Below are frequently asked questions about the Good $ense ministry. FAQs pertaining to the Good Sense resources can be found here.

1. What is the foundation of Good $ense?
2. What is the Good $ense strategy?
3. What are the benefits of a Good $ense Ministry?
4. Who does the Good $ense Ministry serve?
5. What do I need to launch a Good $ense Ministry?
6. What is the Good $ense Ministry implementation process?
7. What is a Good $ense Ministry Champion?
8. Will people come to a course about money?
9. How important is the Freed-Up Course?
10. Should the church be talking about money?
11. Won't talking about money scare seekers away?
12. What are the common barriers to speaking about money from the pulpit?
13. Do small groups have a role within Good $ense?
14. What leaders does a Good $ense Ministry require?
15. What are the qualifications of a Good $ense counselor?

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1. What is the foundation of Good $ense?

Good $ense is built on a set of financial principles that reflect what the ministry believes the Bible teaches about managing money. The overarching and most important of the principles is the cultivation of a steward's (or trustee's) mindset, i.e., a mindset where one views oneself as a trustee, as opposed to an owner, of all they possess. Additional principles have to do with the four things you can do with money -- give it, save it, pay debt with it or spend it. The conviction that lack of a biblical understanding of, and relationship to, our money can imperil our relationship to God has motivated the development of these ministry resources.
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2. What is the Good $ense strategy?

Good $ense uses a threefold strategy. First, it provides courses that can be used to educate both Christians and non-Christians about biblical financial principles. Second, those courses also offer training on how biblical principles can be integrated on a day-to-day basis into one's personal financial life. Third, Good $ense provides resources and training that equip a church to provide free, biblically based and confidential budget counseling services to those who need assistance with their finances.
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3. What are the benefits of a Good $ense Ministry?

A Good $ense Ministry challenges us to "give careful thought to our ways" (Haggai 1:5-6). Most importantly, a Good $ense Ministry facilitates spiritual formation by removing money as a rival god. That leads to reduced stress in the lives of individuals and opens them further to the presence of God. The ministry also provides practical tools for better management of the resources God has given us. (A8 – A9) It often results in increased giving to the church, which resources the church to fulfill its God-given vision and to impact its community for Christ.
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4. Who does the Good $ense Ministry serve?

It serves people at all points along the financial continuum, not just people who are in financial difficulty.  People who are in financial crisis, who are one paycheck from disaster, who are in good financial shape, or who are handling their finances in a God-honoring way, will all benefit by understanding more deeply the biblical basis for a God-honoring relationship to our money and 'stuff.' and being trained in how to live that out..
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5. What do I need to launch a Good $ense Ministry?

The Freed-Up Financial Living Course is the perfect place to start. The free modified Implementation Guide (formerly $49.99) found at www.goodsenseministry.com/freedup/bonus provides a step-by-step checklist for starting a Good $ense Ministry. A free monthly email Newsletter provides encouragement and tips (sign up on the home page). Also, your questions directed to www.goodsensebus.com will be answered promptly.

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6. What is the Good $ense Ministry implementation process?

The Good $ense Ministry implementation process consists of four phases: Commit, Develop, Launch, and Expand. Each of these phases is broken down into detailed action steps in the Good $ense Ministry Implementation Guide.
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7. What is a Good $ense Ministry Champion?

The Ministry Champion is one who has a passion to help people develop God-honoring perspectives and practices on finances and feels led to initiate a Good $ense Ministry. This is the point person who leads the core team through the implementation process.
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8. Will people come to a course about money?

Experience has shown that people do attend and that attendance tends to grows during the second and third offerings as the word circulates regarding the benefits of the course. With pastoral teaching, advance publicity and assurance of confidentiality and that the course is not just about getting people to give more money to the church, attendance is often greater than anticipated.
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9. How important is the Freed-Up Course?

The Freed-Up Course is the core curriculum for all else that the ministry teaches and offers. Its applicability cuts across all economic levels and situations. It lays the foundation for other ministry offerings and provides a logical entry point for ongoing counseling. It also is an excellent opportunity to invite those outside the church to an event that is relevant to their lives.
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10. Should the church be talking about money?

Absolutely. The Bible contains some 2,300 verses about money and possessions. Fifteen percent of all of Jesus' recorded words had to do with money. The church cannot neglect a topic that God considered so important and that exerts such a strong, often negative, influence on peoples' lives and their relationship to God. The church that does not teach what the bible says about our relationship to money is simply not teaching the whole word of God.. .
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11. Won't talking about money scare seekers away?

No. The Bible speaks to the very money issues that concern many seekers, and it does so in "seeker friendly" ways. Much of what turns people off over the church talking about money is that it we often do so only in the context of a budgetary crisis or the annual "stewardship drive."
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12. What are the common barriers to speaking about money from the pulpit?

Money is often the "great silent subject" for pastors. In many cases, they have not received training or have not personally studied the second most mentioned topic in all of scripture. Sometimes it's because to talk about money is perceived to be self-serving. For some pastors, it may be hard to preach and teach with integrity when their own finances are not in order. There may also be a concern that people will get upset when the subject of money is taught. The Implementation Guide addresses these issues and recommends resources to help teach on the topic effectively.  See Vision Tools and Recommended Message Tapes for further assistance on this topic. 
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13. Do small groups have a role within Good $ense?

Because Good $ense Ministry serving opportunities are generally done "solo" (e.g. counseling), small groups are particularly vital to the Ministry. The ministry presents an opportunity to create several types of small groups:

• The Freed-Up Course can be taught in a small group format

• New counselors who complete counselor training
• Experienced counselors who would otherwise be unconnected
• Teachers who teach ministry programs
• Course attendees who want deeper study about specific money topics
• People who choose to engage in the counseling process in a group setting rather than one-on-one.

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14. What leaders does a Good $ense Ministry require?

The most important roles to fill (after a core team is in place) are the Good $ense administrator, facilitators and counselors. The Good $ense administrator is needed to set up and oversee the Good $ense Ministry office (even if it is only a file cabinet) and procedures so that the infrastructure is in place for teaching, training and counseling. Facilitators are needed to conduct new and ongoing Counselor Training and Good $ense Courses. In addition to offering budget counseling, counselors can be helpful by being available during course offerings to provide on-the-spot help and to answer questions.
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15. What are the qualifications of a Good $ense counselor?

A Good $ense counselor must be a Christian who models the principles of good stewardship and has completed Good $ense counselor training. A Good $ense counselor does not have to be a financial professional. Counselors who are financial professionals may not benefit in any financial way by virtue of their involvement in the ministry.