This Study Group includes a panel including Ron Blue, John Cortines, and Todd Harper. In this group, Ron Blue sets the stage for the importance of answering the “How much is enough?” question and then turns to research done by John Cortines during his time at Harvard Business School on the idea of setting a personal wealth cap. Cortines and his classmate Greg Baumer surveyed 200 Harvard MBAs, seeking to understand how a person’s Christian faith influenced their financial decisions. What they found among the few “outliers” of the study changed the course of their lives and careers! Todd Harper, president of Generous Giving, speaks to the power of a believer’s financial testimony to change the conversation in culture today. This study group will be a powerful encouragement to you, and it will equip you to have an important conversation about finish lines with your clients.
Ron Blue is widely considered to be the father of Christian financial planning. He is the founder or co-founder of Ronald Blue Trust, National Christian Foundation, Kingdom Advisors, and The Ron Blue Institute for Financial Planning. He is also the author of more than 20 books and has served on the boards of numerous organizations. Ron and his wife, Judy, have been married for 55 years, have five children and 13 grandchildren, and live in Bloomington, Indiana.
John Cortines is chief operating officer at Generous Giving, with responsibility for internal strategy and operations in sharing the biblical message of generosity. A native of Texas, John began his career as a petroleum engineer, spending time everywhere from the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia to the offshore platforms of the Gulf of Mexico. While studying at Harvard Business School, he began a journey of discovery on the intersection of faith and wealth, which culminated in a decision to leave behind a lucrative post-MBA job to work, speak, and write full-time on generosity. His most recent book is "True Riches: What Jesus Really Said About Money and Your Heart," while his first book is "God and Money." Greg Baumer is the co-author of both books.
John's greatest blessing in life comes from being married to his beautiful and gracious wife, Megan, and sharing in the joy of their three young children, Jack, Anna, and Lydia. John is a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA, 2015), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia (MS, Earth Science, 2011), and Texas A&M University (BS, Chemical Engineering, 2010).
Todd Harper, one of the founders of Generous Giving, has been actively engaged in spreading the biblical message of generosity for more than 15 years. In his current role as President, he acts as the key spokesperson, managing relationships with givers, and implementing strategies for advancing the generosity message. Todd's passion is to disciple others, and given his extensive experience in ministry leadership, major donor development, and philanthropic advising, he is particularly suited to encourage Christians to excel in the grace of giving. He and his wife, Collynn, and their five children live in Orlando, Florida.