Making Sense of Dollars and Cents

Shane Barkley’s desire to get a business degree started in the sixth grade after his class played a game about stock markets. After graduating from JBU in 1993 with a B.A. in Business Administration, Barkley spent ten years in the financial consulting industry before running a non-profit organization called Dad the Family Shepherd and writing a book called Dad Cents: Teach Your Children Biblical Principles of Money.

The inspiration for Dad Cents came from Barkley’s experience in the financial consulting industry, where he saw the inability or disregard many families had for passing on financial education to their children.

“Money and wealth are some of the most talked about subjects in the Bible, but one of the least talked about concepts in many churches,” Barkley said. “Parents have the opportunity of influence that no one else does, and I wanted to write a book that shows parents how to teach children biblical concepts about money and money management.”

Barkley realized that, while many parents would like their children to leave home knowing more about money than they did when they left home, many parents do not know how to teach Biblical finances.

“Many of us were raised in families where money was not an issue that was discussed or taught regularly, so many of us had to learn from trial and error” Barkley said. “Wise money management should be a high priority because it effects every aspect of our lives. Teaching kids about money is important because our use of money is the expression of where are hearts are.”

Many families are drowning in debt, and Dad Cents addresses not only the tools for communicating financial management, but also stresses the need for parents to practice financial management themselves.

“One of the things the book encourages is for parents to get their financial situation in order,” Barkley said. “This provides kids with the example of what poor choices can do, and how to avoid similar choices in the future.” Barkley is working on a second edition, which will include more specific management plans and a study guide for parents to follow.

Barkley and his wife live in Kansas with their three daughters.

Dad Cents: Teach Your Children Biblical Principles of Money is available in hard copies and electronically at: www.dtfs.org

Jessa Parette Eldridge '11 is the staff editor and writer for university communications.

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