Church course teaches financial management strategies
First United Methodist Church of Baraboo will host the first installment of a three-part class Sunday that ties together personal finances and spirituality.
Led by William Greenhalgh, a local estate planning attorney, financial adviser and member of the church, the course will offer a combination of biblical teachings and contemporary strategies to help participants achieve financial security.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer this class to our community,” said First United Methodist Church Pastor Marianne Cotter. “Our goal is to provide participants with a life-changing, inward journey to their spiritual centers, ultimately creating happier and more productive lives by increasing their understanding of what is considered enough.”
Participants will learn how to achieve stability using basic tenets of personal wealth management, while freeing up extra resources. Greenhalgh said one important aspect of the class is learning to combat overspending.
“The purpose of the class is to reexamine how we look at accumulation of wealth and things,” he said. “Particularly for people who have become overextended with respect to their spending habits and debt limits.”
Greenhalgh said the course, “Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity,” was developed through the church’s annual stewardship campaign, which encourages charitable giving throughout the community. Greenhalgh said he was interested in teaching the course because it’s beneficial to both the church and the community.
“This is about examining your own personal finances and learning some techniques to manage savings patterns and spending patterns that will profit you spiritually as well as providing you with more room than you realized you had,” he said.
The courses will run from 9:15-10:15 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 5 and Nov. 19 at First United Methodist Church. Greenhalgh said the first class will focus on how people get into financial trouble, the second will teach financial principals behind managing debt and savings, and the third will provide ideas for simplifying life and finances.
“A big part of this is a search for inner spirituality to help guide you and bring some peace and contentment to you to make you realize that you don’t need all the things that you might on the surface think you need,” Greenhalgh said.