Financial Peace University (FPU) is a Dave Ramsey program, which  will take place on Tuesday nights from 6:30 until 8:00 or 8:30*, starting June 9.  We'll have snacks and child care every week and we'll be finished with the whole thing in time for the start of the school year.  The program can be done online in the comfort of your own home - you can keep up on your own if you happen to miss a session or two, or you can do the whole thing alone if you like.  The program is meant for the parish community to do it together, so we advise you to consider taking part on Tuesdays nights with everyone else if at all possible.

FPU works for a number of reasons.  1) It's faith-based and draws upon logic and reason as well as what we learn from Sacred Scripture regarding money, debt, affluence/prosperity, saving for the future, and charitable giving.  2) Dave Ramsey gives it to us straight.  FPU is not a "quick fix" sort of thing but details the one way to build wealth and reduce debt and excess spending.  While Dave Ramsey certainly didn't invent the solution (the solution is indeed quite timeless), he nicely explains what the solution is and how to commit to it with focus and confidence.  3) It builds upon community and the fact that a parish is an ideal place to come together in such ways, to support one another and build one another up in daily life.  4) It's a "one step at a time" program.  Everyone is at a specific point on their journey of financial independence/prosperity, and Dave Ramsey addresses the needs and goals for all those major phases.  As such, you walk away knowing what to do next.  The future can be overwhelming at times, and we do best as human beings when we focus exclusively on what we can immediately control... while leaving the rest for tomorrow and the Holy Spirit.

To be just a bit of a stinker: EVERYBODY.  Literally all of you are invited.  However, the program is most specifically meant for young married couples starting out their adult lives.  I'd say the next group he'd focus on would be unmarried people between 19 and 40 years old, who are either in debt or struggling to make ends meet while living paycheck-to-paycheck.  That being said, older folks and children are most certainly free to attend.  Even if you are doing well at saving for the future and are already a charitable giver, you still stand to learn something at FPU.

Get home from work, have a meal around 5:30 or 6:00, show up at the parish at 6:30.  We'll start with the video of the evening, which will be about an hour long.  Snacks, water, and coffee will be available.  The video will be over around 7:30 and we'll shift to a large group-style conversation where we'll share our comments or reflections on the video and/or the topic of the day.  You'll be free to leave at 8:00 if you're in a bit of a hurry, and some of will carry on until 8:30 at the latest.  The kids will be free to head over to the child care area when you arrive, and we'll have at least two safeguarded adults every night.  If, at any point, you want to check in on your kids, you can certainly take a break and head over to the child care area.  The kids will also be free to come back to the parish hall if they need or want you... on the condition that they're quiet enough for people to be able to concentrate on the video.

Please strive to spend at least 90 minutes at FPU as the sharing bit is just as important as the video itself.  After all, if it were just a video, we could all do this at home.  Heck, half of us would binge those videos in a weekend if we could!  But as someone who's done this before, the literal information is only a part of the program.  Sharing and reflecting our thoughts as a parish community is a bigger part of the process than you can appreciate before experiencing it yourself.  So I am asking you to make the time, over several weeks, and to trust the system.  There's a reason this is such a popular program for financial wellness!

For now, please sign up so we can get an accurate count.(Use the sign-up form on this page.) All we really need ASAP is your household name, how many people will attend FPU, and how many kids will be present at child care (for at least one session**).  The full cost of the program, divided among 75 families, is about $65.  We're asking for a baseline donation $25 per household to help cover the cost of the textbooks and the other materials for the program.  The parish will happily cover any remainder of the cost.

Yes, we will have at least two safeguarded adults every week.  The kids will be free to head over to the child care area when you arrive.  If, at any point, you want to check in on your kids, you can certainly take a break and head over to the child care area.  The kids will also be free to come back to the parish hall if they need or want you... on the condition that they're quiet enough for people to be able to concentrate on the video.

We realize that you may not bring your kids to every session without exception.  When you sign up, please let us know the number of kids who may need child care.  If they have somewhere else to be on a Tuesday night, we totally understand.  Child care is a service to our parents, not an obligation!

While sharing experiences and/or financial situations in a group setting is a part of the process, no one will be forced to divulge sensitive information and no one will be pressured to answer any questions they’re uncomfortable with.  If you want to show up and be a silent participant, you will not be the only one.  Literally everyone has something to learn here, so come as you are and know that the program will not push you out of your comfort zone if you’re not ready for that.