PERSONAL FINANCE - COMPASS – FINANCES GOD’S WAY
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Number:
Semester:
Class Time:
Office Hours:
Professor:
E-mail:
Cell Phone:
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
None
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Give, Save & Spend Student Workbook
The Celebration of Discipline – chapter on Simplicity - Richard Foster, 18 pages, published
through Generous Giving and distributed free of charge.
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 as assigned.
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
Attendance
Class involvement
Group Notes and Quotes
Small group participation
10 per class
10 per class
Presentation
TOTAL POINTS
This is a Credit – No Credit class
Points
150
150
200
500
1000
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
2