makes these companies faith-friendly.

It’s no surprise that Chick-fil-A (#1) tops the faith-friendly list, closely followed by Hobby Lobby (#2). This faithful duo consistently make news. When an Austin, Texas, Chick-fil-A store recently closed for renovations, the store owner continued to pay staff for the entire 5-month closure and also gave them each a $1 per hour raise. Hobby Lobby had the courage to invest in a lawsuit against having to pay for their employees’ birth control under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Last June, they won in a 5–4 decision.

Interstate Batteries (#3) is transparent about their faithfulness. Their chairman Norm Miller, a former alcoholic who by a single prayer in a time of agony overcame his addiction, writes about it on their website. They are a privately-held company.

Tyson Foods comes in #4 for their faith-friendly culture where “faith and spiritual commitments (in the workforce) are valued and respected”. They have over 115 chaplains to care for their team members and their families, no matter what their religious belief. Tyson Foods is a publicly traded company.

Cracker Barrel (#5) was widely crushed in the press and the courts for their stance against gay and lesbian employees for discriminatory practices against African American employees in the 90s. The company changed their policies and got involved in civic and minority communities. Today they support a range of charities and are outspoken about their commitments to faith-driven consumers. And if you’ve been living under a rock, they do sell Duck Dynasty paraphernalia.

Walmart (#6) was chosen for their respect for pro-life, pro-marriage views, but more so lately because of their refusal to publicly display sexually explicit or inappropriate magazine covers in their stores, an action that demonstrates a commitment to the faith community. However, Walmart’s online shopping experience is an open book for quite the opposite.

As always, if we can help you or a friend or colleague with your morally responsible investments, or if you have any questions about end of the year charitable giving, please give us a call.