As mothers building intentional legacies, we understand that teaching our children about money isn’t just about dollars and cents- it’s about instilling values that will shape their relationship with finances for a lifetime. Family money meetings provide a sacred space where financial wisdom and family legacy intersect, allowing us to fulfill the biblical mandate found in Deuteronomy 6:6-7: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Why Family Money Meetings Matter
In today’s fast-paced world, intentional conversations about money rarely happen organically. Yet, Proverbs 22:6 reminds us to “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Family money meetings create structured opportunities to teach stewardship principles that will guide your children throughout their lives.
These gatherings serve multiple purposes in building your family’s financial legacy:
- They demonstrate that money matters are not taboo but rather worthy of thoughtful discussion
- They provide real-world financial education that schools often neglect
- They invite children into the family’s financial journey, fostering transparency and trust
- They create space to align your family’s spending with your deepest values
Setting the Foundation: Before Your First Meeting
Before gathering your family around the table, take time to prepare your heart and mind. Remember that these meetings embody all five pillars of our legacy-building framework:
Active Stewardship: Acknowledging that everything belongs to God and we are merely managers of His resources.
Wisdom in Planning: Following biblical principles for thoughtful financial management.
Character Development: Using money discussions to nurture virtues like generosity, patience, and contentment.
Generational Teaching: Passing financial wisdom to the next generation through intentional instruction.
Trust in God’s Provision: Demonstrating faith that God will meet your needs as you honor Him with your finances.
Pray for guidance as you prepare, asking God to help you communicate His financial principles with clarity and love. As Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Your Step-by-Step Guide To Meaningful Family Money Meetings
Step 1: Create a Welcoming Atmosphere
Choose a time when everyone is relaxed and not rushed. Perhaps Sunday afternoons after church or Saturday mornings over breakfast. Make the setting comfortable- perhaps around the kitchen table with some special snacks or drinks. For younger children, consider having some paper and crayons available so they can draw while listening.
The atmosphere should communicate that this is a positive, shame-free zone where questions are welcomed and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. Remember Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Chris you are serving.”
Step 2: Start with Gratitude and Vision
Begin each meeting by sharing what you’re thankful for- both material blessings and intangible gifts. This practice grounds your financial discussions in gratitude rather than scarcity. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us to approach all matters with thanksgiving: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
After expressions of gratitude, revisit your family’s financial vision. What are you saving for? What ministries do you support? What financial legacy do you hope to build? This vision-casting connects day-to-day money decisions with your family’s larger purpose and values.
Step 3: Age-Appropriate Financial Education
Each meeting should include a brief lesson about a financial concept, tailored to your children’s ages:
For younger children (ages 4-7), focus on basic concepts like saving, spending, giving, and waiting. Use clear jars to visualize money allocation. Share simple stories about biblical characters who demonstrated wise stewardship.
FOr middle-aged children (ages 8-12), introduce concepts like compound interest, budgeting categories, and the difference between needs and wants. Discuss Bible verses like Luke 14:28: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
For teenagers, explore more complex topics like investing, avoiding debt, and evaluating purchases. Connect these lessons to Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
Step 4: Review Family Finances Together
Transparency builds trust and provides real-world financial education. While you don’t need to share every detail of your finances with young children, provide appropriate insights into the family’s financial situation:
- Show how you allocate your income across categories like giving, saving, and spending
- Celebrate progress toward financial goals
- Discuss upcoming expenses and how you’re preparing for them
- Review how the family performed against the budget since the last meeting
This transparency fulfills the principle found in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, teaching your children not to “put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
Step 5: Invite Participation and Problem-Solving
Transform your children from passive listeners to active participants by inviting their input:
- Ask for their ideas on reducing certain expenses
- Let them help plan an upcoming family activity within a specific budget
- Discuss a financial challenge the family is facing and brainstorm solutions together
- Allow them to present their own savings goals and progress
This collaborative approach honors Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Step 6: Assign Age-Appropriate Financial Responsibility
Each family money meeting can include the assignment or review of financial responsibilities:
- Young children might be responsible for putting coins in giving, saving, and spending jars
- Older children might track their allowance in a simple ledger
- Teenages might manage a clothing budget or research major family purchases
These responsibilities teach the principle found in Matthew 25:14-30 (the Parable of the Talents)- that God entrusts us with resources and expects faithful management.
Step 7: End with Prayer and Encouragement
Close each meeting by praying together, thanking God for His provision and asking for wisdom in managing the resources He’s entrusted to your family. Philippians 4:19 reminds us: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Take time to encourage each family member for their contributions, whether it’s a child’s diligence in saving or a teenager’s wise spending decision. This encouragement fulfills 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
Making Family Money Meetings a Sustainable Practice
Consistency is key to making these meetings effective. Here are some tips for sustainability:
Schedule regularly but realistically. Monthly meetings work well for most families. Mark them on your calendar as non-negotiable family time.
Keep the meetings reasonably brief. Aim for 30-45 minutes for older children, and 15-20 minutes for families with young children.
Make them engaging. Use visual aids, games, or real-world examples to illustrate financial concepts.
Evolve as your family grows. The format and content of your meetings should adapt as your children mature.
Celebrate milestones. When your family reaches a financial goal, celebrate together in a meaningful way.
Remember that these meetings aren’t just about money- they’re about discipleship. As Matthew 6:21 teaches us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” By intentionally discussing finances as a family, you’re helping shape your children’s hearts toward eternal values.
Reflection Question
In what ways might regular family money meetings help align your household’s financial decisions with the values and legacy you hope to pass on to your children? What is one step you can take this week to begin this practice?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for entrusting us with resources to manage and a family to lead. Grant us wisdom as we seek to teach our children Your financial principles. Help us to be transparent, patient, and encouraging as we guide them toward financial stewardship that honors You. May our family money meetings be filled with Your presence and perspective, keeping eternal values at the center of our discussions.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ready to Build a Lasting Financial Legacy For Your Family?
The principles we’ve discussed in this blog post are just the beginning of your intentional legacy-building journey. If you’re ready to take the next step, I invite you to join our 5-Day Legacy Builder Challenge. This free resource will guide you through creating a vision statement, assessing your values, and developing an action plan to align your finances with the legacy you want to leave.
Don’t want to start building a financial legacy that will impact generations to come. Your intentional actions today will shape your family’s tomorrow.