Beryl Jantzi by Laura Lehman Amstutz
Beryl Jantzi Eastern Mennonite Seminary is offering an online course for anyone who works with church finances. Beryl Jantzi will teach "Money, Ministry and Me," May 3-June 23, 2010. Jantzi is stewardship education director with Mennonite Mutual Aid/Harrisonburg.
The course will begin with basic budgeting and financial planning strategies, then identify stewardship educational resources that can be used in congregational life to help leaders and church members develop a stewardship plan for different life stages and for the congregation.
"In a Canadian study, parents indicated that they felt better equipped to talk about sex, drugs and alcohol than talking to their kids about finances," Jantzi said. "This course will help anyone concerned with the church of today and tomorrow think through their own values and how to communicate those values to others."
"In my work as a pastor and now with MMA I have observed that we need practical resources to assist both pastors and church members in becoming better stewards in their personal life," Jantzi stated. "The allure of consumer culture is only getting stronger and if we hope to keep our values alive in the area of Christian stewardship we need to become more intentional in teaching about money."
Eastern Mennonite Seminary offers a variety of courses online. At least two courses are offered the fall and spring semesters and at least one course is offered every summer. Registrations for "Money, Ministry and Me" will be accepted until the course is filled or through Apr. 30.
More information is available online at www.emu.edu/seminary/distancelearning.
posted 3/15/10