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TCU 360

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All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

UBC offering program to help manage money

 

University Baptist Church Fort Worth will offer a program to teach participants how to eliminate debt and plan financially for the future.

 

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is a 13-week, biblically based program. Participants meet weekly to learn how to live on a budget, eliminate debt, invest for the future and shop for bargains. This will mark the third year the program has been offered at UBC.

 

“The ultimate goal in taking this course is you being in control of your money, instead of your money being in control of you,” past participant and program facilitator, Tommy Gilstrap said.

 

UBC Fort Worth’s college student minister Kathy Raines said Dave Ramsey, founder of the program, made millions in real estate, but while accumulating short-term debt.  After losing it all, he developed the course to teach people how to manage their money before making his same mistakes.

 

Video coverage of Ramsey’s class became available in 1997 and has since been completed by one million people at their workplace, church, military base, local nonprofit and community group, according to Ramsey’s website.

 

Raines said all ages are welcome to participate.  She believed something in the course applies to everyone, whether you are a high school student or a retiree.

 

“We have to meet our community where they are, and we all share the same needs anyway,” Raines said.

 

Many participants complete the program with a spouse or partner, Raines said.  UBC had a great response over the last two years from young married couples, young families and older couples.

 

“A lot of married couples don’t talk about money,” Malone Tate, past participant, said.  The program allowed Tate and his wife to eliminate their debt and retire.

 

The program teaches participants how to manage money, in how they spend, save and give it. As one of the class assignments, participants write out their own budget on paper.

 

“If you give every dollar a name on paper, on purpose, before the month starts…you aren’t scrambling at the end of the month,” Raines said. 

 

Tate said it helped writing down debt and showing it to others.  He particularly benefited from watching the diverse group of people help each other out.

 

Each week the class will watch about an hour and a half video of one of Ramsey’s seminars, Gilstrap said.  Following the video, the group will discuss, ask questions and apply what they learned to their respective budgets.

 

Classes meet Sundays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. beginning March 25, Raines said.  A preview session will be offered Sunday, March 18 at 4 p.m.

 

Cost for the class includes all course materials and a lifetime membership for $95, if ordered through the church.  If a member needs a refresher, they can find someone else offering the program, Raines said.

 

For information call 817-926-3318 or visit www.daveramsey.com/fpu.

 

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