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Small church resources?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Gina B, Aug 20, 2010.

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  1. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    How do you keep costs from becoming prohibitive when your church is small? Where can a small church go to get what they need without paying the high costs normally found in local Christian stores, and avoiding having to buy high minimums from other places for items you need a small amount of?

    For example, what if you need VBS supplies, but you only expect to have 5-20 kids attending?

    What if you need to get new chairs, but your church only needs to seat fifty instead of 500?

    Are there any resources out there that are good deals for small churches?
     
    #1 Gina B, Aug 20, 2010
  2. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    We face that same problem with lack of resources. Looking into meeting with other larger Like Minded Churches to pool resources.
     
    #2 Earth Wind and Fire, Aug 20, 2010
  3. ReformedBaptist

    ReformedBaptist Well-Known Member

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    Pray. Then pray. Then pray some more.

    Then go to craigslist, garage sales, flea markets, et. Then write your own VBS mats and theme.
     
    #3 ReformedBaptist, Aug 20, 2010
  4. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    When I pastored a very small church I pooled our resources with a much larger church and it worked well.

    Sometimes people from another church or your fellowship of churches have people who can help you. Sometimes you can use the resources from a larger church that is done with their VBS.
     
    #4 gb93433, Aug 20, 2010
  5. SolaSaint

    SolaSaint Well-Known Member

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    If your church belongs to an acossiation then go to them and many other churches may have left over resources.
     
    #5 SolaSaint, Aug 20, 2010
  6. UkuleleMike

    UkuleleMike New Member

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    Hi! This is my first post here!

    My philosophy on this issue is the olf K.I.S.S. method: Keep it simple, uh, Sailor (thumbs:)
    My church is quite small: 30 on a reeeeally good Sunday. When we did VBS, we put our own program together. My wife cooked and did crafts, I taught many of the classes, with help from other adults: we used resources we already had. For instance: we did one with a theme of the pioneers: since my wife is big on making things of her own, she taught the kids how to make soap and candles from goat fat, how to milk goats, (we have goats), and how to make pine needle baskets, all skills she possesses. We taught them about the American pioneers, while juxtapositioning them with Bible 'pioneers', like Abraham. I have a friend at work, a Christian, who is a mountain man re-creator, so he came and did a class about the mountain men and trappers, complete with skunk-skin hat.

    The above ideas about craigslist and the like are great idea. I have learned that everything doesn't have to be new. Also, watch for sales at the big Christian distributors of Bibles and hymnals: I have gotten outstanding deals on both through Sword's bookstore.

    The best resources are prayer and yard sales, internet sales, and a great one is to find online government auction sites-when they re-furnish their offices, you can get great deals on gently used chairs and the like.
     
    #6 UkuleleMike, Aug 21, 2010
  7. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Thanks. I'm not asking for this personally, I'm trying to find these resources to write something up that will help small churches know what their options are. I know there are a few on here that attend small churches, so it makes sense to ask here as long as I'm looking for the info!

    If I end up writing the answer I'll link to it, hopefully it will help out some people if I end up finding some stuff out there that turns out helpful. :thumbs:
     
    #7 Gina B, Aug 21, 2010
  8. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    We are independent.....cant vogue for Gina
     
    #8 Earth Wind and Fire, Aug 21, 2010
  9. Bob Alkire

    Bob Alkire New Member

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    Until the last 20 years or so give or take a few, it was rather simple compared to what goes on today.

    The pastor wrote the Bible story lessons, each lesson was for an hour or less. Always had a craft time and many of the wives came up with most of that and some men came up with some stuff as well. There would be games, ball, sack races and so on. Hot dogs every night except for the last night, there would be fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, biscuits and peach cobbler and ice cream. A lot of the food was given to VBS by members.

    We never had sales or car washes, I guess we didn't feel comfortable with such. Most of the time we spent two or three hundred dollars or less for the week. The last one I did was about 15 years ago. The church that I'm a member of today must spend much more into the thousands, but we are a modern church, have to buy everything, program on.
     
    #9 Bob Alkire, Aug 21, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 21, 2010
  10. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    1. Walmart.
    2. Maybe larger churches have some left overs for you to borrow.
    3. Can you clear space and sit on the floor?

    What town are you in? Maybe I know another church for the hook up.
     
    #10 SaggyWoman, Aug 23, 2010
  11. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Our church happily shares our VBS materials after we're finished with it and I'm sure there are other churches in your area that would do the same. We told two other churches to be there at the end of the VBS on Saturday morning to take some of the set stuff we made and we gave them the printed materials the next week. It works out great because we do a lot of hard work on sets (huge sets really) and it's nice to know that it won't be thrown in the trash at the end of the week. We WILL ask for some of the stuff back for future years but it's not until after it's been used by others.

    Certainly look into partnering with other churches. I know in our county, our evangelical pastors get together monthly and share their needs/ministries/prayers/etc. and that would be a good time to let those sorts of needs be known.
     
    #11 annsni, Aug 23, 2010
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