Couple Pays Off $65,000 in Debt, Now Helping Other Churchgoers Become Debt Free

LONGWOOD, FL, November 11, 2010 (Press-News.org) Five years ago, Rich and Jana Haussmann weren't on the same page when it came to finances. "Not only were we not on the same page, we weren't in the same book!" Rich jokes.

Fast forward to today, the Haussmanns are now helping other couples to become debt-free through Financial Peace University. This 13-week course from bestselling author and radio host Dave Ramsey has helped more than a million families learn how to beat debt, save for the future and give like never before.

On February 1, 2011, Northland, A Church Distributed will launch an initiative to take 5,000 congregants through Financial Peace University, as part of a larger preaching series designed to help people find freedom from the things that hold them back from serving God and others fully--including financial issues.

Before discovering FPU, Rich had racked up credit card debt that Jana didn't know about and was trying to "borrow" his way out of debt: "I would get those credit card checks in the mail and use them to pay off other credit cards. I was robbing Peter to pay Paul ... but Peter was getting a little annoyed."

Then, one evening, Rich and Jana saw Dave Ramsey on "60 Minutes" talking about FPU. The Haussmanns were intrigued.

"It was actually a 'weird' concept to us," Jana remembers. "We thought debt was just normal because that's the culture we live in."

Rich adds, "I was proud when I'd open my wallet and a bunch of credit cards would fall out. I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt, but I was 'somebody' because I had a platinum card and a 750-plus credit score."

The couple decided to give FPU a try, and were shocked when they crunched the numbers. The final tally: $65,000 in consumer debt.

"Rich put the statements on the table, and I was just sick to death," Jana remembers. "I just hated that he had been shouldering this burden on his own."

"I was ashamed," Rich adds. "And that shame really puts a wedge between you and God because you know you're not doing the right thing."

The Haussmanns started paying off their credit cards using the "debt snowball" method (paying small debts first to create momentum) and quickly began closing the gap between themselves and financial freedom.

"It wasn't all roses and happy days getting out of debt, there were some hard decisions," Jana admits. "Telling our extended family that first Christmas that we were cutting back on gifts was uncomfortable."

Twenty-three months later, Rich and Jana had paid off everything but their mortgage (they're working on that one next). They even got to be on Dave Ramsey's radio show to declare, "We're debt free!" But it wasn't enough ... the Haussmanns wanted to share what they'd learned with others.

One day, they "accosted one of Northland's pastors at Costco," asking him whether they could start FPU classes at Northland. That impromptu meeting led to one class, then another and another as word-of-mouth spread. So far, more than 800 people have gone through FPU at Northland. The Haussmanns are even helping other churches to start the course.

Rich says about many people who attend FPU do not attend Northland--or any other church, for that matter.

"That's really the cool part," he explains. "If you can grab someone financially--help them pull their head out of their wallet--than you can bring them into the fold with the whole concept of the Gospel."

For the Haussmanns, that's the most rewarding part--seeing others find peace and contentment. "Because we're debt free, we have so much more time and resources to dedicate to what has become our mission, which is to serve the community at Northland and outside of Northland," Rich notes.

Best of all, seeing their daughter, Jessica, living out these principles has been mind blowing. Jana concludes, "The changes we make are going to affect generations. It's not just for you, it's for your kids and your grandkids. The ripple effects ... that's the most amazing thing."

To learn more, visit www.northlandchurch.net/fpu.

Northland, A Church Distributed (www.northlandchurch.net) is a pioneering congregation focused on building an international community of worshipers. Led by senior pastor Dr. Joel C. Hunter, the church connects thousands of believers worldwide, bringing live, interactive streaming of its weekly services to the Web, Facebook, iPhone and Android mobile devices, Roku and other environments. Northland has several sites throughout Central Florida, as well many house churches and partner ministries around the globe.