When a rich young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, he addressed Jesus as “good teacher.” Knowing the young man would reject His answer, Jesus called attention to it. “Why do you call me good? God alone is good.” The implication: You’re not asking this question of a mere teacher. God Himself will answer. Nevertheless, the conversation ended when Jesus revealed to the rich man that the roadblock standing between him and eternal life was his stewardship. The story closes with the young man’s choice to hang on to his money even if it cost him eternity. I wonder what brings us to that decision point. Despite God’s clear instructions, we too often fail to recognize that we put ourselves in eternal danger by being unfaithful stewards. The cure is inviting God to transform our hearts, while also choosing to be intentional in how we model generosity to our children and fellow Christians. What might that look like? Five small ways to model giving Bring back allowance cans I’m grateful that my parents emphasized financial faithfulness when I was single-digit young. I remember the day they introduced weekly allowance. They handed me 10 dimes and five tin cans with handwritten labels: Tithe, Offering, Savings, School Supplies, and Spending. Every week I divided the dimes: one dime for tithe, one for offering, two for savings, two for school supplies, and four for other spending—always in that order. Form a hands-on habit Each Sabbath I emptied my tithe and offering cans and took the dimes to church, not to pay tithe but to return it. With the gradual disappearance of cash, it’s harder to teach small children about giving. Some Sabbath schools don’t even collect offering any more. But neglecting this habit-forming practice leaves a devastating impact on the character of tender young minds. Plan intentionally Thanks to the giving routine my parents instilled in me, half a century later I still return tithe before anything else. And to ensure my offerings are more than just a reaction to the routine offering call, I purposely plan my gift to God each Friday, just as my parents showed me. This way, giving is a deeper act of worship. Demonstrate faithful giving As a parent and pastor, I have come to see the value in setting an example of my own stewardship. Online giving has advantages, but it’s largely invisible. That’s why I often choose to write a paper check, slip it into a tithe envelope, and place it in the offering plate. When people—especially children—see those they look up to being faithful stewards, it helps form their attitude toward giving. Give the results to God Sometimes we’re tempted to object, “What if my tithe is misused or misdirected? I will not return tithe unless I can trust where it goes.” Absolutely, we should expect our churches and conferences to handle funds wisely and transparently. But for me personally, I choose to give freely, knowing the money is not mine but God’s. Even when He works through deficient humans, God can direct the offering and bless others in ways I might not comprehend. I may have only a small bucket of funds, but when we each add our one bucket to the stream, it swells to become a river of blessings. Jesus invites me to consecrate my bank account, my time, and my abilities in service to Him. In return, He opens the windows of heaven to bless me now (Mal. 3:10), and He opens the eyes of my heart to see the glorious riches of our future inheritance (Eph. 1:18). As for the rich young ruler who turned his back on Jesus? He’s long dead. His money is useless. I hope his mind cleared before it was too late. By choosing life with Jesus instead of fleeting treasure, he would have inherited infinitely unimaginable wealth. Jeff Scoggins  is president of the Minnesota Conference.

When a rich young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, he addressed Jesus as “good teacher.” Knowing the young man would reject His answer, Jesus called attention to it. “Why do you call me good? God alone is good.” The implication: You’re not asking this question of a mere teacher. God Himself will answer. Nevertheless, the conversation ended when Jesus revealed to the rich man that the roadblock standing between him and eternal life was his stewardship. The story closes with the young man’s choice to hang on to his money even if it cost him eternity. I wonder what brings us to that decision point. Despite God’s clear instructions, we too often fail to recognize that we put ourselves in eternal danger by being unfaithful stewards. The cure is inviting God to transform our hearts, while also choosing to be intentional in how we model generosity to our children and fellow Christians. What might that look like? Five small ways to model giving Bring back allowance cans I’m grateful that my parents emphasized financial faithfulness when I was single-digit young. I remember the day they introduced weekly allowance. They handed me 10 dimes and five tin cans with handwritten labels: Tithe, Offering, Savings, School Supplies, and Spending. Every week I divided the dimes: one dime for tithe, one for offering, two for savings, two for school supplies, and four for other spending—always in that order. Form a hands-on habit Each Sabbath I emptied my tithe and offering cans and took the dimes to church, not to pay tithe but to return it. With the gradual disappearance of cash, it’s harder to teach small children about giving. Some Sabbath schools don’t even collect offering any more. But neglecting this habit-forming practice leaves a devastating impact on the character of tender young minds. Plan intentionally Thanks to the giving routine my parents instilled in me, half a century later I still return tithe before anything else. And to ensure my offerings are more than just a reaction to the routine offering call, I purposely plan my gift to God each Friday, just as my parents showed me. This way, giving is a deeper act of worship. Demonstrate faithful giving As a parent and pastor, I have come to see the value in setting an example of my own stewardship. Online giving has advantages, but it’s largely invisible. That’s why I often choose to write a paper check, slip it into a tithe envelope, and place it in the offering plate. When people—especially children—see those they look up to being faithful stewards, it helps form their attitude toward giving. Give the results to God Sometimes we’re tempted to object, “What if my tithe is misused or misdirected? I will not return tithe unless I can trust where it goes.” Absolutely, we should expect our churches and conferences to handle funds wisely and transparently. But for me personally, I choose to give freely, knowing the money is not mine but God’s. Even when He works through deficient humans, God can direct the offering and bless others in ways I might not comprehend. I may have only a small bucket of funds, but when we each add our one bucket to the stream, it swells to become a river of blessings. Jesus invites me to consecrate my bank account, my time, and my abilities in service to Him. In return, He opens the windows of heaven to bless me now (Mal. 3:10), and He opens the eyes of my heart to see the glorious riches of our future inheritance (Eph. 1:18). As for the rich young ruler who turned his back on Jesus? He’s long dead. His money is useless. I hope his mind cleared before it was too late. By choosing life with Jesus instead of fleeting treasure, he would have inherited infinitely unimaginable wealth.

“If you are going to be a thief, you had better choose a different victim.” It always rankles my wife when I make this comment when commenting about stewardship. She twists her face up in a scowl and gives me that disapproving “hairy eye-ball” look. Of course we can find all sorts of flaws with my assertion, but it is a “tongue-in-cheek” reality check regarding our response to God’s rhetorical inquiry found in Mal. 3:8, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.” Don’t get me wrong, I am not a stranger to experiencing temptation to veer out of the straight and narrow road, but stewardship has never been my weakness. From my youth, I have always had a clear reality that one-tenth of all my increase belongs to the Lord. In this area, I have not strayed. I cannot afford unfaithful stewardship! The portion that remains in my family budget after tithe and offering has been returned has the blessing of the Almighty, and as a result, He provides unexpected ways for it to go further than if I had kept 100 percent and been guilty of stealing from God!  I recall one church where a parishioner placed a pumpkin in the offering plate and a box of lovingly preserved garden produce outside my church treasurer’s office. The discussion went from my board, up the ladder, all the way to the GC treasury. “How do we handle and disburse tithed produce?” The answer came back: take it to the area pastors’ meeting and divide it amongst them. The giver had very little monetary means but an abundance of home-grown food, and a profound conviction to return tithe to the storehouse. Could that be a foreshadowing of things to come? I also remember the time I accidentally “pre-tithed.” I generally use online giving at www.AdventistGiving.org. I put in the amount, hurriedly, and accidentally inserted an extra “0.” Those zeros make all the difference. Before the mistake was realized, I had clicked “make payment” and it was irreversible. I had enough money in the bank account to cover that mistake, but not enough to also pay our monthly bills. SoI knew the next day would bring all sorts of stress and grief when my mistake would cost me late fees and delayed payments.  Even the grocery list would have to wait. The next morning, however, I received a check from my dad. He had been impressed to help our family replace our car, and the Lord had put an amount on his heart to send us. It was the exact amount I had “accidentally tithed” the day before! At one point, my wife and I were working with the bank to obtain a mortgage. The margins were desperately close—we were within a couple of dozen dollars of the amount the bank required for confirmation.  Additionally, there was a qualifying hurdle we were struggling to accomplish and the bank was unwavering. Meet the qualifications, or no deal. The sellers would not consider an extension to the purchase offer and we were facing a firm deadline with seemingly impossible details to pull together. The night before the deadline I knew the entire transaction was likely to fall apart the next day. We felt trapped. I was praying for the Lord to help untangle the scene and He pointed out that we had fallen behind in our tithing. I argued with God. If I use that money, then we won’t meet the criteria for the bank. The Lord spoke back, “Will a man rob God?” I surrendered! I did the math, and late that night, went to online giving and settled my account with the Lord, knowing it would mean our family would not have the house we were planning on. Early the next morning our mortgage broker called and said, “I could not sleep last night. I was awake most of the night and I have decided to waive these extra requirements for your approval.” What!?! I could not believe my ears! So, whether my wife likes it or not, I still contend…if you are going to be a thief… best to choose another victim! Nathan James serves the Custer/Hot Springs church district in South Dakota and is the Dakota Conference prayer ministries coordinator.

If you’ve spent any time around kids, you already know something important: they are always learning. The real question isn’t if they’re being discipled, it’s who is discipling them and toward what. That’s where Adventist Christian education steps in. At its best, it’s not just about math facts, reading levels, or science projects. It’s about shaping hearts that know Jesus and lives that follow and serve Him. Let’s be clear: education is never neutral. Every classroom is teaching a worldview. Every teacher is modeling values. Every system is forming habits. So the goal of Adventist education isn’t just to add a Bible class onto a regular school day; it’s to create an environment where everything points students toward a relationship with Christ. That’s true discipleship. Ellen White puts it this way in her book Education: “True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study… It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man” (13). A few pages later she concisely clarifies this purpose: “The aim of education is to restore in man the image of his Maker” (15). That’s a big statement. That’s the end goal. Not just prepared students, but transformed lives. It reminds us that education isn’t just about what students know. It’s about who they become. Within the Dakota Conference, this commitment to transformation and discipleship is seen through intentional classroom experiences in each of our schools, where students have regular opportunities to actively engage in service outreach and giving. This helps shape a mindset where faith is lived, not just learned. Students conduct church services, raise money for missions, sing at their local nursing homes, or collect food and funds for their local food banks. Discipleship happens in both the planned and unplanned moments. It happens when a teacher prays with a student who’s struggling. It happens when forgiveness is practiced instead of just talked about. It happens when students are encouraged to serve each other, not just succeed for themselves. That’s not accidental; that’s intentional. A powerful reminder in Education says, “The work of education and the work of redemption are one” (30). If you miss that, you miss everything. Adventist education isn’t a side project to the mission of the church—it is the mission, lived out daily with young people. When a student learns to see God as their Creator in science class, that’s discipleship. When they learn integrity and honesty in their work, that’s discipleship. When they discover their gifts and how to use them for God’s kingdom, that’s discipleship. And here’s the part we can’t ignore: kids today are being discipled everywhere else. Social media, entertainment, peer culture—they’re all shaping beliefs, identity and purpose. If we’re not intentional, those voices will drown out ours. Adventist education gives students something different. It creates space for them to ask real questions about faith. It connects biblical truth to everyday life. It surrounds them with adults who are not just teaching subjects but modeling what it looks like to walk with Jesus daily. And modeling matters. Students don’t just remember what teachers say; they remember who teachers are. A caring teacher who reflects Christ can have an impact that lasts far beyond graduation. That’s why Adventist education places such a high value on the spiritual life of the teacher, not just their academic ability. So when we talk about Adventist Christian education, we’re not just talking about a school option; we’re talking about a discipleship pathway. A place where kids learn to think, yes, but also to believe. A place where they grow academically, but also spiritually. A place where Jesus isn’t just mentioned, but followed. And if we’re serious about raising up a generation that knows Christ and lives for Him, then we need environments that do more than inform. We must create and nurture environments that disciple for God. And that’s what Adventist education is all about. Lynnette Struntz (not pictured) is education superintendent for the Dakota Conference.