Article Advise

submitted: Nov 3rd 2008 | by: BelleB.Carrclum | Total views: 2 | Word Count: 670 | |

Ministers are caught in an unusual situation. They are devoting their lives to the service of others and they may find that this devotion is creating hardships in their finances. Divinity schools are costly to attend and even some of the lesser known colleges and schools can require large financial expenditures.

Worship Ministers, Music Ministers, Youth Ministers, Associate Pastors, and Ministers of Education can also find themselves in a similar position. These church staff members usually make less than the Pastor, but they still have the same kind of schedule. They really need a part time job to pay the bills. A wedding ministry business such as one provided in The Wedding Income Toolkit for Ministers is very often a perfect fit for members of the same church staff because if one has an event on the evening of the wedding, the other minister can take his place and vice versa.

Most churches require Pastors to have advanced degrees. They often earn degress in counseling, music, theology, or Bible that will help them in their calling. Some larger churches offer their ministers adequate benefits and salaries. But for many of them the incomes they receive are barely enough for them to pay their necessary bills.

It is very difficult for many pastors to have additional jobs of any sort because they need to be on call at all hours for their congregations. This creates a Catch22 situation for many of the more impoverished ministers. They desperately need more money but are not sure how to go about adding to their income.

Some who have taken part time jobs just hope that their hours will not interfere with the needs and requirements of their church or that their other employer will be understanding. Other ministers are forced to considering abandoning their calling altogether in order to find employment that will pay a living wage. For ministers who with families to care for making ends meet is a weekly struggle. If these men and women had secular jobs they could ask for a raise, but that is not as simple in a church setting where salaries are often set by a board.

A minister can offer services to the members of his or her congregation such as teaching music lessons. The spouses may be called on to get a full time job. Some churches frown on this. There are occasions where a minister can earn a little extra by speaking events such as revivals, conferences, or by performing funerals or performing weddings. While these things are part of the ministry, they are usually considered extra services. Most people are quite willing to pay for these professional services just as they would pay a doctor or attorney or service professional.

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.

About the Author

Go to www.WeddingIncome.com to pick up your free Premarital 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.

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