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The Money Challenge for Teens

Thomas Overmiller

There’s no shortage of books about finances, money, stewardship, and wealth management (for Christians or otherwise). Yet most of these books are geared for adults who’ve already been crippled by student loan payments, crushed by a financial setback, saddled with credit card debt, strapped for cash, or staring old age in the face without the necessary funds to thrive at this crucial stage of life.

How do so many Christian grown-ups fall into these costly dilemmas? Did they lack proper financial guidance from the outset in their teenage years?  

In this new book, The Money Challenge for Teens, Art Rainer targets this root cause. To accomplish his task, he adapts The Money Challenge, a previous book for adults that maps out a 30-day plan for financial improvement from a biblical standpoint. Both books weave together a true-to-life story with practical advice and a reasonable game plan.

This particular story unfolds from a first-person perspective featuring siblings Brendon and Ambrielle, two typical Christian teens who work part-time jobs, spend their paychecks on common teenage purchases, and dream about college. The story also features Mike, the founder of a successful shoe company, and Randall, a homeless man. It’s an engaging story that many high-school teens will follow with interest. Throughout the story, Randall serves as the financial guide and mentor that many young people lack in real life.

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Art arranges this book into four primary sections, while introducing eight “money milestones” and thirty “money challenges” along the way as follows:

Introduction

  • Money Challenges 1-5

Part 1: Give Generously

  • Money Challenges 6-12
  • Money Milestones 1-3
    • Start giving
    • Open a checking account
    • Get a plan

Part 2: Save Wisely

  • Money Challenges 13-18
  • Money Milestones 4-6
    • Open a savings account and save $500
    • Open a Roth IRA (if employed)
    • Put 15% of your income into the ROTH IRA

Part 3: Live Appropriately

  • Money Challenges 19-30
  • Money Milestones 7-8
    • Save for a car or college
    • Live generously

The book closes with a handy glossary of thirty-two key financial terms, from appreciate to insurance, from mutual fund to traditional IRA. This glossary gives clear and concise explanations for each term, leaving a young person feeling quite informed.

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The Money Challenge for Teens does a good job at exposing the shallow, shortsighted view that teens naturally have towards money by prompting them to “act like a millionaire.” It also does well at encouraging generosity and introducing money management tools like checking accounts, credit cards, and more. It even prods young people to start planning now for retirement by revealing the power of compound interest. In addition, readers will appreciate helpful calculations, data, and diagrams presented at key moments.

For those who are wondering whether this book is a focused Bible study guide, the answer is no because it doesn’t follow a consistent Bible study approach. Even so, it speaks about finances from a biblical grid and Christian worldview, both introducing and anchoring core, foundational concepts in Scripture as follows:

  • Intro – Matt 19:16-24; Luke 21:3-4; 2 Cor 9:7; 1 Tim 6:17-19
  • Giving – Num 18:20-24; Deut 12:17-19; 14:28-29; 2 Sam 24:24; Prov 3:9; Isa 53:10; Matt 6:20-21; 25:14-30; Eph 3:7-12; 2 Cor 9:7
  • Saving – Prov 6:6-8; 30:24-25
  • Debt – Psa 37:21; Prov 22:7, 26-27

The Money Challenge for Teens functions as a Finances 101 syllabus for Christian teens, with steps and tips for putting wise advice into practice. As such, it would make an excellent discussion guide for parents, mentors, and small-group leaders who are raising or discipling teens. Though high-school-aged young people may benefit from reading this book on their own, they will benefit to a much greater degree if they work through the book in tandem with a mentor, parent, or teacher. Used in this way, the book will spark a wealth of questions, cause valuable discussions, and raise growing interest in money management from the teen(s) in your care.

This book will spark a wealth of questions, cause valuable discussions, and raise growing interest in money management from the teen(s) in your care.

My only critique of this book is that it may try to tackle too much, moving rapidly from one concept to another with little time for teens to digest new concepts. So, unless you’re a teen with an aggressive mentality or a highly motivated mentor, you should not plan to work through this material in 30 days or less but should allow for 3-6 months instead.

That said, I give this book a hearty recommendation to high-school teenagers who want to begin their financial journey in a wise and God-honoring way. I also recommend this book as a timely discipleship tool and discussion guide for Christian parents and mentors of teens who want to do their part in preparing a new generation of biblical stewards who are wise beyond their years.

Art Rainer serves as VP for Institutional Advancement at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, with a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. He’s written other helpful books about money, finances, and stewardship which you should also check out.

Thanks to B&H Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book. This did not influence the outcome of my review.