There is one topic out there that influences almost everything we do in life. Whether we are children or seniors, it has an impact on how we live and what we do. The success of many marriages and relationships are directly influenced by this topic. It is constantly in the media and the news, and often on everyone’s mind. Considering the sad state of affairs in so many countries around the world, this should be of paramount importance. Yet there are few churches and church leaders that discuss this topic with their congregations.
The topic I’m referring to is money and finance. If most people were honest, they would acknowledge that their financial situation is tenuous at best. Debt in most households is at near record highs today. We are living over our heads in many cases, and materialism has run rampant. If you want evidence, walk down a nearby residential street and look into garages that are filled with ‘stuff’; so much so that the cars remain parked in the driveway or on the street. Few people have an adequate savings and investment plan and a lot of seniors are drastically underfunded when it comes to their retirement. Children are not taught basic Christian Financial Education in the schools (I know; I was a former middle school and high school teacher for over 20 years). They learn about money and finance the way most of us adults learn it; through trial and error.
I was both a teacher and a financial advisor for many years, and have now gone back to my Christian roots and offer education on money from a Christian perspective to churches and community groups. It is interesting that the most common response to my requests to talk to congregations from the many different Christian denominations have been negative. Pastors and priests and even elders in many of the churches (and I have contacted hundreds) either largely refuse to discuss this topic with their people, or shrug at the thought of an ‘outsider’ offering help in this area. Some have welcomed the opportunity, and others do have some type of ‘kit’ that they use with their people. These often focus only on the budgeting aspect of finance, and people are relegated to seeking other sources in order to get a good basic education on financial matters.
It is true that churches have come a long way in helping their congregants and others seeking assistance. They have set up kitchens to feed the poor, supported youth camps, opened up their facility to the homeless seeking shelter, and offered counselling on everything from marriage preparation and breakdowns to suicide and depression. All of these of course are on top of the myriad of things churches and their leaders do on a weekly or daily basis to serve the community. Still, the one topic that could really help families and individuals is a better understanding of money and financial matters.
Christians today really need to embrace the idea that God is our Source, and gratitude to Him should occur on a daily basis. They need to understand the concept of good stewardship in their daily lives, and receive some information on how to combat materialism and the constant bombardment they get from advertisers. There are so many references to money and finance and debt in the bible, yet few people focus on this as a good source of information in these areas. I am going to keep knocking on doors and calling people where I live in the hope that more people are willing to listen. I challenge you to start discussions on this topic where you live, and to begin formulating a plan to educate your fellow Christians on financial matters in your area. It is time we stopped spending more time on planning our summer vacation than we do our financial well-being. God Bless You in your endeavour.
Gary O
www.financialpain2financialgain.com
The topic I’m referring to is money and finance. If most people were honest, they would acknowledge that their financial situation is tenuous at best. Debt in most households is at near record highs today. We are living over our heads in many cases, and materialism has run rampant. If you want evidence, walk down a nearby residential street and look into garages that are filled with ‘stuff’; so much so that the cars remain parked in the driveway or on the street. Few people have an adequate savings and investment plan and a lot of seniors are drastically underfunded when it comes to their retirement. Children are not taught basic Christian Financial Education in the schools (I know; I was a former middle school and high school teacher for over 20 years). They learn about money and finance the way most of us adults learn it; through trial and error.
I was both a teacher and a financial advisor for many years, and have now gone back to my Christian roots and offer education on money from a Christian perspective to churches and community groups. It is interesting that the most common response to my requests to talk to congregations from the many different Christian denominations have been negative. Pastors and priests and even elders in many of the churches (and I have contacted hundreds) either largely refuse to discuss this topic with their people, or shrug at the thought of an ‘outsider’ offering help in this area. Some have welcomed the opportunity, and others do have some type of ‘kit’ that they use with their people. These often focus only on the budgeting aspect of finance, and people are relegated to seeking other sources in order to get a good basic education on financial matters.
It is true that churches have come a long way in helping their congregants and others seeking assistance. They have set up kitchens to feed the poor, supported youth camps, opened up their facility to the homeless seeking shelter, and offered counselling on everything from marriage preparation and breakdowns to suicide and depression. All of these of course are on top of the myriad of things churches and their leaders do on a weekly or daily basis to serve the community. Still, the one topic that could really help families and individuals is a better understanding of money and financial matters.
Christians today really need to embrace the idea that God is our Source, and gratitude to Him should occur on a daily basis. They need to understand the concept of good stewardship in their daily lives, and receive some information on how to combat materialism and the constant bombardment they get from advertisers. There are so many references to money and finance and debt in the bible, yet few people focus on this as a good source of information in these areas. I am going to keep knocking on doors and calling people where I live in the hope that more people are willing to listen. I challenge you to start discussions on this topic where you live, and to begin formulating a plan to educate your fellow Christians on financial matters in your area. It is time we stopped spending more time on planning our summer vacation than we do our financial well-being. God Bless You in your endeavour.
Gary O
www.financialpain2financialgain.com