Not So Impossible After All

The single moms who live at Homes for Families are on a journey of faith. They are building a relationship with God and learning how to be the mothers that He created them to be. In the past few months, they discovered that faith has a big impact on their finances as well.

STCH Ministries brought two of our programs together: a Faith & Finances class was conducted at Homes for Families to teach the moms about biblical principles of money management.  In the first few classes, the moms learned the basics: what the Bible says about money, how to create a spending plan, and how to save for emergencies. As the semester progressed, so did the depth of the topics. The women learned how to understand interest rates and avoid predatory lenders.  They pulled their credit reports for the first time and, in some cases, were a bit shocked to discover how many past mistakes were still following them around. The Faith & Finances instructor worked individually with several students to make an action plan and begin setting things straight.

Perhaps most importantly, the class taught this group of moms that their dreams are not so impossible after all. Debt doesn’t have to be a way of life, and poverty doesn’t have to be permanent. An education and decent job are within reach. One day, they can provide a safe and comfortable house for their children and even pay it off. Faith & Finances showed them how to stop living in a financial crisis and begin the slow, steady process of building a foundation for the future.

The moms recently celebrated the completion of the class and received their certificates, along with the Homes for Families staff who also took part in the course. Their graduation was held on the first day of spring—a fitting metaphor of the renewed financial life that these ladies are beginning.

To find out more about Faith & Finances, take a look at the latest edition of the Messenger. If your church or organization is interested in partnering with us to host a class, visit www.STCHM.org/FF to contact the office nearest to you.