fundraisers: schools vs. churches

[Full Quiver]

Allow me to preface this by saying that I know we have several educators here and I mean no offense. I am sure you guys do a great job and do it passionately.

Yesterday we were having a discussion about fundraisers. We all know that schools push fundraisers and churches become prey for the participants. I mean generally you can make some easy sells at church. Well when a church wants to do a fundraiser then the people are like I already bought some candy from you, or wrapping paper, or popcorn, etc. Thus the school benefits and not the church.

We are aware that OVERALL our public schools are a disaster. Kids graduate that can't read and all that mess. It's a shame! The entire no prayer in school, leave God out, evolution argument should steer churches or members from spending one dollar on school fundraisers. I know we see it as helping the kid selling but in reality we are propping up a broken system that OVERALL rejects our belief system. Already we pay out the ying yang in taxes to fund these failed institutions so WHY do we dole out our cash for the same products we could buy from our church if not just give the money to the church?

How much can churches affect schools by REFUSING to buy from these fundraisers?

[Shellie]

Since I teach at a private school, this argument doesn't include me, however...I do undersand where you are coming from.

With that being said...would you like to buy some cookie dough? It helps the private school which is the only church some of these students get.

[RamboPreacher]

Since I teach at a private school, this argument doesn't include me, however...I do undersand where you are coming from.

With that being said...would you like to buy some cookie dough? It helps the private school which is the only church some of these students get.

does that mean where you are - Public schools don't have fund raisers for the kids?

[Pianoman]

How much can churches affect schools by REFUSING to buy from these fundraisers?

As I child, I attended church in a neighboring town & always
hated fundraisers. The excuse I always got was that
folks at church had already bought something from
the local kids - or that they wanted to support their
local kids & not another school district. (Cruel - but true).

I always did much better with service type fundraisers -
car washes, dinners, etc. If it was product - it had to
be something unique & not just candy, candles, etc.

Our school actually clamped down. Clubs were having
fundraisers right & left & they limited each club to 1
fundraiser per year & made it a requirement that if it
was a product - it had to be something that no other
organization had sold for the year. Each group had
to submit not only what they were selling - but when
they were selling it so it wouldn't overlap with someone
else & they put a 1 week time limit on their sales period.

I do appreciate those folks that try to offer something
different or useful. Anyone remember those tall skinny
(somewhat ugly) glass candles (about the size of a tennis
ball can?). We had gobs of those at our house for years.
Seems like most of ours were brown & had some kind of
cheesy painting on them - they had a long metal wire
to hold the match & light them & seemed like they
lasted forever!

[rjc]

I have a problem with some types of fund raisers. I don't like to see elementary age children going door to door. I also have a problem with the car wash fund raisers that you see having teenage girls standing on street corners with signs. The car washes could be advertised in community papers and stand-alone signs, not using teenagers in skimpy clothing on the street. There are plenty of ways to raise money with putting our children at risk. I'm getting off my soap box now.

[Full Quiver]

Ok great info on particular fundraisers but no answers to the questions.

[Pastor Don]

How much can churches affect schools by REFUSING to buy from these fundraisers?

This is just my personal opinion, and I realize that opinions are like arm pits, everybody has two of them and most of them stink.

I don't think that churches or Christians in general could affect the schools at all. My reasoning being that a Nation that claims to be predominately Christian stood by and allowed prayer and the Word of God to be completely removed from the school system. They stood by and watched as "Family Planning" introduced the idea of giving free condoms to our school aged children. They have stood by and watched as small group after small group have striped away virtually any Christian freedom.

So, I would say no, they could not effect the schools at all. Christianity is WAY too divided on the very basic principals of our faith. Face it, if Christians would stand united we could put a stop to a majority of the anti-Christian influence in our schools as well as our government but as it stands now Christ said it best: "a house divided against its self shall not stand".

just my two cents worth.

God bless...

[Pianoman]

How much can churches affect schools by REFUSING to buy from these fundraisers?

Sorry - slightly sidetracked! I don't know that this would
necessarily be the preferred approach. You're basically
honking off the local folks who were most likely not
affiliated with (or did not create) the problems you were
mentioning above.

Most of your churches are going to have a few teachers,
PTA members, booster club members, etc. attending.
How nice they would feel if the pastor introduced a fundraising
boycott for their place of employment or organizations
they are helping with.

You're probably actually killing the area that these folks
feel like they might be making a difference. They may
not be able to directly change school policy or curriculum -
but if they can become involved in the lives of these children
through sports & other extra-curricular activities - they may
be able to make an impact on their lives that the education
system itself could not. (This would almost in itself be
a motivational factor to give more money if it was used &
implemented correctly by the appropriate individuals).

I believe there are other avenues that could better get to
the root of the problems described.

If the problem is you've alreadys sold candy for the kids
at school and now you're selling candy for the kids at church -
I'd push for the folks at church to do something different
(or make some new friends so you've got more people
to peddle stuff to!). Unfortunately - I guess I could see
where this could be a problem for a family with a whole
house full of youngsters who are each selling stuff.

[PastorP]

Allow me to preface this by saying that I know we have several educators here and I mean no offense. I am sure you guys do a great job and do it passionately.

Yesterday we were having a discussion about fundraisers. We all know that schools push fundraisers and churches become prey for the participants. I mean generally you can make some easy sells at church. Well when a church wants to do a fundraiser then the people are like I already bought some candy from you, or wrapping paper, or popcorn, etc. Thus the school benefits and not the church.

We are aware that OVERALL our public schools are a disaster. Kids graduate that can't read and all that mess. It's a shame! The entire no prayer in school, leave God out, evolution argument should steer churches or members from spending one dollar on school fundraisers. I know we see it as helping the kid selling but in reality we are propping up a broken system that OVERALL rejects our belief system. Already we pay out the ying yang in taxes to fund these failed institutions so WHY do we dole out our cash for the same products we could buy from our church if not just give the money to the church?

How much can churches affect schools by REFUSING to buy from these fundraisers?

It is upsets me when the schools push the students to sell at their churches and then refuse to allow the kids to sell church fundraisers to the teachers.

[Full Quiver]

That's part of my point PastorP. Schools don't necessarily believe in churches or Christian churches but they love to take money from them.