Dave Ramsey's
FinancialPeace
UNIVERSITY
Dear FPU Attendees:
Thanks for a fantastic first class for Steele Creek Church of Charlotte! We had a great finish & I just wanted to thank you for participating through a long 13 weeks. You are to be commended for your faithfulness & we want to encourage you to continue on the journey that you started. For those of you who may have started the class, but were not able to finish it with us, I pray that you were able to go through it on your own and are applying the principles.
I would like to share a few numbers that we extrapolated from our class that may encourage you on your journey.
· $210,492 - Total amount of savings and debt reduction for those the finishing class
· 90 - Total number of credit cards cut up by the class
· $1,100 - Average amount saved per family during the course
· $2,887 - Average amount of debt reduction per family during the course
· 2 - Average number of credit cards cut up per family
We're always trying to understand the impact of classes like this & see how we can improve. Would you be willing to send us an e-mail to provide feedback to us? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on improvements that we could make, as well as any personal testimonies that you would share with us that we may be able to share with others to encourage them to participate. Please see one I received recently that is attached below. You'll notice that we will remove the names to protect confidentiality. If you do send me one, please let me know if I can have your permission to use it publicly or if you would prefer that I keep it confidential.
Thanks again for a tremendous class!
-Wes.
Dear Pastor Wes:
I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to share what Dave Ramsey's course 'Financial Peace University" has meant to me.
For as long as I can remember I've had a bad relationship with numbers. I've never felt comfortable or competent. I even wound up marrying someone based on my reasoning that he was so much better with numbers and math than I was. While that was true, he had some other major problems and we wound up divorced. And I was back, trying to get a grip on the money monster, alone. And now with a child.
I got to where I had given up on being able to handle money well--it never seemed to get better. I felt stupid and irresponsible. I was frozen-stuck. I cried out to God for help for more than a decade-and I never felt that I got any answers. I was in despair, feeling like I could never have good credit, never own a home-never even balance my checkbook. When I arrived at 'Financial Peace University' (FPU) my head was hanging down, literally. All I could think of was how badly I had messed up.
One of the first things we had to do was prepare a mini-budget. It took me about 3 weeks to actually do it-I was scared of it! But I finally decided it had to be done-I was enrolled in the class-and after all, I am a teacher. My FPU small group leader very gently encouraged me to get it done. That budget started one of several 'aha moments' that happened throughout the course. After doing the budget and looking at what money went where, I discovered something I kinda knew all along-I don't make enough money! It was very strange-and almost comforting-to see it on paper. Now I knew what I was up against.
Another thing that is highly suggested was that single parents get a mentor-someone to walk along side them in the process. But who would take on such a big responsibility with me? Who would want to put that much time into me? I finally asked my FPU small group what they thought I should do. They suggested I ask someone in my home fellowship. I honestly hadn't thought of that before! And that's how my mentor came into the picture. I asked and she almost instantly volunteered. Turns out she has the gift of administration. And boy is she good at it! But as wonderful as she was in helping me navigate through some of my financial landmines this summer, the best thing about my mentor is that she has BEEN THERE. I'm not walking through this on my own anymore.
By the middle of the course Dave was talking about mutual funds. Mutual funds?? I HAVE a mutual fund but I had no idea what it was! Retirement stuff…I don't know…Dave explained it so that I actually have a clue what it was I signed-and I didn't have to put toothpicks under my eyelids to stay awake either! I was now starting to look at things I was always afraid of looking at-keeping my checkbook current (it didn't have to be perfect right now-just as close as I can get it), finding how much debt I was really in (not as much as I thought-and was afraid of), and saving enough money so that when I have an emergency I can take care of it. He made it sound so simple-and did it in an entertaining way. I learned that I needed to maintain my 'four walls'-taking care of food, shelter/utilities, transportation, and clothing-before worrying about my debt. I can't even put into words the pressure that has taken off me.
But the best lesson was the last one-learning how to give. I felt that for most of my life I've been a taker, not a giver. I was always afraid to give because I could never give out of abundance-I didn't have any. But FPU sets that as a goal-to have an abundance so you can give it away-how cool is that? I want to do that too-to be able to have enough money left over to give it to others-maybe other single moms who struggle like me.
Every summer for 4 years I struggled to keep gas in the car, food on the table, keep the electricity and telephone on and all while being overdrawn at the bank-with all the fees that go along with it. This summer, because in the fullness of time God answered my prayer; through the generosity of this church and my home fellowship, there is gas in my car, food in my refrigerator, all of my utilities are on-and I HAVE (in the positive!) $252.00 in my checking account!! Woo-hoo!! A savings account has been set up so that a certain amount of money will be automatically deducted from my normal teacher paycheck so that by next summer I will have a normal monthly income to live on. I have a part time job that will help me save up for my emergency fund. I am also currently seeking a roommate so that I can save even more money.
August 29th I will receive my first paycheck since May 30th-and boy I can't wait! Because that will be when all of the plans will really start to roll. I can't remember ever being this excited about money. I can't wait to start using the 'debt snowball' to pay off my debts with 'gazelle intensity.' I now hold my head up, and I have something I haven't had in a very long time-hope for my future. Dave Ramsey and FPU CHANGED MY LIFE.
I don't know what you have planned for the future of this class but by all means do whatever it takes to bring it back. There are lots of hurting people out there who need this valuable course- not just single moms. God has gifted Dave Ramsey and used him as a miracle in my life. I will go anywhere and talk to anyone to tell how important this is. It has the potential to change lives. It certainly changed mine.
Sincerely,
FPU Participant
UNIVERSITY
Dear FPU Attendees:
Thanks for a fantastic first class for Steele Creek Church of Charlotte! We had a great finish & I just wanted to thank you for participating through a long 13 weeks. You are to be commended for your faithfulness & we want to encourage you to continue on the journey that you started. For those of you who may have started the class, but were not able to finish it with us, I pray that you were able to go through it on your own and are applying the principles.
I would like to share a few numbers that we extrapolated from our class that may encourage you on your journey.
· $210,492 - Total amount of savings and debt reduction for those the finishing class
· 90 - Total number of credit cards cut up by the class
· $1,100 - Average amount saved per family during the course
· $2,887 - Average amount of debt reduction per family during the course
· 2 - Average number of credit cards cut up per family
We're always trying to understand the impact of classes like this & see how we can improve. Would you be willing to send us an e-mail to provide feedback to us? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on improvements that we could make, as well as any personal testimonies that you would share with us that we may be able to share with others to encourage them to participate. Please see one I received recently that is attached below. You'll notice that we will remove the names to protect confidentiality. If you do send me one, please let me know if I can have your permission to use it publicly or if you would prefer that I keep it confidential.
Thanks again for a tremendous class!
-Wes.
Dear Pastor Wes:
I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to share what Dave Ramsey's course 'Financial Peace University" has meant to me.
For as long as I can remember I've had a bad relationship with numbers. I've never felt comfortable or competent. I even wound up marrying someone based on my reasoning that he was so much better with numbers and math than I was. While that was true, he had some other major problems and we wound up divorced. And I was back, trying to get a grip on the money monster, alone. And now with a child.
I got to where I had given up on being able to handle money well--it never seemed to get better. I felt stupid and irresponsible. I was frozen-stuck. I cried out to God for help for more than a decade-and I never felt that I got any answers. I was in despair, feeling like I could never have good credit, never own a home-never even balance my checkbook. When I arrived at 'Financial Peace University' (FPU) my head was hanging down, literally. All I could think of was how badly I had messed up.
One of the first things we had to do was prepare a mini-budget. It took me about 3 weeks to actually do it-I was scared of it! But I finally decided it had to be done-I was enrolled in the class-and after all, I am a teacher. My FPU small group leader very gently encouraged me to get it done. That budget started one of several 'aha moments' that happened throughout the course. After doing the budget and looking at what money went where, I discovered something I kinda knew all along-I don't make enough money! It was very strange-and almost comforting-to see it on paper. Now I knew what I was up against.
Another thing that is highly suggested was that single parents get a mentor-someone to walk along side them in the process. But who would take on such a big responsibility with me? Who would want to put that much time into me? I finally asked my FPU small group what they thought I should do. They suggested I ask someone in my home fellowship. I honestly hadn't thought of that before! And that's how my mentor came into the picture. I asked and she almost instantly volunteered. Turns out she has the gift of administration. And boy is she good at it! But as wonderful as she was in helping me navigate through some of my financial landmines this summer, the best thing about my mentor is that she has BEEN THERE. I'm not walking through this on my own anymore.
By the middle of the course Dave was talking about mutual funds. Mutual funds?? I HAVE a mutual fund but I had no idea what it was! Retirement stuff…I don't know…Dave explained it so that I actually have a clue what it was I signed-and I didn't have to put toothpicks under my eyelids to stay awake either! I was now starting to look at things I was always afraid of looking at-keeping my checkbook current (it didn't have to be perfect right now-just as close as I can get it), finding how much debt I was really in (not as much as I thought-and was afraid of), and saving enough money so that when I have an emergency I can take care of it. He made it sound so simple-and did it in an entertaining way. I learned that I needed to maintain my 'four walls'-taking care of food, shelter/utilities, transportation, and clothing-before worrying about my debt. I can't even put into words the pressure that has taken off me.
But the best lesson was the last one-learning how to give. I felt that for most of my life I've been a taker, not a giver. I was always afraid to give because I could never give out of abundance-I didn't have any. But FPU sets that as a goal-to have an abundance so you can give it away-how cool is that? I want to do that too-to be able to have enough money left over to give it to others-maybe other single moms who struggle like me.
Every summer for 4 years I struggled to keep gas in the car, food on the table, keep the electricity and telephone on and all while being overdrawn at the bank-with all the fees that go along with it. This summer, because in the fullness of time God answered my prayer; through the generosity of this church and my home fellowship, there is gas in my car, food in my refrigerator, all of my utilities are on-and I HAVE (in the positive!) $252.00 in my checking account!! Woo-hoo!! A savings account has been set up so that a certain amount of money will be automatically deducted from my normal teacher paycheck so that by next summer I will have a normal monthly income to live on. I have a part time job that will help me save up for my emergency fund. I am also currently seeking a roommate so that I can save even more money.
August 29th I will receive my first paycheck since May 30th-and boy I can't wait! Because that will be when all of the plans will really start to roll. I can't remember ever being this excited about money. I can't wait to start using the 'debt snowball' to pay off my debts with 'gazelle intensity.' I now hold my head up, and I have something I haven't had in a very long time-hope for my future. Dave Ramsey and FPU CHANGED MY LIFE.
I don't know what you have planned for the future of this class but by all means do whatever it takes to bring it back. There are lots of hurting people out there who need this valuable course- not just single moms. God has gifted Dave Ramsey and used him as a miracle in my life. I will go anywhere and talk to anyone to tell how important this is. It has the potential to change lives. It certainly changed mine.
Sincerely,
FPU Participant
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