English Apostolic Mutual Newsletter Oct. 2023

THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2023

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A CULTURE OF GIVING By: Frances Fernandez

“But this I say: He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

Through His word, God teaches and gives the necessary resources to know how to give generously, especially when we talk about tithes, offerings, and future investments. Tom Davis noted, “Love is mentioned 714 times in the Bible, but ‘GIVING’ or POSSESSIONS is mentioned 2,172 times.”

1. GIVE THE BEST: One of the main priorities of giving to the Christian is

always to give the best for the work of God. We need to give what belongs to Him before attending to our needs and desires. For example, for the Israelites, this meant that whatever crops or livestock were produced, they would set aside to give first and best to God. “Honour the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10.

DIRECTORS & AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER EXECUTIVE OFFICERS JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ, CHAIRMAN ANDY PROVENCIO, VICE CHAIRMAN EDDIE CAMPA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARTIN AMADOR, SECRETARY GIL AGUILAR, TREASURER JORGE MONTES, DIRECTOR LEOBARDO MAFFEY, DIRECTOR SUZANNE VALENCIA, DIRECTOR YVONNE VASQUEZ, DIRECTOR GEORGE LOPEZ, DIRECTOR

2. SACRIFICE THROUGH HIS GENEROSITY: “In God’s economy, the

amount sacrificed always replaces the amount given.” Sometimes our giving is done with sacrifice. When King David went to offer a sacrifice to God, a man tried to give him land and animals at no cost. In 2 Samuel 24:24, we read King David’s response: “…Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer a burnt offering unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. In Luke 21:1-4, we find Jesus pointing to a widow who gave two coins as the person she gave the most. Because? She gave everything she had. She sacrificed herself. Jesus is less interested in what goes on the offering plate than what is left at home. The reason is that what remains at home as foam vanishes, and this can cause personal and family chaos. What is left in the offering plate remains because God knows how to multiply what we give sacrificially. God did not design us to be accumulators of the things that belong to His kingdom, but he designed us to be conduits through which his bounty flows.

LOAN COMMITTEE ANDY PROVENCIO JESSE VALDEZ EMMANUEL VASQUEZ MARIO PLASCENCIA ADRIAN DIAZ

FINANCE COMMITTEE GIL AGUILAR SUZANNE VALENCIA ISAI BAEZA

COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE

3. GIVING WITH JOY. God does not want a bunch of grumpy givers.

JORGE MONTES YVONNE VASQUEZ ERICKA JUÁREZ

STAFF

ABRAHAM MAFFEY, ACCOUNTANT ESTEBAN ROBLEDO, LOAN OFFICER EVA RODRIGUEZ, ASSIST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MICHELLE E. GONZALEZ, FINANCIAL ANALYST ELIZABETH ORELLANA-CAUDILLO, EDITOR TIMOTHY RODRIGUEZ, IT TECH DOMINIC MOSCHETTI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Would you reject a gift if it was accompanied by bitterness and reluctance? I think so! God is not interested in those kinds of gifts either. May God help us to give gladly and willingly. Thank God because He not only tells us how to give but also guides us, and he sets himself as an example. God gave the first, best, and only example of sacrifice. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Creator of all things gave

THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2023

“The culture of giving does not start in the wallet; It starts in the heart.” us a gift beyond comprehension, one that can never be equaled. We must ask God to help us be generous in our giving. We need to store up treasures in heaven, where rust and moth do not corrupt them, Matthew 6:19-21. Let us be joyful givers; even during a sacrifice, we need to reflect on the generosity of giving.

4. GOD OWNS EVERYTHING: “The earth is the

Lord’s and the fulness thereof; and they that dwell therein.” Psalms 24:1. We are stewards, not owners of

God’s riches. Matthew 25:14-30. We are blessed so that we can bless others, Galatians 6:10. It has been said that a person’s life is made up of the sum of his habits. What we do repeatedly determines who we become. Therefore, the best way to develop A CULTURE OF GIVING is to get in the habit of practicing authentic generosity. Always giving our best, sometimes with sacrifice, but with joy.

Remember, God is the owner of all things. We are His stewards, and everything He gives us is to be a blessing to others and His work to keep ENLARGING HIS KINGDOM!

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THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2023

HARVESTING BLESSINGS THROUGH THE CULTURE OF GIVING By: Elizabeth Caudillo Interview with Bishop Misael Zaragoza

In Scripture, the act of giving is often exalted as a divine principle that echoes through time as a melody of compassion and generosity. This very principle resonates vibrantly within the heart of Apostolic Mutual. Through an interview with Bishop Misael Zaragoza, we see the testimony of an investor whose life and endeavors have been enriched by the culture of giving at Apostolic Mutual. It’s an honor to witness how this culture has yielded tangible blessings and illuminated the profound interconnectedness between financial stewardship and spiritual enrichment that impacts communities outside his own.

BISHOP’S FLOURISHING JOURNEY

Bishop’s journey began in 2006 when his church founded a charter school with just 45 students and a dedicated trio of teachers. Today, that seed has blossomed into a thriving institution of 450 students and 45 employees. As the charter school operates under a 501c3, he explains that it stands as a testament to developing a culture of giving within his local church while also ensuring transparency.

A TESTAMENT TO FAITHFUL PARTNERSHIP

The investor’s partnership with Apostolic Mutual came to be when he decided to research the team behind Apostolic

Mutual. He came to see the integrity and expertise within the organization. Using his background as a civil engineer, he learned that the individuals at Apostolic Mutual were trustworthy and experts in the field. This insight led to his first investment of $100k and then $200k, a decision that has since grown to a remarkable $400k, with aspirations to elevate this commitment to $500k.

NURTURING VISIONS OF EXPANSION

“There is always something to do and a way to give!” As part of his vision, he plans to expand the current senior center by purchasing property adjacent to the existing facilities. The investor’s vision is on track to becoming a reality in 2024.

A RIPPLE OF BLESSINGS

Developing a culture of giving at his local church has opened many doors. His church finances are entirely funded by tithes and offerings. He manages the finances transparently and lets the congregation know that the monies will be used with the best intention and integrity.

Therefore, with what is provided through tithes, a portion

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is directly put into a CD with Apostolic Mutual, where he has already seen a significant return. With this return, he is able to bless missions and reach his community. He also shared that he pays it forward by blessing those who give at his local church by developing initiatives such as bible college scholarships and camp stipends.

NURTURING GLOBAL BLESSINGS

He expressed that on many occasions, aside from projects such as SEEDS, Reaching America, and Flor Azul, he uses the return on investments to bless missionary families directly on behalf of the church. They provide lodging, travel, and more for visiting missionaries. This is a testament to how God blesses this church for their giving heart. He puts it simply, “If you invest in the missionaries, God is going to bless you.”

SEEDS OF INSPIRATION

As we concluded our interview, Bishop Misael said that if he could give any advice to the leadership team, it would be to develop a culture of giving within their districts and local churches. However, it starts with the leader.

He encourages leadership teams to invest in Apostolic Mutual, no matter how little, and let God multiply and see the blessings. Apostolic Mutual, through investors like him, blesses and impacts people worldwide. Together, through a culture of giving, we can build the church.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS • QUESTION: HOW DO I PLAN FOR RETIREMENT?

Retirement planning is a process that involves estimating how much income you will need in retirement, how much you can save and invest for retirement, and what sources of income you will have in retirement.

• QUESTION: HOW DO I SAVE MORE MONEY?

One way to save more money is to create a budget that fits your goals and your daily routine. You can track your income and expenses for a month, and then use the data to set realistic spending limits and savings goals. Another tip is to use separate accounts for different purposes, such as emergency fund, retirement fund, vacation fund, CD fund, etc. This can help you stay focused and motivated to save for each goal.

• QUESTION: HOW MUCH MONEY AM I SAVING? IS IT ENOUGH?

Put a percentage to it. Once you look at the numbers, if you’re only saving 5%, see if you can bump that up to 10%. If your goals are more aggressive, perhaps that number will be higher.

• QUESTION: HOW DO I INVEST MY MONEY WISELY?

Investing your money can help you grow your wealth over time and achieve your l ong-term financial goals. You can invest in Certificates of Deposit or in IRA’s.

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THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2023

MEET DIRECTOR JORGE LOPEZ Jorge Lopez joined Apostolic Mutual recently as a Director in April of 2021. At an early age, he worked summers on farms assisting his father with a labor contracting business until he graduated from Western Apostolic Bible College (WABC) with a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Theology in 1975. He continued his education, graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in Accounting from California State University, Fullerton, graduating in 1980. He worked at CPA firms for three years passing the CPA exam and went on to work for corporations serving as a Controller, Vice president, and Finance Director, but mostly as a Chief Financial Officer. The companies ranged from 10 million to 300 million in sales. Upon retirement, he passed his Series 65, Series 63, SIE, and Series 6 exams to become an investment advisor (no longer practicing) and graduated from Online Trading Academy taking the Core, Futures, and Options courses.

Baptized at the age of 14, in later years he served as a local youth president, president of a 40-member prison choir, Hispanic Ministerial President of WABC, a district youth leader, editor of the national Messengers of Peace newsletter, National Youth Treasurer and later as National Youth Vice President. He also served as a consultant on various occasions to the Board of Directors of the Apostolic Assembly. He currently serves as the ELA District Treasurer and has been the Pastor of the La Habra Church in La Habra, CA since 1995.

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THE AM QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | 2023