Faithful Stewardship: A Christian Guide to Personal Finance and Investments

Faithful Stewardship is a 32-week online course designed for high school students, with Grade 8 students welcome if prerequisites are met. Meeting once per week, this engaging and practical elective introduces students to Biblical principles of stewardship alongside essential financial skills, equipping them to make wise, responsible decisions about money. The course explores key financial topics such as work and planning, budgeting, debt management, saving and compound interest, virtuous financial habits (generosity, patience, and delayed gratification), account types and tax implications, and various investment options including stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, gold, and cryptocurrency. Students also examine careers opportunities and educational choices. Rather than advocating for specific investments or approaches, the course provides a balanced understanding of the strengths, risks, purposes, and Biblical considerations of different financial instruments and strategies, including concentration or diversification, rebalancing, dollar-cost averaging, and long-term vs. short-term thinking. This course is designed to be thought-provoking but not overwhelming, ideal for students looking for a fun and insightful elective without heavy assignments. Homework is minimal, consisting mainly of short readings and simple reflections for class discussions. Students will also participate in an interactive Stock Market Game, along with practical applications in budgeting, debt management, and career exploration. Class time is dedicated to these activities. There are no essays or intensive projects, making it a great choice for students with demanding schedules. Students will learn not just financial literacy but also the virtues of stewardship, generosity, patience, and long-term planning, drawing from the wisdom of Scripture and insightful resources like The Richest Man in Babylon and Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?. Through real-world simulations, interactive discussions, and hands-on activities, students will build confidence in managing money while understanding how financial wisdom can be used to serve others and glorify God.

Feedback from a parent:

My 15-year-old son has learned much in the Financial Stewardship course. As a result of the class, he will now enter into conversations about financial topics and obviously knows what he is talking about. The teacher has the students writing weekly short discussion posts to show what they have learned from the required reading. Even better, assigns good projects to apply learning to real situations the students may face in the future. The teacher has responded very quickly whenever my son or I have emailed him a question. I would recommend this course to all high school students because everyone needs to learn how to manage money in a healthy manner.

Feedback from a student:

“Mr. Belfry’s Finance class is excellent. Before this class, I had no knowledge of budgeting, how to deal with debt, and no understanding of stocks and the stock market. Because of this class, I now understand and know how to implement different strategies concerning stocks, budgets, and debt.”

Watch the course intro video with instructor, Peter Belfry

Quarter 1

Biblical Foundations of Finance and Stewardship

• Biblical Stewardship and Economic Principles (Exploring Biblical foundations for managing resources responsibly)
• Work, Saving, and Planning (Understanding the role of work, saving, and planning in stewardship)
• Budgeting and Debt Management (Building effective budgets and avoiding debt traps)
• Introduction to Inflation and Monetary Policy (Understanding how money loses value over time and its real-world effects)

Quarter 2

Building Financial Skills and Habits

• Saving and Compound Interest (Growing wealth through consistent saving and the power of compounding)
• Virtuous Financial Habits (Practicing generosity, patience, and delayed gratification)
• Refining Budgets and Managing Challenges (Adjusting budgets to handle financial uncertainties and economic pressures)
• Reflecting on Investment Strategies and Decision-Making (Reviewing early lessons and preparing for deeper investing concepts)

Quarter 3

Investments and Wealth Growth

• Introduction to Investing (Core concepts of stocks, bonds, and basic market principles)
• Diversification and Investment Options (Exploring ETFs, mutual funds, gold, and cryptocurrency)
• Account Types and Tax Implications (Understanding different accounts (Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, 401(k), HSA, taxable brokerage) and how taxes affect investing)
• Careers and Long-Term Planning
• Introduction to the Stock Market Game (Overview of the game rules, team roles, research fundamentals, charts, initial planning, and team strategies, starts mid February)

Quarter 4

The Stock Market Game and Real-World Application

• The Stock Market Game (Active participation in the simulation, including trading, portfolio management, teamwork, and collaborative decision-making. Goes from mid February to mid May)
• Market Analysis, Risk, Volatility, and Time Horizons (Assessing risk tolerance, understanding market swings, and matching investments to short-term vs. long-term goals)
• Diversification, Asset Allocation, and Portfolio Evaluation (Adjusting portfolios, rebalancing, and evaluating performance during the game)
• Best and Worst Stock Picks Competition (Students individually select and defend one stock they believe will perform best and one they believe will perform worst during the game.
• Final Reflections on Stewardship and the Stock Market Game (Reviewing key lessons, what was learned about markets, teamwork, emotions, and personal growth)
• Comprehensive Financial Plan (Creating and presenting a holistic personal financial plan (budget, saving/investing goals, career considerations, family plans, emergency fund, and long-term stewardship vision)

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.