The Christian circles are abuzz with concerns about the economy. My last issue of Christianity Today has a Q&A with Dave Ramsey about it, and every church blog I read has had something about the worries about fourth quarter giving. Now that the economy is contracting instead of expanding the churches figure they’ll be the first to see their funding dry up.
I know a lot of people in the direct employ of various churches. I’ve been a member of one church or another since I was ten years old. I don’t want to hurt the feelings of any church people but I have to be honest.
Times ARE tough. I don’t know about other folks out there, but I’ve been inside 8 churches in the last ten years. Each of those churches spent money on TVs that are nicer than what I have in my home. Six of those churches had an expensive sound system, computer system and computer projector for showing PowerPoint presentations. Six of those churches had some type of gym or recreation complex.
Starting in May it is impossible to drive pretty much anywhere in Nashville without seeing a VBS sign. A recent article on the AP wire lists the standard cost for VBS at $2000. Some churches spend more than twice that.
I’ve never believed solely in storehouse tithing. I think that’s an Old Testament concept that was abolished under the New Covenant of Christ. I think Christians are not supposed to just throw 10% at the church of their choice. Instead I think they are supposed to prayerfully give as much as they can as often as they can to where they feel led to give it.
That being said I don’t think many Christians are going to feel as led to underwrite TVs and gymnasiums as they used to. It may be time for the Church to worry about lower giving, but it may also be time for the church to consider what they do with what they’ve been given.
Amen! I’m on the audio committee for our church’s new building campaign. They’ve just gotten a bid for the sound in several different rooms of the new building and it comes in at between $44,000 and $325,000 for audio/visual equipment.
Per room.
What just killed me was the fact that they’re considering spending almost $90,000 on the audio/visual install in the children’s room alone. Hello? How about an old TV (or heck, even a new big screen) and a much more reasonable sound system? I could put one together that would do the job for 1/10th the cost.
J
hey’re considering spending almost $90,000 on the audio/visual install in the children’s room alone.
????
Flannelgraph is much cheaper. But I guess there aren’t clever VeggieTales flannelgraphs to teach Biblical truths to children.
Wait until February. There will be many old TVs to be donated and you can hook a free TV up to a cheap VCR or DVD player and you’re in the game, if you really think you need AV to teach six-year-olds. Take the money you would have spent on AV and help the poor (of which there will also be many around February).
I think you make a good point in that churches need to consider how they spend their money. They need to make some hard decisions that most families need to make. I could see how someone would infer from your article, however, that VBS is not a worthwhile investment. Or maybe, you are making the point that $2000 is a lot of money for VBS. I’m not sure. It seems like VBS is one of the best investments that can be made.
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