Here we go on another great PIER Group adventure!  Bruce has looked carefully at our small group resources as he prepared his messages for this series.  Our small group resources are a combined effort of two great ministries.  Crown Financial Ministries may be new to you but they have been around serving the national and international Christian community with sound biblical counsel for decades.  Be sure to check out and refer your group to their website, Crown.org.  For years Crown’s Financial Bible Study (FBS) has been around saving marriages, setting people free from debt and giving people control of their finances in a Godly way.  FBS has been one of the ministries primary resources.  The study is however, too challenging and expensive for a broad spectrum of the church, it is 10-12 weeks in length, requires daily Bible study & scripture memorization, a book to read, and is $45 for a single and $55 for a couple.  All who go though the course swear that it is worth all the cost and effort.  Not too long ago Saddleback Church persuade Crown to work with them to produce a cheaper, shorter, less intense video based small group study that would be more broad based and still allow people to master their finances according to God’s plan.  At the same time they were able to insert into this new study the crucial 5 purposes from the Purpose Driven Life.  This week you are distributing and leading your group through these exciting resources!  As Bruce has said before, ‘All you have to do is slip in the DVD and press play!’  Well, here are a few more helps so you can have a great group.
 

Be sure to read over the features of the study on page iv in the study guide.  Here you will find a description of each section in the study and a recommended time schedule to follow.  DO NOT SKIP ANY SECTION!  If you do not have the 90 minutes to give to the session then plan ahead to shorten sections.  Remember, you do not have to discuss every ‘Discussion Question’.  In the first week you will begin with a ‘Looking Ahead’ section in stead of a ‘Catching Up’ section that will start all the other sessions. 
 

If your group is not full (12 or more) be sure to talk to your group about inviting others to join you.  According to financial statistics we all know people who need this study!  In the guides on page 105 there is a Circles of Life form that will help your group members consider who they can invite.  Be sure to look at all the Group Development resources to help you lead the group like goals, Prayer & Praise report, Calendar, Answer Key & Verses (pages 99-112).
 

God’s greatest desire is for us to hear his Word AND Do It!  Too often our effectiveness and success as Christians breaks down at the point of action and follow through.  The bookends of this study, Catching Up & Putting It into Practice, are dedicated to action.  Make sure group members understand each week’s assignment.  There are hard copy forms in the guide and a CD at the end of the guide for the homework.  If people know that each week they will need to meet with a spiritual partner or buddy to talk about how the assignment went, they will be more likely to complete the assignment!  Remind them that there is no need to share personal financial information during Catching Up or any other time. 
 

The final tool to handout to each couple or single is the Money Map from Crown.  The Money Map is new and is not mentioned in the video or guide.  It is simply a tool to help people see the ‘Big Picture’ of their finances.  You will notice that ‘Preparing for the Journey’ asks people to consider their Purpose, Goals & Foundational Principles in life.  Then they are given seven destinations along the journey.  According to the Money Map, you will see that Crown’s Financial Study is a tool linked to Destination 2.  So, that is how our seven week small group fits into the ‘Big Picture’ of the Money Map.