Getting past the funk about money

We need to talk about money. Not because our church needs it but because if we don't talk about it as a family we set ourselves up to fail in our basic mission and vision for ministry. Jesus talked about money more than any other single topic in the Gospel. He knew its power to either bless or derail family life.

In our families we talk about money every single day in one form or another. Dealing with money is a part of living. It should be as normal in the church as it is in the home to have a running dialog about money.

Conflict or refusal to communicate about money is a major factor in marital dissatisfaction. If we don't talk openly about it, we put our families at risk. It's no secret that many families are burdened with large debt loads. People are searching for help and hope. If Christians won't help each other with financial planning who will?

Our conversation shouldn't be about the church's needs but each family's needs. We need to help each other plan a personal financial future. I want each member to live with margin and live on a mission. I want you to pay cash for your next vacation, save for your kid's college, save for retirement, and have an emergency fund and to live generously.

To help us do this we'll be offering "Financial Peace University" coming this January. It is an acclaimed course designed by Dave Ramsay to help people build a new financial future and restore a margin to their daily lives.

I believe that almost all people want to be generous. But many just don't know how. When you can't make minimum credit card payments, even a $20 gift to the food bank seems out of sight. Generosity can be unleashed when we get our own finances in order. We all struggle with this and most of us could use some help getting there. If this were not true then Dave Ramsay's book "Total Money Makeover" wouldn't have been on the bestseller list for the last 25 years! I recommend you prepare for the coming course offering by getting a copy of Ramsay's book from the library and reading it. Pray with your family and watch for the details to be announced about "Financial Peace University" at Highland United Methodist Church.