Is this okay??

[mima]

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

 

[MRCoon]

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.

 

[Servent]

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

 

[Psalm 100]

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.

 

[Ransom]

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?

 

[Scarlett O.]

It's very OK.

I know that there are some churches who would never do it nor would they have a bake sale or try to raise money other than the offering plate, but providing this service to the people is quite benign and if the church makes a profit to be put into the general fund or a special fund, then that's OK, too.

When Jesus chased the money lenders out of the temple, this was a different matter altogether.

These evil people were "selling" God's atonement. If you were going to sacrifice an animal, you had to buy it from them at an unfair price and it was many times a blemished animal.

These people were making a greedy personal income by cheating God's people and making a mockery of His Temple and sacrificial system.

This is no way has to do with the church today, raising money for the church to do God's work with by having bookstores, or fundraisers or any such thing. And it has nothing to do with providing a helpful service to God's people.

 

[mima]

My reason for asking this question is: I attended a singing by "The Hoppers" and they offered tapes and CDs of their music after the singing. And even though it was raining they set up on the parking lot and refuse to sell in the church. All this is very interesting it would appear that "The Hoppers" do not believe the church is a place for merchandiseing.

 

[SOGOSINGER]

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...

 

[Ransom]

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?

 

[rbell]

Originally posted by mima:
My reason for asking this question is: I attended a singing by "The Hoppers" and they offered tapes and CDs of their music after the singing. And even though it was raining they set up on the parking lot and refuse to sell in the church. All this is very interesting it would appear that "The Hoppers" do not believe the church is a place for merchandiseing.

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.

 

[genesis12]

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.