Charging for sermon tapes, cd's, and dvd's - Right or Wrong

[dbserv]

I moved this here to avoid a further hijacking of Phil's recommendation of Pastor Coalter's sermon.

There's a little inconvenience called POSTAGE....and someone has to pay for that, Dan.

Just call the church offices if you want the message, and they will tell you what you need to do in order to get one....it's that simple...

Phil Hoover
Chicago

There again, Phil. The cost of postage is very minimal in comparison to the value of a soul who could be blessed by the message that a minister preaches. We raise millions of dollars for infrastructure and then charge people for the Word!! I think that is backwards.

Maybe we should charge for the coffee that we give out and give out the Word for free?????



BTW. Yes, I do my part to distribute FREE tapes and CD's when I am in the sound booth at church. I will accept money if people offer it for a tape or CD. However, as a non-profit entity, we are risking our non-profit status if we "charge" people for anything. It is our understanding that we can suggest a "donation" amount, but we cannot "charge".

I think we may have a tax attorney and an ex-IRS agent here that can clarify this for us.

So, when people come to the sound booth for a tape or CD or DVD, we will accept money if they OFFER it to us, but if they don't OFFER any money, we just hand them the itemfor FREE! We have a small sign that lists our cost for tapes, CD's, and DVD's. The sign says "SUGGESTED DONATION amount to cover our costs." But, we DO NOT ask anyone for money to cover that cost.

[Phil Hoover]

In my opinion, it should be up to that particular congregation.

If they can afford to give them away, and wish to do so, then by all means, please give them away.

If they cannot afford to give them away, and wish to charge a modest price, then I have no problem with that either....

Phil Hoover
Chicago

[EagerBeaver]

I stand on both sides of this issue. Maybe a smaller church that doesn't get much of a boost from offerings or whatever income, I could see them charging for tapes, etc. But not larger churches. Funds could easily come from general expense offerings.

[dbserv]

In our church of 1,200, we give out an average of 100 tapes/cd's each week. This costs us (with cases, labels, etc.) less than $80.00 per week x 4 1/3 weeks per month = $350.00 per month.


Our offerings are averaging about $120,000.00 per month right now (that doesn't include designated giving for missions, etc.).

See the relationship between income and the cost of the tape/cd ministry?

I'm am sure that most churches have about the same ratio. So, the cost is still a minimal amount of the total income for the church.


Okay, I guess I'm still on my soapbox after all.

[Phil Hoover]

In our church of 1,200, we give out an average of 100 tapes/cd's each week. This costs us (with cases, labels, etc.) less than $80.00 per week x 4 1/3 weeks per month = $350.00 per month.


Our offerings are averaging about $120,000.00 per month right now (that doesn't include designated giving for missions, etc.).

See the relationship between income and the cost of the tape/cd ministry?

I'm am sure that most churches have about the same ratio. So, the cost is still a minimal amount of the total income for the church.


Okay, I guess I'm still on my soapbox after all.

Dan,

Which church in YUBA CITY runs 1200?...

And while I appreciate the heart and generosity of your congregation, some congregations have very tight budgets, and their financial obligations just cannot accommodate that kind of "flexibility."

Praise the Lord for all those congregations that can give tapes away.

And a modest price isn't too much to ask, in my opinion, for those tapes when a congregation just can't give them away. By modest, I mean not more than 2 or 3 dollars at the most...the very most.

Phil Hoover
Chicago

[Shellie]

I chose "sometimes".

I think that members should pay for the tapes, but they should be sent to shut-ins, the ill, the unsaved or the struggling for free.

If members want copies of a good sermon for themselves or for any of the above mentioned, they should kick in three or four bucks to purchase it and help the expense.

Most balk at 3 or 4 bucks, but will gladly pay that for a Iced Mocha Latte at Starbucks.

They should definitely be made available to the public for free, but a christian should be willing to cover the expense.

[dbserv]

Which church in YUBA CITY runs 1200?...

Phil Hoover
Chicago

We are members at the Yuba City Church of the Nazarene. When we moved here and started attending, we were averaging around 400. That was 2 years ago on the first Sunday in November.

Our average attendance for August (slow summer month) was 1,160. We were over 1,200 every Sunday in September except for Labor Day weekend.

We currently have several Sunday morning services: 2 in our Yuba City building, 1 in the Gridley building, and 1 in Korean language in the Yuba City building. We are starting a Punjabi language service on the first Sunday in November. It will also be at the Yuba City building. On the first weekend in January, we are starting a Saturday evening service as well. We also have 4 Sunday evening services as well. As of January 1st, 6 of our pastoral staff will be preaching each weekend.


The Calvary Temple AoG down the road from us averages around 3,000 in their services. They are in the process of building a Taj Mahal facility ($42,000,000.00 - yeah, million). Personally, I think that is way too much to spend on infrastructure.


The Yuba City Methodist Church is averaging about 900 each week as well.


The Church of Glad Tidings is averaging around 1,000 each week between their Saturday evening and 2 Sunday morning services.


There are about 25 churches in excess of 200 in their Sunday morning services in the immediate Yuba City/Marsyville area as well.

[Phil Hoover]

Which church in YUBA CITY runs 1200?...

Phil Hoover
Chicago

We are members at the Yuba City Church of the Nazarene. When we moved here and started attending, we were averaging around 400. That was 2 years ago on the first Sunday in November.

Our average attendance for August (slow summer month) was 1,160. We were over 1,200 every Sunday in September except for Labor Day weekend.

We currently have several Sunday morning services: 2 in our Yuba City building, 1 in the Gridley building, and 1 in Korean language in the Yuba City building. We are starting a Punjabi language service on the first Sunday in November. It will also be at the Yuba City building. On the first weekend in January, we are starting a Saturday evening service as well. We also have 4 Sunday evening services as well. As of January 1st, 6 of our pastoral staff will be preaching each weekend.


The Calvary Temple AoG down the road from us averages around 3,000 in their services. They are in the process of building a Taj Mahal facility ($42,000,000.00 - yeah, million). Personally, I think that is way too much to spend on infrastructure.


The Yuba City Methodist Church is averaging about 900 each week as well.


The Church of Glad Tidings is averaging around 1,000 each week between their Saturday evening and 2 Sunday morning services.


There are about 25 churches in excess of 200 in their Sunday morning services in the immediate Yuba City/Marsyville area as well.

Dan,

I absolutely LOVE the Nazarenes...when I was stationed in Denver, I attended the Denver First Church of the Nazarene, back when Don Wellman (now retired, if not deceased) was the senior pastor, and then when now-General Superintendent Jim Diehl was the Senior Pastor...

Jim and Dorothy Diehl have remained very dear and precious friends over the years....what great, great people!

I spent a summer session at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City in 1998...made some wonderful friends there...

I remember Calvary Assembly...it was just a small church when I was stationed at Beale AFB back in the late 1980s....

WOW...that place has definitely grown up.....and people are coming to Christ....that is what matters the most....

Phil Hoover
Chicago

[Lebear]

Phil:
With all due respect (and I do NOT say that sarcastically!), a church that has a budget so tight it can't give away tapes to non-members or sinners is on too tight a budget. It's not just the Church's responsibility to preach the Word, but to preach it to ALL CREATURES. That being said, I would and have paid real money for Pastor Coalter's sermon tapes. But if I wanted a friend or lost loved one to enjoy one, I'd kick in the money myself.

As a side thought, I've actually visited in churches (in the COGOP) where the pastor said, "If you are a visitor, please don't fell obligated to give in the evening's offering. We don't want you to feel like you've been charged to hear the Word." Now that's a wise pastor!

[Phil Hoover]

Phil:
With all due respect (and I do NOT say that sarcastically!), a church that has a budget so tight it can't give away tapes to non-members or sinners is on too tight a budget. !

And with all due respect, the original post was not meant to the unchurched nor to sinners, but to JUDE2...and all of us can afford whatever the miniscule cost for one of Pastor Coalter's sermons on tape would have cost us....

It was just a way to hijack an otherwise innocent thread....

Call Peerless Road and get that tape!

[dbserv]

It was just a way to hijack an otherwise innocent thread....

Hey Phil:

I am sorry that the thread got hi-jacked temporarily.

That is why I took my thoughts and started a whole new thread about the selling of tapes, cd's, etc.

Please forgive my insensitivity to your subject and your feelings. If you want, I'll go remove the other posts that I made from your thread and move them to the new thread.

Let me know if you want me to do that.

Thanks.

[Mike Vande]

yes, they should be paid forr them, the same way you pay for a Bible, and for the same reason.

[Pastor Gary]

...I've actually visited in churches (in the COGOP) where the pastor said, "If you are a visitor, please don't fell obligated to give in the evening's offering. We don't want you to feel like you've been charged to hear the Word." Now that's a wise pastor!

Aw, shucks. Thanks.

I do that. One of the (unfair) criticisms critics and skeptics use is 'all they want is your money' so I defuse that excuse. "If this is your first time here at WWC there is no expectation of giving; you are our guests and we are happy you are here. These offerings are the way our members support the ministries of this church… pay my salary, pay the mortgage, keep the lights on, and our members are faithful stewards of the blessings God has given them." Stuff to that effect. The visitirs almost invariably give anyway.

[dbserv]

Aw, shucks. Thanks.

I do that. One of the (unfair) criticisms critics and skeptics use is 'all they want is your money' so I defuse that excuse. "If this is your first time here at WWC there is no expectation of giving; you are our guests and we are happy you are here. These offerings are the way our members support the ministries of this church… pay my salary, pay the mortgage, keep the lights on, and our members are faithful stewards of the blessings God has given them." Stuff to that effect. The visitirs almost invariably give anyway.

Awesome Pastor G!!!

That's almost word for word what our pastors say every service just before the offering is to be taken. But, like you say. Most visitors do give anyway. However, they can never go away and say that all we wanted was their money.

In fact, we have a gift pack with over $20.00 worth of free stuff (cups, pens, free ice cream coupons, etc.) that we give to every first time visitor who stops by. They love it and they remember us as the church who gives them stuff and tells them to not give in the offering plate.

One visitor was a newspaper reporter and we actually had an article written in the local paper about our "different approach".

[dbserv]

yes, they should be paid forr them, the same way you pay for a Bible, and for the same reason.

Now, there is another issue Mike.

Our church also believes in giving God's Word to anyone who needs it.

Both of our foyers (adult church building and Kidz Church building) contain a 5 shelf tall book case full of Bibles. Each case has a sign that says "Need the Word? Take One" and "Share the Word? Take One".

We go through about 200 Bibles a month that way, in addition to the ones that we give away in Sunday School classes, Kidz Church, home Bible studies and at the rescue missions.


Our Punjabi pastor has already given away over 1,000 Punjabi language Bibles and they haven't had their first "official" service yet. He ordered 5,000 Punjabi Bibles to start with.

They have a group of about 50 Punjabi and non-Punjabi speaking people who meet every Friday night for a Bible study at his home. This is a charismatic service to the max!!!

Remember, we are Nazarenes!!! But, we aren't the typical Naz. church.