Crown Financial
- Why should every church have some kind of financial ministry?
- Much of life revolves around the use of money. How much time do people spend earning money in their job? How much time do they ‘think’ about money?
- How we handle money affects our fellowship with the Lord. “If therefore, you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?”
- Possessions compete with the Lord. “No one can serve two masters … you cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24
- Many Christians are not spending their money in eternally significant ways.
- Giving, as a % of income is lower now then it was in 1933 during the Great Depression.
- Most people have not been trained to steward their resources.
- Where did you get your knowledge? Parents? Church? School of Hard Knocks? Madison Avenue or Hollywood?
- What is the best program available?
Almost all churches have tried some form of a ‘financial program’. Some churches bring in outside experts (such as ‘Clement Ministries’) to teach a one-time finance seminar. Some churches adopt material from noted experts in Christian Finance (Ron Blue, Jerry Tuma, Austin Pryor, etc.). Other churches have tried developing their own financial program. Some churches rely on an informal network of lay people who “know about money” to help church members.
However, the single best program available is Crown Financial Ministries. This program will train and equip lay leaders in your church to start and sustain an ongoing comprehensive biblical financial training program. One of the beauties of the program is that once the program gets started, it will always be available to you as a tool to help your body in a very practical way.
What is Crown Financial Ministries?
Crown Financial Ministries was created in 2000 by a merger between Larry Burkett’s Christian Financial Concepts organization and Howard Dayton’s Crown Ministries. Larry Burkett’s program ministers to the masses through radio and seminars and Howard Dayton’s program was focused on small group discipleship within the church. Larry and Howard found that they shared a similar passion and decided that they could be more effective together then apart.
The mission of Crown Financial Ministries is to “Teach people God’s financial principles in order to know Christ more intimately and to be free to serve him.”
Crown operates under the authority of the local church. If your church needs assistance, other FCCM Crown leaders are waiting for the opportunity to serve you or your lay people in any way possible.
Crown has many different resources available. The two lynchpins of an effective financial ministry are.
- Adult Small Group Study - The Adult Small Group Study consists of 5-12 students who meet together for a 2 hour class each week for 12 weeks. 1 hour of homework is required (Memorize one verse per week, complete practical applications, and pray for each other.) People’s lives are changed through this 12-week study. Think about the dynamics that are at play in this small group. People discuss money (No one is ever embarrassed) which is usually near and dear to their heart. They memorize scripture. They study the bible. They discuss their answers to homework questions. AND, they hold each other accountable. (Students are not allowed to answer a question in class if they did not complete their homework). In other words, people are “set-up” to learn and apply God’s truths to their lives!
- Budget Counseling Program - The budget counseling program is a “one on one” teaching/training ministry. This program is a must have tool to help the person who is overwhelmed with his/her finances. The primary goal of this 3 month counseling is to help an individual organize his/her bills, and learn how to manage finances in a very practical hands on way.
Another exciting part of the Budget Counseling program is outreach beyond your church. When your church implements the budget counselor program, the Larry Burkett Money Matters radio show will refer callers (who call the 1 800 number) to the closest church that has a budget counseling program.
- What benefits can I expect in my church?
Upon implementing the Crown program, the most impressive benefit to your church will be the spiritual growth you will see in the people who lead and attend the classes. One survey showed that 3 out of 4 graduates indicated that they increased their Bible study time and prayer life as a result of the class.
Additionally, individual debt will be reduced, savings will be increased, and charitable giving will increase dramatically. One survey showed that charitable giving increased by 50% upon completing the study.
Remember, most people have not been comprehensively trained on how to be a good steward of the resources God provides. The church can and should step up to fill this void in our society. The Crown program is dedicated to helping you fill this void.
- I’m interested, what should I do?
Only two things are required to get started.
- Identify an effective church coordinator
- Obtain Sr. Pastor approval to try the program
The Church Coordinator is usually a layperson. The pastor and/or church leadership should select him. He should have a genuine desire to help train others to handle money God’s way. He should have the ability to help recruit people to serve on the Crown church team. He should NOT lead any fund raising programs within the church.
The Pastor must actively support the program, promote Crown publicly, and encourage the Church Coordinator and the church team. But the best part is … Crown is designed to NOT require much of the pastor’s time.
Contact Andy Blakeslee (Restoration Crown Coordinator) if you have any questions.
Phone: (817) 233-1397 eMail:
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Go to www.crowndfw.org for more information about Crown locally in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Crown also has a national website. www.crown.org
When you are ready to start, your two leaders will order materials ($88/each), they will do 10 hours of homework and they will attend a 6-hour leader orientation class.
Don’t delay. Get started.
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