Bible-based financial classes offered in Spanish

For the first time in its three-year history, Casa de Luz, the Hispanic ministry of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, will offer Spanish-language classes on how to develop and maintain healthy personal finances.

The classes are based on the financial teachings of the Bible and modeled upon Willow Creek's Good Sense Ministry, which has been offering English-language financial classes for about 20 years.

Instructor Luis Serrano, a financial consultant and adviser who lives in Arlington Heights, said that immigrants are especially at risk for the pitfalls of overspending and accumulating debt, lured by the "buy now, pay later" culture of the United States.

"Everything here is 'spend, spend, spend,' and you can get in trouble quickly that way because you want everything, but most people don't know the basics, which is to have control over your own budget," he said.

Serrano, 33, knows firsthand because a few years ago, he found himself $30,000 in debt.

After immigrating from Mexico eight years ago, he bought a car in 2002 and a two-bedroom condo the next year. Both he and his wife had full-time jobs, and for a while they had no trouble keeping up with monthly payments, he said.

But then his wife got pregnant and had to quit work after she almost lost the baby, he said. Serrano had to get a second job as a supervisor at a car wash, in addition to his regular job in housekeeping at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.

Still, it wasn't enough.

"We had no savings. We needed to make $4,000 a month, and with the second job, I was only making $3,000," he said. "I fell behind for two years."

His solution came when he saw a TV commercial for Texas-based Crown Financial Ministries, a Christian-based ministry that teaches finances based on Biblical principles, Serrano said.

"I heard the preacher say, 'This is the year to be free,' and it was what I needed," he said. He bought the $90 book-and-CD kit in Spanish and started to learn about budgeting, something he had never done in his life.

"Budgeting is like a map - if you don't know where you are, you don't know where you are going," he said. Over time, he slowly paid off his debt and, during the process he decided to pursue a career as a loan officer and a real estate agent.

The Bible contains more references to money than any other topic except love, with the overarching theme of not letting money control one's life, said Good Sense Ministry Director Dave Briggs.

"The Bible tells us to be very careful with debt and save wisely, and work hard to earn a living and generate enough money to support your family with a good, upbeat attitude," he said.

There are four ways to create financial freedom, Briggs said: Write down all expenditures; develop a budget and live on it; use cash to pay for purchases; and learn as much as you can about finances.

"You have to create a lifestyle that doesn't go paycheck to paycheck," he said.

Such a lifestyle allows people to be happier, said Serrano, who saw his personal life improve tremendously along with his finances.

"If you are financially free, you have time for the family, time for the church, time for yourself and enough money," he said.

The first class will be 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at Willow Creek, 67 E. Algonquin Road, South Barrington. For more information, call (224) 512-2272, or e-mail casadeluz@willowcreek.org.