Church Business

Outside the sanctuary my church has a book store where they charge for books. They also have classes you can go to but most of them are for a cost (usually for the book). My concerns are that the poor and needy that Jesus told us to take care of are being excluded from these resource materials.

Q. I am writing to obtain your thoughts and recommendations on my church. It is a great church that in the pulpit teaches the word of God and I am happy with that. Outside the sanctuary they have a book store where they charge for books. They also have classes you can go to but most of them are for a cost (usually for the book). My concerns are that the poor and needy that Jesus told us to take care of are being excluded from these resource materials.

I know about the economics of it all but I would think the church could cut out some other “fat” to allow the poor and needy to access these resources. This is also a trend I am seeing nationwide in churches and congregations. I don’t know that they are all getting rich off of it but it seems to go against what God wants and that is for us to draw close to him and draw others with us. Today it seems as though you can if you have the money. What could I be doing on my behalf or am I just concerned about nothing?

A. Many of the book stores in churches are run as ministries and are often subsidized, and while I can’t say this for a certainty in your case, most churches will also waive the cost of attending a study if the applicant can’t afford to buy the materials. Naturally they don’t make this public knowledge. You can check to see if this is the case at your church. If you like what you’re experiencing otherwise, I’d suggest that you give this concern to the Lord and leave it in His hands.