What do I need to do to have an ABC's weekend at my church?

Complete the information on the contact page and send it to us. We will check availability of dates and get back with you. Dates are generally booked one year in advance. A signed agreement and deposit is necessary to guarantee your date. The ABC's agreement explains that.

What can happen to our church's giving by doing the ABC's?

It depends on the church. Most churches see an immediate increase in weekly giving as they begin the program and report a significant increase upon completing the program. Churches that have used the ABC's have experienced increased giving levels between 25 - 50%. Some have exceeded a 50% increase. Churches that follow the ABC's program the closest have experienced the best results. Experience has shown that modifying the program tends to mimnimize your results.

Why has the ABC's program been successful?

Because both the book and program were designed and written by a local church Pastor who is completely debt free. These principles and the ABC's program have been used for over 16 years at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas, where Barry L. Cameron is the pastor. Current morning worship attendance average is over 4,000.

What happens when a church signs up to do the ABC's?

For a detailed description, please read the information under the How The Program Works.

What's the story behind the ABC's of Financial Freedom?

In December of 1999, after being frustrated with financial struggles that seemed to plague their family and keep them from ever getting ahead, Barry Cameron decided to get completely out of debt. He called his family together and discussed what needed to be done. What followed would be considered outrageous and crazy by most people's standards because they stopped doing virtually everything they had previously been doing in order to apply every available dime and dollar to paying off all their debts. The story of how they accomplished that dream is shared in The ABC's of Financial Freedom.

On November 15, 2001, Barry was able to make the final payment on the mortgage for their home and declare their family's financial independence. Once word got out, leaders across the country wanted him to come and share his story with their church. What has happened since then has been nothing short of phenomenal as God has used the story of the Cameron family to transform thousands of people's lives and help churches all over America.

How long does it take to do the ABC's program?

Approximately two months. You will provide books for your people to read at least 30 days prior to beginning the ABC's. Then, your pastor will preach a four-part series concluding with a commitment card day. The following weekend is your ABC's weekend where Barry or Matt Cameron will come to your church and share their personal story and the Biblical principles that can make financial freedom attainable for anyone.

Is there a workbook to go along with the ABC's?

Yes. The Financial Freedom Workbook was designed as a companion to the ABC's and is an excellent tool you can use to enhance your results. It is a 6-week study that can run concurrently with your program or begin the week following your ABC's weekend. Churches have had success doing it both ways. The important thing is to have as many of your people as possible in your small groups go through the study.

Are there additional resources available on the subject of finances?

Yes. We have a number of resources available through our bookstore, The Disciple Shop (888.360.7648). Each of these have been used at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. You can use these resources to follow up on your ABC's program. Please visit the Resource Page for more information.

Should I tithe off my gross or net income?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer I always give is, “What would you like to be blessed on? Your net or your gross?” My wife and I tithe off everything God gives us. We have tithed from tax refunds, though we had already previously tithed off that money. Why? We love being blessed.

Shouldn’t I pay my bills first?

No. Nothing should ever come before God. The very first check we write, every time we get paid, should be to God. Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33, that if we put God first, He’ll take care of everything else in our lives. That’s what Lordship is all about. If we put anyone or anything ahead of God, we’re on our own to meet our needs. God needs to be first in every area of our lives, especially in the area of giving. When we put God first, we will always have enough for Uncle Sam, aunt Martha, Visa, MasterCard and the mortgage company. When we put anything else ahead of God, we’ll never have enough.

What if I get paid monthly? Should I tithe once a month
or divide it up each week?

If you get a paycheck once a month, I would recommend you write out your tithe check (remember the principle of “Honoring the Lord with our firstfruits” – Proverbs 3:9-10), along with a generous love offering, as soon as you get paid. You should place your tithe check in the offering on the very next Sunday. The remaining Sundays of the month, you can give an offering.

When should I give?

Every chance you get! Obviously, you should tithe everything God blesses you with and every time God blesses you. If you get a raise, a bonus, a birthday gift, an insurance refund, etc., always give God the first 10%. Beyond that, you should give every time you worship. We sing every time we worship. We pray every time we worship. We read the Scripture every time we worship. We participate in everything else every time we worship. Why wouldn’t we participate in the offering? As you develop a lifestyle of contagious generosity, you’ll start viewing offering time as one of the most rewarding parts of every worship experience.

How should I give? Cash or check?

You should always give by check when you are giving your tithe or a love offering. This makes it easier for those entrusted to count the offering. It also eliminates any confusion over who gave what and removes the temptation from anyone counting or recording to take something from an offering.

What about online giving?

In recent years, online giving has become a popular method for people to tithe to their local church. This is an excellent way for people to give. If you choose to give online, we also recommend you give something (a love offering above the tithe) in the worship service. That way, you can still participate in the offering just as you participate in the other elements of your worship experience.

Where should I give?

The primary place for your giving should always be your local church. Both your tithe and the majority of your offerings should always go to the storehouse (your local church) where you are fed. We don’t eat at McDonald’s and give at Burger King.

What about using giving envelopes?

If your church has giving envelopes available for you, use them. Giving envelopes make it very convenient in giving. They also serve as a reminder as you prepare to give each week.

What if I have to be gone on a Sunday?

If you are going out of town on business or on vacation, make sure your tithe and offerings are turned in for the period you will be gone. You can either mail it in to the church office or drop it off before you leave. The financial needs and responsibilities of your church occur 365 days a year. Consistent giving every week by the members of your church enables your church to accomplish what God has called them to do all year long.

When you have to be gone from your home church on a particular Sunday, find a Bible-believing church where you are going so you can have a place to worship. Prepare before you go so you can share in their offering, too. You will bless the church where you are worshipping and will receive a blessing as well for your generosity.

When I give to a special offering, should I use my tithe for that?

No. First of all, the tithe belongs to God, not us. So we aren’t free to divide it or designate it. It goes to the “storehouse,” which is the local church. Until we have given the tithe, whatever we give can’t be considered an offering. We can’t “offer” what we “owe.” Tithing is a matter of obedience. Generosity is a matter of giving more than is expected. So, when you give to a special offering, it always needs to be above and beyond the tithe you give each week to your local church.

Is it wise to be giving offerings for buildings? Shouldn’t
that money be used for missions?

Yes and no. Yes, we should be giving offerings for buildings. God didn’t build the Tabernacle or the Temple in the Old Testament, but He did design both of those structures and gave specific instructions on how they were to be built and how His people were to give to support them (Exodus 25:1-40:38; I Chronicles 28:1-21, especially verse 19; I Chronicles 29:1-25).

The second part of the question deals with missions’ giving versus giving for buildings. Rather than do one or the other, we should do both. By building facilities for worship and ministry, we can reach more people, which will result in more being given for missions. However, if we decide not to build any facilities and instead, give all that money to missions, it would result in a one-time blessing followed by nothing because churches can’t keep growing and reaching people if there is no place to meet, teach, train, disciple and send. Missionaries depend on local churches for support. Therefore, we should do both. Build as many strong churches as we possibly can, and strongly support as many mission works as possible.

Does the full tithe need to go to my local church? Or can a portion
of the tithe go to outside missions giving?

Yes, the tithe goes to the storehouse - the local church today. (Previously it was the tabernacle and the temple and the priests administered it.) The tithe doesn't go to your house, or someone else's house. It goes to God's house. Since the tithe belongs to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30), it is not ours to direct, dissect or divert wherever we wish. Tithe to your local church and then, you can give a love offering to other missions or ministries.

Does tithing refer only to my giving to my local church, or can it include other charities, the homeless, etc.? (i.e. Christian organizations like World Vision, Feed The Children, etc.)

The tithe belongs to the local church. What we give to other ministries above the tithe are offerings, over and above giving, like the offering in 2 Corinthians 9 which was a love offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Giving to charitable causes outside of your local church would be an "offering" you give above the tithe.

Can my tithe include financial help given to friends
and family in need?

No. The tithe (10% of your income) belongs to God and is given back to Him as an act of obedience and worship (Malachi 3:8-10). Beyond that, we are also supposed to be sensitive to the needs of others around us (James 2:15-16). We are also instructed to care for those closest to us. 1 Timothy 5:8 says a "man who does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Matthew 6:1-4 talks about giving to the needy. This is something we should do without trumpeting our actions before others.

If my husband isn't a Christian how should I handle the issue
of tithing?

First, in accordance with Ephesians 5:22-24 and 1 Peter 3:1-6, you should submit to the leadership of your husband. You will never be able to reach your husband if you rebel against him. Second, if you are employed outside the home you could ask for his permission to tithe your income as a start and see what God does. Third, you should pray for your husband's salvation and for God to bless him and your family. When your husband becomes a fully devoted follower of Christ tithing will no longer be an issue.

Would it be smart to start giving our retirement 401(k) monthly contribution as a tithe each month if we can't afford 10% otherwise to give?

You should never touch your retirement funds, as you will need them. Tithing is not a matter of being able to afford it. Tithing is a matter of obedience. Truth is, we can't afford NOT to tithe. The reason you currently find it hard to obey God is because you have been disobeying God. Obedience is never hard unless you have been disobeying. Start obeying God, and watch what happens. When we tithe, God assumes responsibility for meeting our needs. But, we also have to be responsible in our spending habits.

If paying interest on anything is not wise, how could we ever own a home using this principle?

The ABC's teaches when we are paying interest we are "paying someone else," not ourselves. Someone else is getting rich, not us. The goal is to get where others are paying interest to us - no debt, large savings, etc. Obviously, the purchase of a home is the largest purchase most people will ever make and the assistance of a financial institution, in most cases, will be required. If you get a mortgage to purchase a home, pay it off as quickly as possible, knowing that for the first few years you are giving (paying interest) most of your payment to the financial institution.

What percent of net income should be maximum home mortgage amount (monthly)?

This depends on each individual situation. However, the recommendation should be to keep it as low a percentage as possible. Years ago, most financial institutions wanted to keep it in the 25% range or below.

At what point (how do you determine) when to apply savings
to pay off or pay down mortgage?

You should develop an emergency fund of at least $1,000.00 for an individual or young couple and $5,000.00 for families. That amount will cover most things that would happen under the category of an emergency. Then, you can begin to apply everything above that to your mortgage. In reality, as long as we have debt of any kind, we don't have genuine savings. The exception to this would be your retirement. Don't touch your retirement.

If you can afford your mortgage, and your home appreciates, and
you get a tax credit for the interest - why pay it off?

Any financial decision made for the purpose of tax deductions is not a wise decision. You are making decisions that bring great joy to the IRS but make little sense for your financial situation. Why not invest in other areas? Investments are wonderful as long as they always go up in value. However, if you didn't pay your mortgage off and used that money to place in an investment and the stock market plunged, and you lost all you had invested, you will wish you had applied it to your mortgage. On the other hand, if your mortgage is paid off and you make investments that go south, you will always have the security of knowing your home is paid for.

What are some resources I could use as to not have my house foreclosed on?

Friends, family members, people who are already debt free and would be willing to loan you money for free or for a much lower interest rate than a financial institution. You also might want to check with a ministry like Crown Ministries and ask for a list of organizations that help Christians as well.

Is it smarter to refinance an adjustable rate mortgage to a lower interest rate if it involves additional fees or should I just work on paying it off quicker?

The word "adjustable" is only a blessing if your rate is going down - which rarely happens. If you can get a 30-year or, even better, 15-year loan and the fees are equal to or less than what you would save over the first two years, it may make sense to refinance. Always check with someone you trust - a Christian leader (elder, deacon, small group leader, etc.) or a Christian financial planner, first.

Why do people say debt on a home mortgage is "good" debt
other than you can write off the loan interest payment?

The only good debt is a debt that is paid. The term "good debt" on a home is due to the theory that home values always go up. However, as we are currently seeing, home values can also go down. Which would make you change your mind about how "good" that debt really is.

I currently have a Roth IRA. Since I cannot afford to save
for my child's college right now (and I'd rather have money for her than myself) should I convert my Roth to a 529 college plan? Which is better?

You should seek the advice of a Christian financial planner or church leader before you make a decision. We always encourage people not to touch their retirement because you will need it in the most important years of your life. There are other ways to save for college and you may want to make a list of ways you could save for that rather than touch your retirement funds. Also, where does it say you have to pay for your children's college education? They should be working and saving for college (when they are old enough) and it should be a team effort in your family.

Should one participate in a 401K plan when they have credit card debt?

As long as we have debt, we don't have genuine savings. However, most people will be contributing to retirement accounts while they still have home mortgage payments and car payments, etc. You should still contribute to your 401K plan, but maybe not make the maximum contribution you can make so you can devote some of those funds to paying off your credit card debt. We always recommend you try to find other ways to save and pay off debts without touching your retirement.

Is there a rule-of-thumb for the amount or percentage one
should use when saving money?

The 10/10/80 rule is great. 10% to God, 10% for yourself, 80% for all other living expenses. Your goal should be to get to the place where you are able to place as much in savings as possible each week and let someone else pay you interest for a change.

Is a 529 plan a good thing for education?

It is a government-sponsored plan and can be a good plan for some people. A better idea would be to devise your own plan and discipline yourself to do it on your own where you have control over your funds.

What investment earns interest in excess of 15%?

Real estate investments, when the economy is good, can earn more than 15%. Some stock investments can earn more than 15%. But again, these investments can be risky and are dependent on the nation's economy (and even more and more on the world's economy.) The return God gives us on the tithe and on everything else we give would be more than 15%.

Is investing in stock and bonds ever a good idea?

We don’t give investment advice for stocks and bonds. However, our practice is to stay out of all risky investments until your home is paid off and you can afford to lose money. Because, the reality is, in most investment vehicles you will lose money from time to time.

What are your recommendations for short
and long-term investments?

Proverbs 13:11.

What about school loans to get my education?

In today’s economy it’s almost impossible to get an education without them. A debt is a debt regardless of the name we give it. A better way to live would be to save money ahead of time so we can pay cash. It takes time to save money just as it does to pay off debts. If we could discipline ourselves to save something every week, we wouldn't have to borrow for basics or even for luxuries. Once we got out of debt and began to save, we were able to pay cash for our children's college educations – something that seemed impossible when we were in debt. No loans. No paybacks. No regrets.

Should we roll our car payment into a debt consolidation loan?

Debt consolidation loans are not a good idea because they don’t address the real issue. You're just moving to another hole but not getting out. All too often what happens with a debt consolidation loan is that your payment goes down and too easily you can make the mistake of thinking you have more money now and start spending it other places, although your debt is still there and interest charges are piling up on top of it. Our recommendation is that it is always better to discipline yourself to pay your debts off without having someone else give you another loan to do it.

How will the growing national debt affect the average individual American citizen?

That bill will come due in increased taxes and fewer services. We will all have to pay our share someday one way or another.

Is it wise to discontinue disability insurance in order to pay off more debt?

If your job is a dangerous job, no. If your job involves very little risk, it might be wise to do. Again, you should seek the counsel and advice of a trusted Christian leader or friend before making such a decision.

What about credit cards and their effect on my credit score?

Making financial decisions based on your credit score is not the best way to live. You should get out of debt, pay off all credit cards, and it won't matter what your FICO score is.

What is a good rule-of-thumb one should use to
determine how much they should pay or finance something? (i.e. house payment, car payment, child care, home improvement, insurance.)

Obviously, this decision depends on what you can afford. Going into debt presumes on the future. In other words, decisions today that involve debt will affect decisions we would like to make in the future like vacations, making purchases for furniture or vehicles, paying for college education, etc. The best plan is to pay cash for everything you are able to pay for and to have as little debt service as possible until you have no debts at all.

Everything seems to go up in cost each year (gas, food, utilities). Is there a number or percent a family can use to prepare for the next year’s increased costs?

It’s difficult to estimate the cost of anything a year out because there are so many variables that can affect costs. However, developing an emergency fund would be step one in your preparations. Step two would be to set aside funds for upcoming purchases like vacations, Christmas gifts, college educations, new vehicles, etc. Yes, it will take a while to save for these funds, but once you do inflation won't affect you like it would if you were trying to finance all those things with additional debt.

How much financial support should we give our children/grandchildren?

This is a decision each family should make and would depend on the maturity level of your kids. The Bible says "a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children" (Proverbs 13:22). We should leave the world a better place when we leave and should leave our kids in a better place as well. We should also exercise wisdom and discernment in how we do that and how much we leave. I would recommend, as a beginning point for every estate plan, that we all leave at least a tithe of our estate to our local church before stipulating how much goes to our children or grandchildren. These plans can be stipulated in a living trust, will or similar document.

How can we instill the values of the ABC’s and Contagious Generosity that we are learning with our children?

Sit down with your children and teach them the same principles you are learning. We can and should teach our kids to be responsible, to tithe, to save and be responsible with their money. We should also warn them of the dangers of debt.

Can the ABC’s be of help to a widow, retired and
on a limited income?

God's principles and promises are for everyone. Tithing, saving and managing whatever God gives us in a way that honors Him (Proverbs 3:9-10) will always result in blessing regardless of what age or stage in life we find ourselves. See 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 for additional encouragement.

At what point is the cost of something a good deal
even when you don't need it?

Don't buy things you don't need regardless of how good a deal you might get. The problem with most Americans is that we purchase things we don’t need to impress people we don’t even know or like, mortgaging a future we won’t be able to enjoy because of a past we’d just as soon forget.

What's the quickest and safest way to get rich?

Start following God's principles in every area of your life. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "Remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms His covenant." Once you are able to pay off all your debts and declare your financial freedom, you will understand you are already rich.