PERSONAL FINANCE - COMPASS – FINANCES GOD’S WAY

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Number: Professor:

Semester: E-mail:

Class Time: Cell Phone:

Office Hours:

COURSE PREREQUISITES:

None

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Your Money Counts: Howard Dayton

The Celebration of Discipline – chapter on Simplicity - Richard Foster, 18 pages, published through Generous Giving and distributed free of charge.

Finances God’s Way App– available online

TEXTS FOR COMMUNITY READING -

To be divided up and distributed among the class. Each book cohort will submit one reading report including quotes and notes for each chapter. Reports are due at the last class and will be electronically shared with the entire class.

Give: 10 Second Rule - Claire DeGraff

Save: The Salt Plan - Chuck Bentley

Spend: Go Green Save Green – Nancy Sleeth

Misc: Money and Marriage God’s Way – Howard Dayton

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:

The major objective of this course is to introduce the Biblical and practical foundational principles of personal finance.

Specific focus will be given to: a Biblical worldview of money and possessions, generosity, earning and work, budgeting, savings, investing, debt, and spending.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Text reading, scripture memory, small group Bible Study participation and practical assignments are expected to be completed prior to discussion date.

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Class Participation is beneficial to the class as a whole and to the individual. For the purposes of this class, participation is considered contributing to class discussions via questions and comments, having reading, assignments and videos completed prior to discussion, having regular attendance and participation in class activities and case-studies.

COURSE EVALUATION:

Component / Points
Attendance / 10 per class / 150
Class involvement / 10 per class / 150
Group Notes and Quotes / Presentation / 200
Small group participation / 500
TOTAL POINTS / 1000

This is a Credit – No Credit class

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Regular attendance is expected and is crucial to the community learning atmosphere. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for missed assignments due to absences.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

All work presented in class and submitted for review or grading must be the student’s own work. Research results must be properly and specifically cited. A violation occurs if a student represents work of other as his/her own, obtains unauthorized assistance in submitted work, or provides fraudulent assistance to another student. Any violation is considered a forfeiture of the assignment’s grade.

CLASS PROTOCOL:

·  Please be sure your cell phones are on silent, vibrate or off before class begins. Texting is absolutely forbidden.

·  Laptops are allowed in the classroom for taking notes only.

·  If for some reason you are running late, do not feel you should skip class. Please come in and quietly take a seat.

·  If you must leave class early, please tell me before class starts.

·  Please be attentive and respectful by refraining from conversations with each other during class.

·  Please refrain from laying your heads on the desks during class time.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Class overview:

Part A. Perspectives - Defining reality – God’s, The World’s and Ours

Module 1) Introduction – The Big Picture – starting with the end in mind.

Module 2) Faithful in the little things - starting right

Module 3) God’s part – It’s all God’s.

Module 4) Our part – the privilege of being a financial manager.

Module 5) Definitions of financial concepts/terms – getting on the same page.

Part B. Practical application - How to apply Biblical principles

Module 6) Income – God provides it, we earn it, and we don’t deserve anything

Module 7) Generosity – it does a body good

Module 8) Savings – rainy days will come

Module 9) Spending Part I – needs vs wants

Part C. Purpose - How to plan for your future

Module 10) Spending Part II – the power of a spending plan

Module 11) Your future – designing your legacy

Module 12) Global future - Dealing with Crisis

Module 13) Eternity – where you are heading impacts what you do now

Module 14) Reading Review Reports, Wrap up – launch with an action plan

Exam Week - Final

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