Why TALENTA?

Since leading a prayer group in middle school, I have been involved in some sort of ‘ministry.’ My career has taken me all over the globe (enough flown miles to circle it 24.3 times by the last count). Through that travel, I have been blessed with an ‘international’ collection of close friendships, mentors, and even some family (my wife is from the Dominican Republic).

Seeing first hand the faith of the global church has sustained, grown, and positively shaped my own faith even as my country (USA) deals with ever-increasing deconstructionism and cynicism toward anything Christian. The church is vibrant and experiencing explosive growth in many places around the globe. Yet, for reasons outside their control, many of my friends struggle to plan financially for what their lives (and, by extension, what the organizations they represent) will look like at the end of their careers.

I know that each country has its own unique challenges. Yet, something I hear from young leaders throughout the world is the challenge of caring for aging staff, who are transitioning from the rigorous responsibilities of youth, while also trying to afford recruiting/maintaining personnel for the organization. In my context, the USA, we often worry about the future in terms of "how comfortable will I be when I am older" rather than "what impact will my growing older have on my ministry." These challenges, in the long run, are profoundly impacting institutional viability. Since an institution is made up of individuals, the individual's financial stability directly affects the institution's overall stability. I cannot count the number of times I have witnessed organizations struggle with leadership transitions and long-term organizational strength due to the inability to plan financially. At the same time, I often hear from local congregants and international donors express concern about the long-term financial viability of ministries they have faithfully supported over the years.

The inability of Christian workers to plan financially is having adverse systemic effects on the donor, the worker themselves, the organizations they represent, and the communities they serve.

For many places around the globe, if a local Christian ministry fails or stumbles, there are significant life-threatening impacts on the community at large (for example, if a local church runs the only medical clinic in a region). For me, I just knew there had to be ways to solve some of these financial planning issues.

Like a gardener in a greenhouse, the growth of plants is not guaranteed, but given the right conditions and proper care, plants do what they do best, grow and bear fruit. Finances, like plants, can grow from small to fruit-bearing if given the proper care and conditions. Those of us blessed with retirement savings accounts, jobs that match our contributions, stable governments, and reliable banking systems have all we need to, within reason, financially plan for our future. But many of my friends are trying to grow plants in the desert. Not only are they contending with an inhospitable environment for growth, but the little growth they manage is often destroyed by various forces outside their control. 'End of ministry' financial concerns are one of the highest priority issues felt by workers and affecting long term organizational viability. This has become doubly true since the global pandemic destroyed many emerging markets/economies, and many Christian workers have seen their meager savings evaporate almost overnight with no hope of return.

Modern financial markets are far from perfect but, like modern medicine, they can be leveraged to serve the needs of our neighbors and help alleviate the brokenness of this world.

TALENTA started as an idea on a napkin, "How can I connect developing world Christian workers to the vast financial planning resources that are available to me?" That idea has morphed into a charitable financial ministry devoted to solving that problem. Judging from the feedback we have received, TALENTA is shaping up to be a game changer for donors looking to enhance and magnify their giving and, most importantly, provide a layer of protection to those organizations and individuals who serve Christ most faithfully.

So, for me, trying to serve God's servants financially is how I multiply the 'Talents’ God has given to me.

That is my "why TALENTA?"

For the kingdom,

Matt Childers