Mike Kendrick's stewardship journey started in earnest when he joined a Crown Financial Ministries small group study on what the Bible says about our finances. "Scripture kind of hit me," he says. "There's a whole lot of scripture about giving, especially giving to the poor. It's not optional; it's a command."

Mike quickly grew a passion for the needs of the poor and the homeless. Several years ago, he was planning to donate to a ministry for the inner-city poor. "I was going to make a single donation," he says, "but then I noticed the ministry didn't have a development officer and they were operating out of a cramped 4000 square-foot building."

NCF helped Mike arrange a strategic series of gifts over a two-year period. By year three, the ministry had hired a development person, was operating out of a 20,000 square-foot building, and was serving three to four times the number of clients. "When the Katrina disaster hit," Mike relates, "this ministry served huge numbers of people. My partnership with NCF really made a difference for the homeless."

Mike has been working with NCF for over a decade. He started with a single NCF Giving Fund, which allowed him to make tax-deductible donations from his business at year-end. He could then give the gifts to ministries during the following year, without being pressured by the tax calendar. "The people at NCF are just phenomenal," he exclaims. "Their organizational strengths and personal integrity are outstanding."

Just recently NCF uncovered a tax savings for Mike that enabled him to increase his giving to a ministry by over 30%. "I'm in the financial business," explains Mike, "and I have tax accountants and lawyers on payroll. But NCF knows things our people don't. They help thousands of donors a year with charitable contributions, so they're real experts. The parable of the talents tells us it's important to be wise and generous stewards. NCF helps us be both."

Mike values his wife's advice about the recipients of their charitable investments. "She has a 'sixth' sense that is really valuable," he says. "She's an equal partner as we try to discern where God would want us to direct our gifts for the benefit of His Kingdom." As their three young children grow, the Kendrick's plan to include them in the stewardship planning process.

"I give because I want to please God," says Mike, "and because it's a commandment. I'm also motivated by the rewards. God promises to bless us if we're faithful. We'd be foolish not to accept His promise, wouldn't we?"