Saving Grace — Series on Wesleyan Approach to Financial Well-Being
Saving Grace is a program designed to teach about financial well-being and provide tools to help with managing, giving, saving, spending and debt. The Christian-based program incorporating Wesleyan values consists of six lessons, with three special sections specifically written for clergy. The clergy sections cover the unique rules that apply to pastor compensation, clergy taxes, and pastoral financial leadership, including tips on preaching about money.
There are videos associated with each lesson. Former Virginia Annual Conference pastor (now Bishop), the Rev. Tom Berlin, is one of the hosts in the videos. The videos offer realistic, real-world tips, perspectives and approaches to implementing the best practices identified in the lessons.
Over the past year, the Virginia United Methodist Foundation (VAUMF) teamed with Virginia United Methodist Pensions, Inc. (VUMPI) to offer two clergy programs of Saving Grace. Because they were open to clergy throughout the Conference, the sessions were done by Zoom and totaled seven sessions, including an introduction plus the six lessons. Courses were offered in post-Easter spring of 2023 and January through February of 2024. The course was held during the workday once a week. For clergy who were able to participate in six of the seven sessions, continuing education unit (CEU) credit was available.
God expects us to be good stewards of God’s resources. Everything we receive belongs to God, so that includes managing money well. Sometimes that can be quite difficult, especially as we live in a high-cost area and may not have a commensurate high income. If we were never taught how to manage debt or determine what is appropriate debt, nor the importance of how to live beneath our means, managing money can be challenging as many demands compete for those resources.
Saving Grace offers relevant, Christian-based methods, techniques and ideas for gaining and maintaining control of your money, so it does not control you. The cost of the clergy workbook is less than $25. The workbook includes forms and even offers PDF versions with built-in calculating. Some homework is required before the course starts to help you understand where you are, what your values are, what your actual priorities are, and perhaps why you are in your current financial shape. There are also forms to help you develop a spending plan. However, at no time are you ever asked to divulge personal financial information.
The group discusses and shares ideas along with the challenges of following the program. The instructors are experienced and knowledgeable about money management, clergy compensation and clergy taxes. There are usually three instructors, all of whom are willing and able to answer detailed or more personal questions off-line.
If this course sounds like it could benefit you or a colleague, please reach out to us and we will make sure you receive a direct invitation the next time Saving Grace is offered. If you have a preference for evening over daytime, please share that as well. In summation, stewarding God’s resources and learning things to help you in your job as a clergy member should certainly be considered part of your job deserving of an hour and a half once a week, don’t you think? This is a chance to learn how to better do what God calls us to do – steward God’s resources in a way pleasing to God.
By Brad Duty, Foundation Services Advisor
email: bradduty@vaumc.org
