Ania Norori, Director of Lilly Endowment Inc. Programs
MMBB’s Strategic Pastoral Excellence Program (SPEP), which provides pastors and their spouses with tools and strategies for financial wellness, has transformed lives and ministries. Throughout the course of SPEP sessions, we remind participants that the lessons they learn during their three years in the program help them best if they practice what we preach.
We chatted with five of our SPEP participants and asked them all the same question: What’s the one habit that you’ve adopted from SPEP that changed your finances in a big way?
Two SPEP attendees noted that budgeting and tracking spending was their top takeaway from SPEP.
“I am now actively vigilant in planning my spending and budgeting.” – Pastoral Leader
“Budgeting has helped me feel empowered. I control money; I tell it where to go. It doesn't control me.” – Pastoral Leader
Paying down debt aggressively was the top pick for two other attendees. Their spouses chimed in about how putting a damper on debt helped them and their partners as a couple.
“We are no longer consumed by debilitating debt.” – Spouse
“Learning how to become financially well will relieve a ton of stress in our relationship but also set an example for our children and our church.” – Spouse
The last interviewee felt saving and building an emergency fund was the number one habit they learned from SPEP.
“I feel empowered and understand how much control I have in my financial wellbeing. This program has given me a blueprint to start planning for the future.” – Pastoral Leader
Confronting the current state of their finances may have been challenging at first. But SPEP participants benefitted tremendously from taking stock of their money and understanding the effect that seemingly trivial decisions can have on their financial wellbeing. By putting what they’ve learned from SPEP into action, these MMBB members have taken control of their financial journey.
If you liked this article, you might also like “The SPEP Program: Looking Back at the First Three Years.”
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