Is this okay??

I think a Church with a Christian Bookstore is fine. I believe though that it needs to nly operate the same as any other ministry and not for monetary profit.

It is a valuable resource for members to have access to things that the Church/Pastor give their samp of approval to....because too many times other commercial bookstores (Christian or secular) try to be all things to all people and can expose young believers (or old) to things that could sway them from the teachings of the Bible. Even the Devil knows enough about scripture to twist it and use it to confuse people.

 

I would say that it is ok, as long as it's not for profit

 

We have one in our church. They sell bibles, devotionals, etc., plus we have a stock of CD's and DVD's of various guests we've had sing or preach.

About the only trinkets they do sell are coffee cups with the church name on them.

 

Is it OK to sell music tapes, CDs, books, in The physical church building? What is your opinion??

What do you mean, to run a bookstore out of the building during the week? Sure, why not?

 

I don't believe that is standard practice for the Hoppers....We sang in a Nazarene Church on a Sunday morning and they told us we had to either take orders or set up in parking lot...since it was about 12 degrees out we decided orders were fine....they did not believe in selling/buying on Sundays....possibly what happened with Hoppers...

 

All this is very interesting it would appear that "The Hoppers" do not believe the church is a place for merchandiseing.

*g* I wonder whose property they thought the parking lot was on?

 

I admire their convictions...however;

I think they have misunderstood the "Jesus and the moneychangers" story. It wasn't about the simple buying and selling...it was the greed and avarice that they used in extorting money from people in order to be able to sacrifice. It was more like "you must buy this ticket to get to God."

We allow it...but we do have "veto privileges" over anything we would deem inappropriate, (though we as of yet haven't had to use that) and we warn anyone who is doing a concert, etc. here that they are welcome to mention their product table, but that it must be appropriately done (i.e., we're not having a guest preacher talk about his tapes during the invitation), and they don't need to overdo it.

 

If you've got a visiting singing group that travels in a bus, church to church, then of course they need to be able to sell their tapes out in the foyer. That's how they buy gasoline for those gas hogs.

If the church choir or pastor or a soloist has a DVD for sale from a worship service, that needs to be done through the church office, to members, who may want to share something that has blessed them with family and friends, or as a witnessing tool. Profit is not the motive ~ in fact, the DVDs should be provided for free, or at cost.

Traveling evangelists should receive a love offering, not an opportunity to merchandise whatever.

We visited a non-denom church one Sunday and we were stunned by the "hawking of wares" going on in the long hallway that circled the worship center, before and between services. Not something we found appealing.