Did it work? According to two of the 29 students who took the money management course, the answer is yes.
“If you think it’s going to be just some boring class about money, it’s not. It’s actually really fun,” said Kath- erine Grabe, a junior. “The whole class was engaged. It was surprising, a bunch of teenagers talking about money at church.” Emily Nusil, a senior, said it was an opportunity to learn she wasn’t alone in her fears about the future. “They’re just as scared as you are about the rest of their lives,” she said.
The passion to teach youth about money emerged from participants of Financial Peace University, an adult curriculum offered at First. Brown began by teaching Financial Peace classes himself and then built a core group of leaders to also teach. About 400 people from the congregation and community, ages 18 to retirement, have participated. The course gives practical advice on budget- ing, saving and living within your means. “This isn’t new, it’s just common sense repackaged,” Brown said.
Participants aren’t obligated to share personal finan- cial information, although anonymous surveys during the course revealed that the average participant paid down $5,000 of debt and saved $2,000 during the 90 days of the class, a statistic consistent with the national program.
“If I’ve had one per-
son lament to me that they wished they knew this [before], I’ve had a hundred,” Brown said. “I’ve had adults tell me that the course saved their marriage.”
Another outcome of the program, Brown said, is that church giving goes up as people feel more secure with their household finances.
People became so
“pumped up,” he said, that they asked if something similar could be done for teens. An anonymous donor
DESIGNPICS For more information, contact Craig E. Brown at
craigb@firstlutherancr.org.
gave $1,000 to fund the youth course. Course structure is video and discussion. The video
features financial guru/founder Dave Ramsey, whose pre- sentations are funny and engaging. It’s the kind of humor that keeps both youth and adults engaged. Mary Grabe, Katherine’s mother, leads the youth team and is committed to teaching teens about money. “Part of my faith is to give back, and having a plan for your money can help you do that,” she said. “We teach our kids about life, we bring our kids to Sunday school, we teach them right and wrong, good and bad ... money is complicated, we have made money so complicated, we just need to have a better grasp on it. That is a gift we can give our children.” Both Katherine and Emily said they view shopping
differently after taking the course. They weigh choices before buying clothes and buy pieces that mix, match and maintain longevity. “I think twice if I’m going to wear it,” Emily said.
As for Brown, who describes himself as a spender while his wife is the saver, the rewards are abundant. “Getting the phone call or text two years later saying, ‘Pastor Craig, I’m completely debt free’—I can selfishly say as a pastor that maybe I’ve helped someone, thanks to God,” he said. “To see the changed lives is a pure joy.” M
June 2011 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52