[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)-Churches interested in providing an active financial counseling ministry may elect to send leaders to Personal Financial Counselor Training, available through Church Stewardship Services at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Its goals are to offer solid educational grounding in scriptural principles of finance, consumer laws and techniques of budget and debt counseling. Counselors-in-training learn to share proven life-changing principles with persons struggling with financial bondage.
“We train persons to serve as volunteer financial counselors in and through their churches and associations,” said David Carter, stewardship specialist at LifeWay.
Gary Aylor, director of Church Stewardship Services, noted that “the individual or family budget is as important to funding kingdom activity as is the church budget — if not more so. It is inadequate to focus solely on giving. We must equip believers to manage 100 percent of their resources under the lordship of Christ so all can be free to join him wherever he leads.”
Church Stewardship Services offers personal financial counseling at every major LifeWay Conference Center program to any participant, including pastors, church staff and laypersons. A one-on-one personal, confidential meeting with a trained counselor may be scheduled.
“It is true that an enormous number of Christians are in financial bondage,” Aylor said. “Our dream is that a person could leave the conference center not only with a renewed passion and vision for his or her work, but armed with a plan that will lead to becoming an effective asset manager.”
[2]The Personal Financial Counselor Training begins with a self-study process in which 50 to 60 hours of assignments are completed. Participants then attend a seminar to improve financial counseling skills.
Cost of the training, including self-study resources, is $225. Registration may be made by calling 1-800-254-2022 or by email at [email protected]. A schedule of future training events and other information may be obtained by contacting Church Stewardship Services of LifeWay Christian Resources at (615) 251-2808 or by e-mail at [email protected].