I am going to take a huge risk and go way out on a limb.

A couple of my current comments on an article at Church Communications Pro regarding open source products or "freeware" got me thinking about a situation with churches I have encountered personally.  The situation has to do with some churches or their leaders that feel as though they should receive free stuff just for being a church or pastor.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with a church receiving any type of gift when a person wants to give it from the heart or in a worshipful response to God.  I do believe it is wrong for churches to expect or guilt people (knowingly or unknowingly) into giving to their church by using the "Kingdom building" excuse.  

Let me share an example from my business life.

My professional work focuses on helping churches communicate their message.  I do this because I love God and want to give back with the talents He has blessed me with and am passionate about seeing the Church grow.  This is the way that I provide everything from a home to food to education for my family.  The Bible says "a worker deserves their wages" Luke 10:7.  The sad thing is that there have been so many churches during the last six years who have tried to get my services for free or for a huge discount because "I am a Christian and I should give to the Kingdom building movement."  This is absolutely wrong and not Biblical! 

What some church leaders don't seem to understand is that, like them, I too have had to pay my dues for education, training, expensive software, and computers. They forget this is how I feed my family and probably don't know that there aren't benefits like being on a church staff.  Sometimes I have to work when I am really sick and I don't get yearly vacation times.  Please understand this is not a gripe about my choice and lifestyle but that there are many things in the background that can easily be forgotten.

This brings me to my comments at Church Communications Pro.

If a business charges for their services which take time, money, and experience, shouldn't they have the right to earn a profit and make a living from their talents?  Is it right for a church to feel as though everything should be provided for free or at a discount?  Wouldn't you feel horrible by taking the blessing from another person or food from a child's mouth?  And to those wealthier churches who have played the "Kingdom" card - are you not sinning against the person or business by pretending to have no money?

I wish I could give it all away but my priority is providing for the people in my household - and it's that way for other businesses and individuals too!  My hope is that churches will understand this and remember that no one can just work for free...unless you're independently wealthy. 

A worker deserves their wages and churches should be the first to willingly pay Christians who are using their hands to make a living instead of always giving to the people who refuse to work and expect a handout.

 
A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, church leader's of the Christian movement have secretly begun building churches that are clones of the empires called mega churches in an attempt to capture the market share of the heathen sinners and  become the next big thing, but there is a chosen one who stands on the side on non-conformity and will fight the Imperialist scum. His name is James Dalman...

OK, so I am going a little overboard but the script is not too far fetched!

Churches are duping others.  They are trying to clone themselves into Mars Hill (either one), Life Church.tv, Fellowship Church.tv, Willow Creek, NorthPoint Community Church, Saddleback Church,  National Community Church, Granger Community Church, and so on.

For the love of the Kingdom and our sanity, please stop.  Look within, instead of looking out.  I get the opportunity to visit with a lot of Jesus loving and sincere pastors and church planters but if I hear one more tell me "we want to emulate what ______________ church has done because that's us" , I am going to take my blaster and use it on them, and no, it won't be set for stun.

I'm not trying to be mean but NO it's not you, it is them.  Be yourself and start finding a way to break the mold.  Why do we feel we need to clone the superstar or walk in the shadows of somebody else?  I could personally use a lot of improvement but there's no way that I want to be anyone but James Dalman as screwed up as I can be sometimes (but I might take the financial security of Bill Gates).  And I encourage church leaders and their teams to do the same.

You are screwed up and you aren't the best.  That is absolutely OK!  Find what makes you unique and shout it out loud and stop asking me to make you into one of those other churches because I won't do it and I can't!  I can and will help you to discover and develop your brand though if you want me to...just as long as you don't mind if I bring my lightsaber.