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The so-called ‘ant mentality’ has been a principal way of life for me since I heard about it – okay, a few decades ago. It has a simplistic application. It emphasizes that “life is better for those who are prepared”. For example, all summer an ant thinks winter and instead of eating all food it finds – it stores up sustenance recognizing it might be sunshine now, but winter is coming. Further, “when a scouting ant finds a food source, it is only a matter of time before other worker ants follow the trail to find the food and carry it back to the anthill”. This leadership greatly aids the survivability of the colony in that all members can eat.

Your DFI offers you the restorative message – Plan, Save, Grow for a brighter future for yourself, your local church, and our Zion so that all in it may survive and continue to eat. First, consider a red light. You need to come to full stop then begin to formulate a Plan – a process that can help your reach exceed your grasp. This is a time to utilize tools to drive your planning. It requires gathering data and background financial information on yourself and/or that of your local church that allows you to write out all potential expenses and income. This is something known as an income statement. Further, you build a balance sheet that list the valuation of things you own (assets) and what you owe (liabilities). Second, consider a yellow light. You need to slow down spending where you can so that you may begin to Save. We are Methodist so it is sensible to methodically save a percentage of your personal resources and/or that of your local church to assure a more prevalent financial future. Third, consider a green light. In the parable of the talents – the saver that saved best invested the resources left to their charge and grew them so that more could be done when the time came. Move forward and Grow your assets. Recently, I marveled when driving on the Evanston, IL lakefront campus of Northwestern University. All that I saw constructed behind their vintage library was not standing thirty years ago and it cannot be seen when driving by from the road. True appreciation of its magnificence requires getting out of your vehicle and walking through it and among its patrons.

We too in the CME Church have houses and land, but more importantly we have faith and community not made by human hands. So let us activate ‘ant mentality’. Let us plan, save, and grow our resources so that we too can magnificently extend our campus and all that walk among us will share in the joy of the Lord.

Victor Taylor
CFO & General Secretary of Finance & Investment
Department of Finance & Investments
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church