“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” Proverbs 15:22
As a Christian, you may be at a point where you feel like it would be wise to partner with a financial advisor to help you and your family make wise financial choices. But who should you partner with? Why would it be important to partner with a financial advisor that shares your beliefs and is trained to give you Biblical financial advice? At Strategic Stewardship, we serve clients in Woodstock, GA and Marietta, GA. We provide financial advice from a Biblical worldview. The story below of a Christian couple’s journey in working with a Christian financial advisor exemplifies how we guide our clients.
A Journey of Faithful Stewardship: How One Couple Found Financial Peace from working with a Christian financial advisor.
James and Rebecca Stevens had been married for over fifteen years, and while they both enjoyed successful careers, managing their finances felt more like a juggling act than a strategic pursuit. James was a senior executive at a tech company, overseeing operations and innovation, while Rebecca worked as a corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Their demanding careers provided a comfortable lifestyle, complete with family vacations, private school tuition for their two children, and a beautiful home in a gated community. But despite their high income, they often felt overwhelmed by the complexities of their financial situation and the busyness of life.
The couple had dreams: saving for their children's college education, investing wisely, supporting their church, and being able to help others generously. Yet, every time they sat down to review their finances, they realized they were missing a crucial piece—an alignment of their money with their faith. They were doing well, but it felt like something was missing.
One Sunday morning, after a particularly busy week, their pastor delivered a sermon on stewardship, emphasizing that financial abundance should be managed with God’s purpose in mind. The message struck a chord. James and Rebecca had always considered themselves responsible stewards, but they realized that their financial decisions often reflected a desire for control rather than trust in God's provision.
Over lunch that afternoon, James expressed what had been weighing on his heart. “I know we’re blessed, but sometimes it feels like we’re just managing chaos. I want to be more intentional, especially when it comes to honoring God with what we’ve been given.”
Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. “We’ve been focusing on maximizing our income, but we haven’t been as strategic about how we give, save, or invest with a sense of purpose. I think it’s time we find someone who understands where we’re coming from, someone who shares our faith.”
Determined to find the right help, Rebecca spent the next few days researching financial advisors. After sifting through countless profiles, she discovered Mark Thompson, a financial advisor who specialized in serving high-net-worth Christian families. Mark had attained the Certified Kingdom Advisor designation. His website spoke of his commitment to helping clients align their finances with biblical principles, and Rebecca felt a sense of peace—this was exactly the guidance they needed.
When they met Mark, his approach immediately put them at ease. He began the meeting with a prayer, asking God to guide their time together. “Financial planning is about more than numbers,” Mark explained with a warm smile. “It’s about stewarding God’s blessings in a way that reflects your values and serves His kingdom.”
Mark didn’t just ask about their financial goals; he delved into their faith journey, asking what giving meant to them, how they felt God was calling them to use their resources, and what fears or uncertainties they faced regarding their wealth. He listened carefully as James talked about his desire to retire early and dedicate more time to ministry, and as Rebecca shared her passion for funding scholarships for underprivileged students. Mark encouraged them to think of retirement from a Biblical view. That God called us to be workers whether that meant in a paying job or in some other role. He challenged them not to adopt the life of leisure that our world tries to paint of retirement. Although James and Rebecca were several years from retirement, it began the process of helping them view retirement from a Biblical perspective instead of our culture’s.
Over the following weeks, Mark crafted a comprehensive financial plan that addressed all aspects of their wealth—retirement planning, college planning, investments, estate planning, tax planning, charitable giving, and risk management—all while keeping their Christian values front and center. He introduced them to faith-based investment opportunities that aligned with their beliefs, steering them away from companies that contradicted their values and toward ones that supported causes they cared about. James and Rebecca began to see the joy of aligning their investments with their faith.
Mark also guided them through setting up a donor-advised fund, allowing them to be more strategic with their charitable giving. This approach not only helped them maximize their tax benefits but also made their giving more impactful. They could now fund causes close to their hearts with intentionality and prayerful consideration, rather than just writing checks in the moment.
James had questions on taxes. Mark reviewed their tax returns and identified areas where they could be more tax efficient. Turns out, they were not taking advantage of a couple of strategies that could help them on the tax front.
James received Restricted Stock Units through his work. Mark was able to help he and Rebecca think through how to best plan for these and what to think through from a tax perspective.
One of the most impactful moments came when Mark encouraged them to think of their wealth as a tool for ministry, not just a means of comfort. He encouraged them to pray about how they could be more generous with what God had given them. For the first time, James and Rebecca felt that their money had a mission—to serve God, provide for their family, and bless others.
The changes were almost immediate. With Mark’s guidance, they restructured their investments, increased their giving, and set a plan in motion to achieve their long-term goals. James and Rebecca found a renewed sense of purpose in their financial decisions, knowing that every dollar was now a reflection of their faith. They even began involving their children in discussions about giving, teaching them early on that their wealth was not just for personal gain but a gift from God meant to be shared.
Rebecca recalled a particularly moving moment when their daughter, Olivia, asked about their increased giving. Rebecca explained, “We’re blessed to be a blessing, and it’s our way of honoring God with what He’s entrusted to us.” It was a teachable moment that made her realize the ripple effect their decisions would have on the next generation.
Working with Mark gave James and Rebecca not only a solid financial plan but also a deeper understanding of stewardship. They learned that true financial freedom wasn’t just about accumulating wealth but about using it in a way that glorified God and impacted others. They became more generous, more intentional, and more at peace, knowing they were living out their faith through every financial decision.
As they continued their journey with Mark, James and Rebecca often reflected on how finding a Christian financial advisor had been a turning point. It wasn’t just about getting expert advice—it was about finding a partner in faith who could guide them in a way that honored their deepest values. Their finances became more than just a means to an end; they became a testament to their commitment to God, their family, and their desire to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Let’s look at some points from this story that exemplify the benefits of working with a Christian Financial Advisor.
- Intentionality – James felt like they were “just managing chaos”. He wanted to be more intentional with their stewardship. The challenge was they were busy with life. Kids, school, sports, and other things going on in life crowded out their chance to be intentional. By partnering with Mark, it created the time to be intentional about discussing and making financial goals. Mark then helped them put in place plans to achieve those goals. Without hiring him, it’s very likely they would have continued to “manage the chaos.” Instead, they took the step to get wise counsel which helped them be intentional in honoring God with what they’d been given.
- Shared Values – Rebecca wanted an advisor that understood where they were coming from, someone who shared their faith. The Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation shows that an advisor has gone through extensive training to give financial advice from a Biblical worldview. This opens rich opportunities for a Christian couple to align their finances with their faith values through the financial planning process. Mark brought to the table prayer and challenged James and Rebecca in thinking of their wealth as a tool not just a means of comfort. Mark’s focus was on loving and helping them steward their resources for the glory of God.
- Comprehensive Financial Planning – James and Rebecca were able to put together a plan that addressed all their areas of stewardship (estate, retirement, tax, investments, insurance and charitable giving) all the while keeping their Christian values front and center. He looked at every area of their stewardship and optimized it. This included taxes. Many people have questions around their taxes that their CPA does not answer. Mark was able to help James and Rebecca think through strategies to be more tax efficient. The chaos feeling of their financial situation was now solved. After partnering with Mark for the long-term, there was joy in knowing they had a plan for the finances God had given them and a trusted partner to guide them along the way.
- Increased Generosity and Generational Impact – Through Mark’s help, James and Rebecca were able to increase their generosity and be more intentional with it. He helped them start a donor advised fund which allowed them to slow down and be more prayerful about their giving. This increased giving had a big impact on their daughter Olivia as she saw her mom and dad modeling generosity. “More is caught than taught” is a common saying in parenting. Olivia saw her parents implement their giving plan and become more passionate about giving to the Lord. Deep seeds of a generous heart were planted in Olivia through this process. Imagine the impact as Olivia grows up and follows Jesus!
- Investments that align with their Christian values – Mark showed James and Rebecca how their investments could impact the world for good. Rebecca had felt the need to be more strategic in how they invest. She wanted to discover purpose with investing. Faith-based investing is another opportunity to worship God. In this blog post, I share my story on implementing faith-based investing. Mark and Rebecca felt the joy of knowing they were doing all they could to invest in a way that honored the Lord.
- Biblical view of Retirement – One cited study found that the incidence of self-reported depression goes up by 40% during those first few retirement years. For most, retirement falls short of their expectations. Retirees thought they would enjoy playing golf, tennis or just doing what they wanted to do every day. But in the end, it doesn’t fulfill you. Although James and Rebecca were still several years away from retirement, he helped them start framing their mindset about retirement from a Biblical worldview. He encouraged them to retire to something not from it. This began them on a new journey of thinking about retirement from God’s perspective. See this great Faith Fi podcast about a Christian view of Retirement.
- Peace– Finally, James and Rebecca experienced peace from working with a Christian Financial Advisor. There is tremendous peace in knowing you are doing all you can to honor the Lord with the resources He’s given you. In addition, having a trusted partner to meet with you consistently each year who cares for you and shares your beliefs leads to clarity.
A Christian Financial Advisor is someone who has been trained to give financial advice through a Biblical worldview. It is an advisor who cares about helping you align your finances with your faith values. A Certified Kingdom Advisor has been through the proper training to give this advice.
As financial advisors serving in Woodstock, GA and Marietta, GA, we are anchored with a Biblical worldview. We help Christian executives and business owners integrate their faith and financial decisions, ensuring their investments and financial choices reflect their values and contribute to both spiritual and professional goals. We would love the opportunity to partner with you on the journey God has for you. Contact us to schedule an introductory meeting.
Learn more about how we make a difference in client lives: https://www.strategicsteward.com/why-strategic-stewardship
The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of Faith Based investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Portfolio criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors may not use such criteria. The story illustrated above should not be deemed a representation of past or future results nor should be used as the basis of making a financial decision.