The Anabaptist perception towards a "money mindset"!

[steve-in-kville]

See attached. Vote and discuss. This was a random thing I found on social media.

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[Grace]

Not sure I agree with number 6, the second part. I agree we should never stop learning, but don't agree 100% in the concept of investing in yourself. Maybe I didn't understand the sentence correctly. I agree with most of the other concepts.

On a somewhat different tangent, there is an philosophy that is being promoted strongly within conservative Anabaptist's, that more money should be given to missions. Why would you just sit on your wealth and not give to missions? While I agree in part, with that, I know of a family whose very elderly parent needs care that is way beyond what the family can handle, because some of the family is out on the mission field. The few remaining family members who live in the area, would be spread to thin to care for the parent.

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

The best option would be to will any remaining money to missions, "after" your passing.

[Josh]

#1: there is a person I really wish I could persuade to cease “side hustles”. They don’t make any money for him and it also means he thinks he needs a place with a yard big enough to store junk vehicles.

#2: I think “give away 10% of your income” is a better strategy.

#3: The entire point of more income is to be able to spend more.

#4: I think a “money mindset” is a bad mindset. How about a kingdom mindset? Did Jesus have a money mindset?

#5: Agree

#6: I know someone who endlessly takes classes and keeps trying to reinvent herself. She needs to just stick with something instead of always looking for something new.

#7: I can agree with this but question if there is such a thing as “good debt”.

[Josh]

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

$174k a year is an absurd amount of money. I’d rather be sent off to the woods in my old age and have those funds (assuming I had them) used to help the actually needy.

Most Americans don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts, let alone $1.7m for 10 years of elder care. I think it’s wrong to live an opulent lifestyle with servants when so many are needy and struggling. Anabaptists need a strong reevaluation of their priorities.

[Grace]

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

$174k a year is an absurd amount of money. I’d rather be sent off to the woods in my old age and have those funds (assuming I had them) used to help the actually needy.

Most Americans don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts, let alone $1.7m for 10 years of elder care. I think it’s wrong to live an opulent lifestyle with servants when so many are needy and struggling. Anabaptists need a strong reevaluation of their priorities.

I am confused at what you are suggesting in being sent off to the woods. The elderly have no choice in how long they live and they deserve dignity and good care in their elder years. They are the needy, in that they need to be cared for. Also this elderly person is not in an opulent facility. Who do you think should care for them when the children either can't or the children are out on the mission field, half way across the globe?

[Josh]

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

$174k a year is an absurd amount of money. I’d rather be sent off to the woods in my old age and have those funds (assuming I had them) used to help the actually needy.

Most Americans don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts, let alone $1.7m for 10 years of elder care. I think it’s wrong to live an opulent lifestyle with servants when so many are needy and struggling. Anabaptists need a strong reevaluation of their priorities.

I am confused at what you are suggesting in being sent off to the woods. The elderly have no choice in how long they live and they deserve dignity and good care in their elder years. They are the needy, in that they need to be cared for. Also this elderly person is not in an opulent facility. Who do you think should care for them when the children either can't or the children are out on the mission field, half way across the globe?

I don’t want $174k in present day dollars spent on me on elder care.

My parents have had discussions with us kids about this. They explicitly don’t want that either and have stated so in their living will.

A facility that costs $174k a year is opulent. It is not available to the average American who has nowhere near that kind of budget. Very few Americans can afford a $14k a month budget. I think it’s wrong to live in that kind of luxury.

I would be OK with paying out of pocket for a fully Medicaid eligibile facility since that’s available to all people in America.

[Grace]

$174k a year is an absurd amount of money. I’d rather be sent off to the woods in my old age and have those funds (assuming I had them) used to help the actually needy.

Most Americans don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts, let alone $1.7m for 10 years of elder care. I think it’s wrong to live an opulent lifestyle with servants when so many are needy and struggling. Anabaptists need a strong reevaluation of their priorities.

I am confused at what you are suggesting in being sent off to the woods. The elderly have no choice in how long they live and they deserve dignity and good care in their elder years. They are the needy, in that they need to be cared for. Also this elderly person is not in an opulent facility. Who do you think should care for them when the children either can't or the children are out on the mission field, half way across the globe?

I don’t want $174k in present day dollars spent on me on elder care.

My parents have had discussions with us kids about this. They explicitly don’t want that either and have stated so in their living will.

A facility that costs $174k a year is opulent. It is not available to the average American who has nowhere near that kind of budget. Very few Americans can afford a $14k a month budget. I think it’s wrong to live in that kind of luxury.

I would be OK with paying out of pocket for a fully Medicaid eligibile facility since that’s available to all people in America.

The facility is middle of the road, and not the most opulent in the county. There are more expensive places and some that cost less. The facility is Medicaid eligible as well. But there is a gap between what Medicaid pays and what is required for the care.

My point is that younger people have no idea the cost of elder care. And it would be a good idea to have a "mindset" to take that into consideration. I have seen this concept to many times, that the younger people push to not save so much money and more be given to missions. But when their elderly parent could use their care, they are half way across the globe in missions and can't help.

[Neto]

....
... I know of a family whose very elderly parent needs care that is way beyond what the family can handle, because some of the family is out on the mission field. The few remaining family members who live in the area, would be spread to thin to care for the parent.

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

The best option would be to will any remaining money to missions, "after" your passing.

comments regarding mission efforts:
My wife's parent's health was one of two reasons we moved back to the States (from our missionary assignment). (The other reason was for our children's HS education, and getting settled here.)
Many mission organizations are called "faith missions", because the workers depend on congregations, family, & friends for their financial needs, and for their ministry expenses (medical care for the people of the tribe, etc.). If missionaries depended on people dying in order to continue working, it would all fail. (Plus, it's rather morbid, and sounds crass: "I wish someone else would die now, so that we could afford to return to the village to do more Bible translation work...")

However, I understand your point. Parents of missionaries give up a whole lot more than just care in their senior years. They give up knowing their grandchildren, and being known by them - building long term relationships. In fact, they sacrifice a great deal.

My own mother is in a care facility, because she can no longer care for herself, and no one in the family is capable of providing the kind of care she requires, either. (I didn't say "willing", or even "able".) We live over 900 miles away from where she is, and while the home where she is living is run by a church group, the quality of nursing care they provide is deteriorating. We hear the same about the local extended care facilities here in Holmes County. One nurse told my mother when she called for help getting to the bathroom and back during the night "You're not a baby, you need to learn to do it yourself." Other workers have stolen her things, a phone charger, and cash. My (single) aunt (in another small city 150 miles farther west) just moved into a home that had been run by a Mennonite organization, but were now bought out by the same outfit that runs the place where my mom is. Also, my mom is 93 now, and even the youngest of us children (my only sister) is over 60, several of us are still working - even my oldest brother, who is over 70 and has serious health issues himself.

[NedFlanders]

The cost of elder care in a home is very prohibitive. A local facility here in Lancaster County costs around $14,500 a month for a shared room in skilled care. So I can see why it might be a good idea to "sit on your wealth". You never know how long you might live and the care that will be needed. And you never know if your children will be around to care for you.

$174k a year is an absurd amount of money. I’d rather be sent off to the woods in my old age and have those funds (assuming I had them) used to help the actually needy.

Most Americans don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts, let alone $1.7m for 10 years of elder care. I think it’s wrong to live an opulent lifestyle with servants when so many are needy and struggling. Anabaptists need a strong reevaluation of their priorities.

I am confused at what you are suggesting in being sent off to the woods. The elderly have no choice in how long they live and they deserve dignity and good care in their elder years. They are the needy, in that they need to be cared for. Also this elderly person is not in an opulent facility. Who do you think should care for them when the children either can't or the children are out on the mission field, half way across the globe?

Shouldn’t they be disqualified from missions that inhibit their responsibility to care for the elderly…

1 Timothy 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

[Neto]

....
My point is that younger people have no idea the cost of elder care. And it would be a good idea to have a "mindset" to take that into consideration. I have seen this concept to many times, that the younger people push to not save so much money and more be given to missions. But when their elderly parent could use their care, they are half way across the globe in missions and can't help.

The "push" I see in our congregation is toward "building wealth". (Not that there is not a keen interest in seeing more of our members going into the 'Harvest', including foreign missions. There is.) We recently had a series of meetings, going through a video series by Dave Ramsey. At one point in one of the videos he spoke about getting advice from millionaires. He said that he was surprised how many of those people were willing to meet with him. Then he said that when he & his wife got up to 3 or 4 100 million, he started talking with billionaires. Frankly, I don't get it. How much is enough for someone with that mindset? Apparently, 'MORE'.