Mr. Derek strikes again! Make sure to come back each week as Hope’s Stewardship Ministry Director, Derek Sisterhen, gives us the skinny on various topics related to finances … God’s way. The stewardship series kicks off with the first post below.

Simplify.

If you’re like me, you’ve heard a lot of people throwing that word around on the heels of The Great Recession. For some it’s a mantra. They’ve responded to the economic upheaval of the last few years by purging their stuff, spending less money, and pioneering other fancy buzzwords like “staycation” and “recessionistas” (which, in case you didn’t know, are people who embrace frugality, but don’t want to be labeled as cheap).

I looked up “simplify” in the dictionary and it says this, “to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier.” But, doesn’t this definition imply that our lives were perhaps too complicated and too complex? We are talking about deconstructing something we, ourselves, previously built, aren’t we? We worked really hard for that, didn’t we? Why would we do that?

Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

We live in a culture that bombards us with the message that we are what we own (or what we’ve financed, but that’s another conversation for another day). Here is Jesus telling his followers 2,000 years ago that their identity is not equal to the aggregate of their stuff and experiences. Apparently the desire to acquire isn’t all that new.

So, what are the benefits of simplifying? We save some money, because we’re buying less and have less to maintain. That’s a positive, isn’t it?

What if in simplifying we also found ourselves focusing less on what others have (that we don’t), and more on what we’ve already been blessed with? Perhaps we’d be more satisfied with how God already provides for our true needs, and we’d be willing to supply those in need around us.

Live what you learn. Keep it simple.

You remember Mr. Derek, correct? No? Here’s a little refresher for you, then:

We’ve posted content from the wise Derek Sisterhen, Hope’s Stewardship Ministry Director, over here before and will begin posting more from him on a regular basis. God has used our Stewardship Ministry to change numerous lives at Hope and we’re always encouraged to hear your stories. Have any of you been directly impacted by one of our financial classes?

The Stewardship classes aren’t meant to be comfortable. As a matter of fact, they can be downright painful at times (you’re probably thinking, “This isn’t a very good way of promoting those classes…”).

This fall, 45 Hope families are becoming more fully-devoted followers of Christ by way of their bank accounts and wallets. Between Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) and Hope’s Financial Coaching program, these families have committed to being open and honest about their financial situation in order to engage what scripture has to say about money.

Part of openness and honesty requires these families to list how much debt they currently owe, excluding their mortgages. Like I said, it isn’t comfortable. But we have to understand where we are to plan where we’re going.

As a whole, these 45 families owe $1,596,576 in non-mortgage consumer debt. Everything from credit cards to car loans, medical bills to student loans is represented in that figure. This works out to an average of $35,479 per household.

Now, I can guess what you’re thinking: “Oh my goodness!” Most of us don’t realize the kind of financial stress the people sitting around us each weekend are under. And we also don’t typically recognize the incredible potential for these families as they apply God’s Word to their lives and begin overcoming the debt.

For example, if the average interest rate between all the car loans, student loans, credit cards, retail loans, personal loans and other consumer debts was around 10%, these families would pay about $159,658 in interest each year.

Now imagine when, with the debt elimination plans they’re developing in these classes, they pay off all their debt. On the average, each family would have nearly $3,600 each year to invest in God’s kingdom, just in the freed up interest!

Over 2,300 verses in scripture deal with money. When applied to our lives they yield peace, stability and flexibility to respond to God’s leading without the burden of too many financial obligations. In this way, we can “take hold of the life that is truly life” that Paul describes in 1 Timothy 6:19.

In the end, these families have 1,596,576 reasons to change so they can be significant players in Hope’s mission of reaching the Triangle and changing the world.

How many reasons do you need?

Check out what previous Financial Peace and Financial Coaching participants have accomplished!

Stewardship Ministry Director Derek Sisterhen shows us how to live a purposeful life through personal budgeting in Mr. Derek’s Money Show.

Hope’s Stewardship Ministry provides learning opportunities and resources to help you connect where you are financially with God’s truth for your life. Take the first step and visit our finance page today.

Who is the Parent?
Executive Director of Family Ministries Laura Lee

Why are parents allowing their kids to rule the home? When did the power shift to the child? When did our society start celebrating this shift of power?

In the book of Ephesians, Paul restates a command that was given thousands of years before to God’s people. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Read more at Hope Milestones.

We believe in a simple truth: God owns everything and He expects us to use well what He has given us to grow His Kingdom. Regardless of your financial condition, our classes, coaching and resources are designed around this truth and aim to help you become an even better manager of money. Hope’s Stewardship Ministry provides learning opportunities and resources to help you connect where you are financially with God’s truth for your life.