While serving others, Pastors and other ministes can find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Though they have dedicated themselves to serving other people, it can create a financial problem for them. Preparing for a position in miministry can require years of education and training at expensive universities and seminaries. It requires years of study and a considerable financial investment.
Chaplains, college ministers, youth pastors, education ministers, and others on the church staff may find themselves in the same situation. These ministry positions are often paid less than the Senior Pastor, but have a similar schedule and expectation. They come to realize that they may need another stream of income just to pay for the necessities. Starting a small service business may be the best solution for them. Performing weddings as a business as described in The Wedding Income Toolkit for Ministers can be the ideal second job. It also has advantages for fellow ministers in the same church or even in small churches in the same town since they can coordinate their schedules together to meet the needs of couples.
Ministers often have graduate and post graduate degrees in a wide variety of majors. Many churches and parachurch ministries even require their ministers to have these degrees. It is true that larger churches and mega churches can afford to compensate their ministers with good salaries and adequate benefits. However, churches are non-profit organizations and are limited in their budgets. So many ministers barely make enough money to pay their bills.
It might seem that getting a second job is the answer, but keep in mind that the local church minister is usually considered to be availabe for their members at all times. This creates a real dilemna for the minister who wants to be available, but knows that a second job with scheduled hours will detract from his or her ability to minister. It can be almost impossible to find a job with a flexible schedule that pays enough to compensate them for their time.
This dilemna has caused some ministers to take a job in desperation but with the knowledge it will interfere with their primary job. Unfortunately, there are ministers who have had to leave their calling behind to find a job that will feed their families. Those who have large families can struggle even more. Asking for a raise is sometimes appropriate, however it is not as simple as it might seem since most churches have boards that set the annual budgets.
There are some options with people who have various skills. Ministers or their wives can earn extra income by doing small jobs that help members of their congregation. For instance, a music minister's wife may give music lessons. Sometimes the wives are forced to take full time jobs to help with the household budget. Some services that the minister does may give him or her a chance to earn extra income, too, such as revival meetings, performing funerals, and performing weddings. Most pastors perform these services gladly for no cost whatsoever, but they are also happy for any extra money that is given.
When all of these activities are considered, performing weddings is probably the easiest and best for pastors to do. First, it is a happy occasion and both religious and irreligious people are comfortable with paying the minister a fee to officiate the ceremony. Second, weddings are scheduled months in advance so that the minister can schedule around them. Third, a minimum fee can be set, and there can also be bonuses. An example of a low wedding fee would be about $200. If a pastor could perform one wedding a week, he or she could easily add $10,000 or more to his annual income. The pastor or staff member could, in essence, give themselves a raise, and maintain their schedule without going before a church board.
There are some ways that you can begin to increase your income now by simply adding more weddings to your usual pastoral duties if you know how to begin. This is a perfect fit because this is a job that you are already prepared for and familiar with. If you have your credentials for performing wedding ceremonies already then you can begin to add needed money to your household finances today. - 15615
Chaplains, college ministers, youth pastors, education ministers, and others on the church staff may find themselves in the same situation. These ministry positions are often paid less than the Senior Pastor, but have a similar schedule and expectation. They come to realize that they may need another stream of income just to pay for the necessities. Starting a small service business may be the best solution for them. Performing weddings as a business as described in The Wedding Income Toolkit for Ministers can be the ideal second job. It also has advantages for fellow ministers in the same church or even in small churches in the same town since they can coordinate their schedules together to meet the needs of couples.
Ministers often have graduate and post graduate degrees in a wide variety of majors. Many churches and parachurch ministries even require their ministers to have these degrees. It is true that larger churches and mega churches can afford to compensate their ministers with good salaries and adequate benefits. However, churches are non-profit organizations and are limited in their budgets. So many ministers barely make enough money to pay their bills.
It might seem that getting a second job is the answer, but keep in mind that the local church minister is usually considered to be availabe for their members at all times. This creates a real dilemna for the minister who wants to be available, but knows that a second job with scheduled hours will detract from his or her ability to minister. It can be almost impossible to find a job with a flexible schedule that pays enough to compensate them for their time.
This dilemna has caused some ministers to take a job in desperation but with the knowledge it will interfere with their primary job. Unfortunately, there are ministers who have had to leave their calling behind to find a job that will feed their families. Those who have large families can struggle even more. Asking for a raise is sometimes appropriate, however it is not as simple as it might seem since most churches have boards that set the annual budgets.
There are some options with people who have various skills. Ministers or their wives can earn extra income by doing small jobs that help members of their congregation. For instance, a music minister's wife may give music lessons. Sometimes the wives are forced to take full time jobs to help with the household budget. Some services that the minister does may give him or her a chance to earn extra income, too, such as revival meetings, performing funerals, and performing weddings. Most pastors perform these services gladly for no cost whatsoever, but they are also happy for any extra money that is given.
When all of these activities are considered, performing weddings is probably the easiest and best for pastors to do. First, it is a happy occasion and both religious and irreligious people are comfortable with paying the minister a fee to officiate the ceremony. Second, weddings are scheduled months in advance so that the minister can schedule around them. Third, a minimum fee can be set, and there can also be bonuses. An example of a low wedding fee would be about $200. If a pastor could perform one wedding a week, he or she could easily add $10,000 or more to his annual income. The pastor or staff member could, in essence, give themselves a raise, and maintain their schedule without going before a church board.
There are some ways that you can begin to increase your income now by simply adding more weddings to your usual pastoral duties if you know how to begin. This is a perfect fit because this is a job that you are already prepared for and familiar with. If you have your credentials for performing wedding ceremonies already then you can begin to add needed money to your household finances today. - 15615
About the Author:
Go to www.WeddingIncome.com to pick up your free Premarriage Counseling Outline you can use to earn $50 an hour. Learn how to become a wedding minister and perform weddings to earn an extra $5,000 to 10,000 part time.