By Doug Denlinger
Doug Denlinger, RLP®, CKA® is the Managing Partner at LifeGuide Financial Advisors.
August 29, 2025 | Field Guide
This is the first post in our two-part mini series, Faith in Finance. Read the second post here: Faith in Finance (Part 2): What makes a Christian financial advisor different?
When it comes to choosing a financial advisor, the choices can seem endless; How does Advisor A compare to Advisor B, and so on?
As Christians, we know that money isn’t the end goal of our lives but a tool to serve God and others. However, the reality is that money plays an integral role in our lives—and we’re called to steward it well!
In a world so often consumed by an ownership mindset (“This is mine; I’ve earned this.”), how can we live as good, faithful stewards of everything God has entrusted us with?
That’s where the right faith-based financial advisor can help.
Our goal with this article is to provide a bit of insight and guidance on how finding the right faith-based financial advisor for you and your family can help you manage and align your financial life in a way that honors God and supports your unique values, goals, and convictions.
A Christian faith-based financial advisor is a financial professional who shares your Christian values and can help you make financial decisions from a uniquely faith-based perspective.
While the question itself may seem obvious, the reality is that your choice of advisor and firm—whether Christian or not—will impact your financial journey tremendously. It can provide the wind in your sails to help you along your journey, or it can create a challenging headwind you’ll find yourself constantly struggling against.
While an advisor’s faith and worldview are one part of the equation, the firm they work for can impact their ability to incorporate Christ-centered values and beliefs into their financial planning and advice.
For example, a Jesus-following financial advisor working at an otherwise secular financial services firm may have limited ability to incorporate a biblical worldview into their services.
A Christian advisor working at a dedicated faith-based firm, on the other hand, will likely have a stronger ability to incorporate biblical teachings into their planning, advice, and investment strategies.
A faith-based advisory firm with a mission that extends beyond typical corporate mantras of just profit or growth can also focus on equipping and encouraging their advisors to advise clients from an eternal perspective. This means helping their clients think and plan on an even longer time horizon than the traditional “long-term”!
Final thought here: The ability for faith-based financial advisors to marry a biblical perspective with technical excellence requires extensive training and education. Christian advisors who attempt to do this as members of an otherwise secular firm often have a steep hill to climb.
Now, let’s take all of this a layer deeper. Because, beyond just understanding where an advisor works, you need to understand how they provide advice and make money.
The two key words to know here are “fiduciary” and “fee-only.”
You’ll likely come across these terms when searching for a financial advisor. And while we could write a book on what these terms mean and why they matter, for this article, we’ll briefly explain how they relate to finding a faith-based financial advisor.
The term “fiduciary” concerns how an advisor gives advice:
A fiduciary financial advisor is an advisor who is both legally and ethically obligated to work in the best interests of their clients and prioritize a client’s needs and goals over their own. Some advisors are only beholden to a suitability standard, so it’s important to know whether or not an advisor operates with a fiduciary duty.
Now, the term “fee-only” relates to how an advisor gets paid.
Being fee-only means the advisor’s only source of income is the fees they charge for their services. They don’t receive commissions or kickbacks on any product or service they sell.
The fee-only model minimizes potential conflicts of interest arising from commissions, providing greater peace of mind that your advisor is focused solely on your needs and goals.
All fee-only advisors are fiduciaries. Not all fiduciaries are fee-only.
When it comes to aligning your faith and finances, finding a fee-only, fiduciary, Christian financial advisor working at a Christian faith-based firm is one of the best ways to know whether or not your advisor has the freedom to fully integrate biblical principles into their practice.
By choosing a fiduciary and fee-only advisor who shares your Christian values, you can feel confident you’re receiving advice that’s in your best interest and fully aligns with your convictions.
Ok, we’ve covered a lot of ground so far! Still with us? Great!
To recap: We’ve learned that it doesn’t just matter if an advisor identifies as Christian; it also matters what type of firm they work for. We’ve also learned the importance of looking for a fee-only, fiduciary advisor.
Now it’s time to go one layer deeper still and talk about the kind of financial planning an advisor offers. (Oh, we’re deep in it now!)
Traditionally, financial planning is focused on the what: What are the client’s current financial circumstances? What are their near-term and long-term goals? What strategies will be employed to achieve those goals?
Financial life planning goes another step further. Rather than simply naming the “what”, financial life planning helps clients uncover and name their unique why—helping clients orient their finances and subsequent goals around their passions and what’s most important to them.
While financial planning and financial life planning can help you maximize your net worth, they can still fall short of helping Christians live as faithful and wise stewards.
That’s where a comprehensive, biblically-based financial life planning process (like our own Biblical Financial Life Planning) comes in.
Finding an advisor who offers a dedicated biblical financial life planning process can help you not just name your goals and passions, but also help clarify God’s highest calling and purpose for your life! And by marrying the biblical framework with sophisticated financial planning techniques, you’re set up much better to help you maximize your eternal impact.
At LifeGuide, we’ve seen time and again the value that this kind of personalized, in-depth, biblical financial life planning process can bring:
By working with a faith-based financial advisor who provides dedicated biblical financial life planning, you can align your finances with your unique calling—one with an eternal focus that acknowledges God and builds His Kingdom.
Ok, let’s switch gears a bit and talk about investing. While investing is an important aspect of managing your finances, it can be tricky to reconcile with Christian values. As a Christian, is it even possible to invest in a way that honors God and aligns with biblical teaching?
The answer is yes! And, even better, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer that applies to every believer. Your investments, like your plan, should be tailored to you!
This means that, once you have a comprehensive, biblically-based plan in place—identifying your what and why—the right faith-based financial advisor can help you design a personalized portfolio and investment strategy (i.e., your how) to get you there.
Fortunately, investing for a return no longer means disregarding what you’re investing in. Now more than ever, many investment approaches allow you to invest consistently with your faith and values.
One such approach to investing with Christian values is Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI).
BRI is a form of socially responsible investing that focuses on investing in companies that align with biblical values and screens companies based on criteria like whether they promote abortion, pornography, or other controversial behaviors. The goal is to invest in companies that support biblical values and avoid those that do not.
The underlying tenet of BRI is the belief that God owns it all—and it’s our responsibility to steward it wisely while we’re here.
Someone choosing to invest in a BRI model might think to themselves:
“When I invest, I want my dollars to reflect my values. Scripture calls me to pursue holiness and to ‘abstain from every form of evil’ (1 Thessalonians 5:22). I’m complicit if I profit from a company that promotes things I believe are harmful. For me, that means screening out companies that profit from practices contrary to biblical teaching. I may give up certain returns, but I’d rather seek to honor God with clean hands than maximize growth at any cost.”
Fortunately, BRI isn’t absolute or one-size-fits-all! Investing according to your personal convictions should be personal, and many Christians have different convictions when it comes to investing. It’s not the job of an advisor to dictate your values and beliefs any more than it is to tell you what your goals should be.
A good advisor should educate and inspire you and offer a range of portfolio options that match your informed view of your personal convictions.
Another one of these values-based or conviction-based investment approaches is impact investing.
Impact investing involves investing in companies focused on creating positive social or environmental outcomes. The goal here is to invest in ways that make a positive difference in the world while generating a financial return.
Someone choosing impact investing over a different approach, like BRI, might say:
“I believe investing is not only about avoiding harm but also about actively pursuing good. Jesus said that His followers are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14–16) and I want my money to be part of that light. If I can invest in businesses that are creating jobs in underserved areas, improving access to clean water, or advancing healthcare, then that’s a way I am actively ‘loving my neighbor’. For me, it’s not just about avoiding the bad. It’s about actively fueling the good.”
Let’s keep it going! Because beyond BRI and impact investing, some Christians may choose to invest in companies that prioritize ethical business practices such as, fair labor practices and environmental sustainability. Others may choose to invest in companies that prioritize giving back to their communities through charitable giving and volunteerism. Some may rightfully choose not to screen their investments at all, saying:
“I believe that God owns it all, and I’m just a steward. My priority is to manage resources prudently so that I can provide for my family and support kingdom work. I see investing as a tool — not a moral battlefield. If I’m not knowingly supporting something blatantly against my convictions, I don’t feel the need to filter every company. Instead, I focus on long-term growth and wise stewardship, trusting that the wealth generated can be used for eternal purposes.”
We share all of this to illustrate the reality that today, more than ever, you have many viable options to invest according to your personal convictions. And one of the best ways to create a portfolio that is both financially sound and consistent with your unique values is to work with…
wait for it…
the right faith-based financial advisor.
When seeking out a faith-based financial management firm and trusted advisor, we recommend narrowing your search to those who hold the Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®) designation.
The CKA® designation is the official designation given by Kingdom Advisors to faith-based professionals within the financial industry who meet the certification requirements.
When it comes to faith-based financial planning, Kingdom Advisors is the industry leader. Their training, certification, and advisor network help financial professionals serve their clients from a dedicated biblical perspective.
What’s more, it’s important to mention that obtaining the official CKA® certification is serious, hard work!
To become a designated CKA®, Kingdom Advisors mandates that financial planners must also hold the rigorous, industry-standard CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), ChFC®, or CPA/PFS designations, or have at least ten years of experience.
If you’re looking to find a Kingdom Advisor near you, check out Kingdom Advisors’ “Find a CKA®” directory search.
Here are a few additional places you may consider looking to find a faith-based financial advisor:
Bonus tip: Whichever way you find an advisor, be sure to check their Google Reviews. It’s a great way to see what their actual clients have to say about working with them.
At the end of the day, our prayer is that you can find an authentic, faith-based financial advisor group and personal advisor who can walk with you on this exciting journey—guiding you to make wise decisions and be a good steward of everything God has entrusted to you. And ultimately living deeply in the unique calling He has for your life!
If you’d like to learn how LifeGuide Financial Advisors can help you achieve financial peace and live your most faithful and fulfilled life, we invite you to book a free exploration meeting through our website, or call us at (717) 796-1700.
This complimentary meeting will help us get to know you and better understand your needs and what you’re hoping to accomplish through our work together.
Whether you’re looking for flexible hourly planning and advice through our popular LifeGuide Hourly service, or you’re ready to explore a comprehensive investment management strategy, the first step is to have an introductory conversation with our team.
With offices in Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, and Mount Joy, PA, we welcome in-person meetings for clients located in southcentral PA and surrounding communities. Virtual appointments are also available at any time, as we service clients across the United States!
Aligning your faith and finances can start with a simple, no-pressure conversation! Connect with us at LifeGuide today!
The information provided does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status, or investment horizon. All material has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. There is no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information, and “LifeGuide Financial Advisors, LLC” shall have no liability for decisions based on such information.View and opinions are subject to change at any time based on market and other conditions. Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results.Index returns are unmanaged and do not reflect the deduction of any fees or expenses. Index returns reflect all items of income, gain and loss, and the reinvestment of dividends and other income. Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.
When an investment process considers environmental, social, and governance factors (“ESG”), the advisor may choose to avoid investments that might otherwise be considered or sell investments due to changes in ESG risk factors as part of the overall investment decision process. The use of environmental, social, and governance factors may impact investment exposure to issuers, industries, sectors, and countries, potentially resulting in higher or lower returns than a similar investment strategy without such screens.