Sharing Our Vision

Compass Catholic Ministries teaches Catholic money management principles that help people become better stewards and disciples. God cares deeply about all areas of our lives, and that includes how we manage our money and possessions. We have experienced firsthand the consequences of careless and materialistic money management, and our ministry passes on the lessons learned by us, and by many others.

In a recent interview on Divine Mercy Radio we shared various aspects of the Ministry and have summarized that interview below.

What is the vision of Compass Catholic Ministries?

• We want to see Catholics fully engaged in their faith and joyfully fulfilling the unique purpose that God has prepared for them. So many times we see people get into autopilot when going to church–they go through the motions instead of living their faith and understanding what it’s all about.
• The ministry is not just about the money; it is about the change of people’s hearts, showing them that God cares about EVERY aspect of their lives.
• When you show people that something as tactical and practical as money has a spiritual component, it really changes how they integrate the spiritual and secular aspects of their lives.
• Our vision statement is simple but thoughtfully worded; to see Catholics fully engaged in their faith and joyfully fulfilling the unique purpose that God has prepared for them. God owns everything and we are his stewards, if we do not understand this it is hard for us to have a deep faith.

At what point did you seek help for the debt that you had?

• We actually got help without asking. Our pastor told us to go down to the next parish and participate in a financial Bible they were having. That study eventually became Compass Catholic Ministries. God provided the help that we needed to dig out of our financial mess, and we became servants to help share His teachings through the ministry.
• The Bible study not only helped us, but many others. 79% of the couples who take the Bible study report that their marriages are strengthened by what they learn.
• This ministry is for everyone, not just people who have issues with money. Whether you are young or old; single or married; have plenty of money or are just making ends meet, there is always something to be learned from a study of the Bible.

Why do you say God owns everything?

• Everything that we have can be looked at in layers, and at the bottom of every layer you can always find God. I have a car, but I would not be able to afford the car without the ability to earn the money through my job, and I would not have the job without the talent and ability that God gave me. At the most basic level, even our life itself is a gift from God and everything we do in this life can be traced back to God’s gift to us. We are stewards, and nothing we own came to us without God.

How was the response to your teachings overseas?

• Unbelievable. Our journey to Poland had us visiting a different church every night, and they had a genuine desire to learn what God has to say about how to handle money. Based on Poland, our goal is to focus on six languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Polish) so we can effectively reach 70% of the Catholic population around the world.

You had no idea that the response would be so positive?

• We had no idea and it was an eye opening experience. In 10 days we reached over 10,000 people. One of our events was live streamed and the online audience was over 1,500. The replay the next night had over 4,500 audience members. It was a truly remarkable experience.
• One thing that we are learning is that people in other countries look to the United States as a model. They want to emulate every aspect of American life, including how we handle our finances. Unfortunately, this includes the debt we incur. People everywhere spend money using credit cards, and the debt starts to pile up as the spending continues because they are not content with what they already have, and are on a continuous quest for more.

Those 20 words we mentioned earlier, to see Catholics fully engaged in their faith and joyfully fulfilling the unique purpose that God has prepared for them, are so important. If you are consumed with the materialistic side of life, how can you fulfill the unique purpose that God has in mind for you? Whether God is calling you to give more to the Church, or go on a mission trip or volunteer for a ministry, you can get sidetracked from fulfilling God’s call if you are focused on paying off debt, or accumulating all the stuff the world tells us is important.

For more Catholic money management insights, and to learn more about the resources we have available, please browse our website. Be sure the check out the Navigating Your Finances God’s Way Bible study.

Blessings,

The Beans.