Offerings, Guest Speakers and Singing Groups

scooter · Postby **scooter** » January 11th, 2008, 4:04 am

How does your church do offerings for guest speakers and groups?

Do you have a set amount you typically give?

Do you give all of the offering taken?

What is typical?

DeWayneTN · Postby **DeWayneTN** » January 11th, 2008, 5:33 am

Most of the time now it seems like churches do set amounts. I think it's really important to let the congregation know that when you're taking up the offering or it's either intentionally or unintentionally dishonest if you don't IMHO.

RamboPreacher · Postby **RamboPreacher** » January 11th, 2008, 5:43 am

we give the full offering that isn't otherwise designated by marked envelopes.

MrDanger · Postby **MrDanger** » January 11th, 2008, 5:58 am

We have a set minimum amount to give. If the offering doesn't meet that amount, we give that set amount. If the offering is bigger than the set amount, the we give the amount of the offering.

rev rick · Postby **rev rick** » January 11th, 2008, 6:10 am

MrDanger wrote:We have a set minimum amount to give. If the offering doesn't meet that amount, we give that set amount. If the offering is bigger than the set amount, the we give the amount of the offering.

We do about the same.

paul · Postby **paul** » January 11th, 2008, 6:37 am

MrDanger wrote:We have a set minimum amount to give. If the offering doesn't meet that amount, we give that set amount. If the offering is bigger than the set amount, the we give the amount of the offering.

When we have speakers or groups at out seminars, conferences or Mission Banquets we do the same as your church . I also did the same when pastoring.

Poimen · Postby **Poimen** » January 11th, 2008, 8:14 am

Our practice to date has been to give set amounts.

We give 75.00 for a guest speaker to come in for a service.
We give 300.00 for a singing group to hold a singing.

scooter · Postby **scooter** » January 11th, 2008, 8:31 am

Thanks for the replies.

I was just thinking. I know churches must get to a size where they just give someone a set amount rather than the whole offering.

paul · Postby **paul** » January 11th, 2008, 9:21 am

scooter wrote:Thanks for the replies.

I was just thinking. I know churches must get to a size where they just give someone a set amount rather than the whole offering.

Your point is good. The area that is important is that the congregation is fully aware that what is given is a set amount. Not thinking that the whole amount is being given then find out it was not. All offerings that I receive are made out the our ministry and never to me personally. They are placed in the ministry account and from there I receive my salary.

In traveling and ministering in churches what I have come across several times is the Pasotr telling the congregation that they were receiving a offering for missions, to feed children, and so on. The people respond thinking that was the case. Then when I got ready to leave be given a really small amount. One time a person approached me after and mentioned the amount they had given and had wished it could have been more. The amount they mentioned was much larger than what was given to me on behalf of missions.

DeWayneTN · Postby **DeWayneTN** » January 11th, 2008, 9:30 am

Yeah, Paul, that's exactly what I was thinking. It is so dishonest to make people assume all the money is being given, so they need to be told if that's not the case.

Pastor Bill · Postby **Pastor Bill** » January 11th, 2008, 9:47 am

I have always given the offering, and made it plain that we would do that, we don't include tithes if someone marks it as tithes, and we are open about that as well, but we don't bring in outside groups or speakers often either.

dolfan · Postby **dolfan** » January 11th, 2008, 10:54 am

Total hijack, but I saw today that Jesse Duplantis will be in Decatur next week at a certain large AG church that hosts him pretty much every year or so. I went one night out of sheer curiosity, and they announced the offering --- it was around $18,000 I think. :lol:

Poimen, you've got a lot of catchin' up to do, bro. :lol:

pastorables · Postby **pastorables** » January 11th, 2008, 7:24 pm

dolfan wrote:Total hijack, but I saw today that Jesse Duplantis will be in Decatur next week at a certain large AG church that hosts him pretty much every year or so.

Can you give me the details of this event? I need a good laugh. :lol:

pa

pastorables · Postby **pastorables** » January 11th, 2008, 7:31 pm

scooter wrote:How does your church do offerings for guest speakers and groups?...

What is typical?

I think the other side of the coin is with regards to the speaker or group in question. Many speakers and/or groups charge set fees/honorariums now.

I remember once calling about the group Truth. They wanted $20,000 for their entire entourage. I also called about Jeff Fenholt. His secretary offered me the special package: $6,000 plus airline tickets, hotels, and all meals, etc... Finally, a local group, Paid in Full, wanted $1,000 to drive just over an hour.

I do agree that it would be kind of dishonest to receive an offering for one fund and give it to another, but hasn't General Headquarters practiced this for years?

Blessings,
pa

DeWayneTN · Postby **DeWayneTN** » January 12th, 2008, 3:51 am

pastorables wrote:I remember once calling about the group Truth. They wanted $20,000 for their entire entourage. I also called about Jeff Fenholt. His secretary offered me the special package: $6,000 plus airline tickets, hotels, and all meals, etc... Finally, a local group, Paid in Full, wanted $1,000 to drive just over an hour.

I don't see anything extreme in these prices. I'm not a fan of Fenholt's music so I wouldn't pay it but all of these are about normal and the local group actually seems cheap. If the group had 4 people, they would split it four ways after their manager/booking agent took a part of it. They would also take expenses out of it. In a good scenario, they'd get maybe $200 each for the concert - that's not breaking the bank. The Truth singers/band, from what I heard, received a clothing allowance and a small salary, kinda like being on a mission team. That's probably why they had a revolving door of participants.

Since I've booked artists and groups over the years, I have heard a lot of discussion about artists charging. Yet I don't know of many Christians who go to work and say "pay me whatever you want." These figures are arrived at based on the amount of time the artists want to be on the road, who else they have to pay and what expenses they generate. The bigger the artist, the more expenses they have. Some booking agents take 25% and some take half. Then the manager, then the expenses, then the band, then the artist. Obviously there are Christian artists that do well financially but it's a huge misconception that all who are touring and have records out are raking it in. Some are barely keeping their heads above water.

I also heard a lot about "Carman comes for a love offering," which was misleading. He did his own shows for a love offering but if you wanted him at your church or function, you would pay and most likely help offset the free concerts he put on.

Jude 2