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.
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.
Getting an additional job can be quite tricky for the Pastor or staff member because they need to be able to be on call at all hours for their churches. This Catch22 frustrates many ministers on the lower end of the pay scale. Even though they need to earn more money, they are not really sure what type of job will fit their full schedules.
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.
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.
Perhaps the most natural fit for pastors is performing weddings. Since weddings are happy occasions, ministers can be associated with a joyful time. People are usually aware that there is a cost for this service and are happy to pay the minister’s fee. Since weddings are planned months ahead of time, the pastor can plan his schedule to include them. It is easier for a minister to set a fee for weddings than for any other aspect of ministry. If a Pastor decided to charge $300 per wedding and were able to schedule just one wedding per week, then he could make an additional $15,000 per year. That would be a considerable raise for most ministers.
Consider some of these ways to begin increasing your income right now. But especially consider adding more weddings in the coming months. If you don’t know how to do this, it is best to find a manual or text that will teach you how to make learn the necessary skills involved in meeting with couples, coordinator, and other professional, as well as leading rehearsals quickly and smoothly. The Wedding Income Toolkit for Ministers is an excellent tool that can give you all the things you need so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It can help any minister get begin doing weddings in 60 days or less. This can be a perfect fit because this is a job that you are already prepared for and familiar with. If you have your such as a license or ordination for performing wedding ceremonies already then you can start to add needed money to your budget right away.
