Crown Financial (s/o of the DR thread)

[shinyhappypeople]

Can someone tell me more about how Crown Financial works? I found the web site, but it's a little overwhelming. Where should I begin? Is there a specific book I should read first?

[Starr]

There is a whole program with a work book. Our church had classes but I didn't take them.

[Starr]

I want to add that it was well received!

[DawnM]

DH and I teach classes at our church at least once per year. It is a 10 week class and well worth your time (2 hours per session).

 

I think it would be hard to do the program without the class as the website is really an additional resource for those who have taken the class.

 

It is more than just a budget for sure and we have seen marriages healed and miracles happen. One gal had a part go out on her van. The dealer told her it would be $900 or more to fix it. We all prayed! She was able to mention this issue to a friend who knew a friend, who connected her to a junk yard where there just happened to be the exact part on an otherwise totaled vehicle. She got it and got it installed for a total of $250!

 

It is definitely a CHRISTIAN program. We had a gal who was not really interested in the Christian aspect of the program and I think she thought it would be more like Dave Ramsey (who can appeal to non-Christians better IMO). She had a very hard time with it and finally dropped out by the 5th week. I personally don't think she was ready for the financial end of the program either.

 

We LOVE Crown and it changed our lives. We no longer have debt other than mortgage and I wish we didn't even have that! We have 6 months in an emergency fund, we did get a refi for a 15 year loan.

 

Dawn

[caitlinsmom]

I looked into Crown Financial Ministries years ago. I remember printing out the money map and a few other things to get going. I heard about them on our local Christian radio and I loved their advice. When I checked for classes in our area there were none available. So off to DR I went (not his class just books).

 

DawnM- What do you like about Crown more?

[DawnM]

Crown has 10 sessions. Each addresses a different aspect of Christian Finance in ways that DR does not. It also pre-supposes that 100% of the money you have is the Lord's. One even agrees to sign a statement giving all you have to the Lord and agreeing to do with it as HE sees fit. DR does give lip service to that notion, but I don't think he carries it to the extent that Crown does.

 

I am not saying that DR is greedy at all, as stated by some in previous threads, but Crown sees what they do as a MINISTRY and not a financial gain. The statistics they have drawn over the past 30 years shows that churches that provide Crown see an increase in tithe (due to debt free living and resources given) and in missions.

 

The 10 sessions have the following titles:

 

1. Intro

2. God's Part/Our part

3. Debt

4. Counsel (seeking wise counsel in our finances)

5. Honesty

6. Giving

7. Work

8. Investing

9. Perspective

10. Eternity

 

This is really just the tip of the iceburg. We got (and continue to get) so much out of Crown.

 

DH is an accountant and knows the ins and outs of financial planning from a purely numbers perspective, but he wanted to know God's perspective on saving, spending, and retirement so he got interested in Crown after listening to Howard Dayton on the radio. It has done so much for our money, our spiritual walk, and our marriage overall that I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

Dawn

 

I looked into Crown Financial Ministries years ago. I remember printing out the money map and a few other things to get going. I heard about them on our local Christian radio and I loved their advice. When I checked for classes in our area there were none available. So off to DR I went (not his class just books).

 

DawnM- What do you like about Crown more?

[happypamama]

Not super familiar, but a relative who is a certified Crown counselor has worked one-on-one with several people to help them figure out budgeting, what to sell, etc. It seems very mentor-y, and I think the personal, individual attention (either to an individual or a couple) is really helpful. I get the feeling that this relative works with people outside of a class too -- maybe they do the class and then get follow-up individual/couple counseling? Not sure.

[LizzyBee]

Our church used to offer Crown Financial, but now uses DR's Financial Peace instead. I think we paid about $60 for Crown some years ago, so $99 for FPU some years later doesn't seem unreasonable by comparison. I am a CPA, and found no fault with any of the financial advice offered in the Crown books. However, the text-proofing drove dh and me crazy. They tried to make every opinion into the only Biblical opinion, and in order to do so, they took verses out of context. Some of the questions in the workbook were just impossible to answer because they tried to make the Bible say things it doesn't say. OTOH, DR gives sound advice without trying to make all of his opinions into the only Biblical choice. I much prefer DR materials for that reason. I haven't done FPU, but we own several DR books and I like them a lot.

[RayDad]

Try Dave Ramsey. It is great. You can get a lot of info from his website for free. I would suggest reading some of his books. You can get them at the library most places. They also offer financial peace university a course that meets in most areas from what I understand you can go to the first class for free to see if you like it. We started using Dave Ramsey stuff 7 years ago and it has totally changed our lives. We give away his books as wedding presents. We have seen a lot of lives changed by implementing his 7 baby steps. When you get done with 3rd step your life is forever changed.