Dance Ministry Ethics #2: Contracted Ministry
October 26 – 30, 2009 is Dance Ministry Ethics Week here on Paneh’s site. Each day a new topic will be featured for discussion. The scenarios presented are based on real events however no actual names will be used.
The topic for day 2 is ministry contracts.
The Bible says:
for the laborer is worthy of his wages. – Luke 10:7
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages. – 1 Tim 5:17-18
The bible supports that ministers (or laborers) should receive compensation. The question is should there be a price tag or contractual requirement before agreeing to minister (dance, teach, sing etc)?
I’ve had the opportunity to serve on a variety of Christian event committees and some of the requests are surprising: 1st class air accommodations, 5-star hotel, limo service, 50% deposit, and the list goes on. Again, it is my belief that accommodations should be covered, but when we expect luxury have we gone too far?
One the other hand, some full time ministers feel obliged to have a contract because they have often experienced giving through ministry with little to no compensation. They feel it is necessary to set minimum guidelines to event planners because often times they are unaware of the financial responsibilities. It is easier to send a contract than have an uncomfortable conversation about financial expectations.
So where do we draw the line?
It’s your turn!
Is it OK for ministers to issue contracts? Why or why not?
Leave your comments below
Posted by Lakita Humber
Lakita Humber serves as the founder of Paneh Praise Dance & Mime Ministry and host of the Equipping the Saints Dance & Worship Arts Conference. Find out more about her or follow her on Twitter (@Paneh).
Subscribe to our RSS feed (What is RSS?)so you’ll always have the latest information.
Join our FREE newsletter! Enter your email address below to receive monthly emails with additional articles, upcoming events, promotions, discounts and resources.
this is an example of a ministry contract from a Prophetess, she does not ask for much, but has a list of requirements so people will know what they need to do before she comes to them:
************************************
MINISTRY REQUIREMENTS
* That the Lord open and confirm the door.
* Transportation (gas money if I drive there; plane ticket for further venues)
* Lodging at a motel or hotel (Motel 6 or similar is fine – a place that accepts animals, as I bring my 2 little dogs with me – first floor easily accessible room)
* Meals provided if we go to a restaurant while there.
* Offering, to be given to ____ before she leaves. (Just be sure your group knows up front that an offering will be received & to be considerate. We receive and give the Gospel for free; but if you require someone else to deliver it to you, their travel and living expenses are not.)
* If possible, please help schedule other meetings in your area during that time. This will also help in sharing the cost of travel expenses, so that it is not all on just one group of people. (If that isn’t possible, contact me anyhow. Often there are those that tell me, “If you are ever coming to the area for something else, alwasy include us in your trip.)
* Please supply cassette tapes & AA batteries so that those prophesied to may receive that on tape. (I take my own recorders with me.) Or else be sure that the meeting is recorded.
* If meeting is recorded, a copy of it (CD or tape) of the teaching portion before I leave, or mailed to me soon afterward.
******************************************
i don’t feel that anyone should be asking for big money, 5 star accomodations or limo service…but on the other extreme are those who take advantage of the dance ministry and will not even offer $20.00 for gas after they drive for long distances. sometimes they ask: “what do you require” and i will let them know that a love offering will be accepted, and i need a quiet place to change clothes. sometimes we have to go in a corner and put up sheets.
sometimes they will call afterwards and say “we can’t send you anything because there is not enough money in our account”…so our motiviation has to be in the
right place. BUT we do not have to allow anyone to take us for granted!
Again – a great topic! Though I haven’t experienced such a situation – my prayer is that we all stay humble. While those ministering for the Kingdom should rightly be compensated – I’ve seen too many instances where smaller churches/ministries are “left out” because they can not pay the hefty “honorarium” – or are judged by the size of their “love offering”.
Of course, that being said – it’s better to make sure that all expectations are cleared up at the front end than to have a misunderstanding happen on the back end.
However, at the end of the day – if we expect 5-star this and that…what are we really saying? As representatives of Christ – the opportunity to minister comes first – and God will surely bless…because His Word says so. But when we “feed” into our “status” – and all we think it means – we are imitating the world – and thereby limiting our ministry…
P.S. we should also not be expecting much if we don’t like to share with others who minister to us!
Hmmm I’m not sure where your draw the line, however if you value the gift that you are requesting to come then I believe we should try to give our best. Now on the other hand when I minister I recieve whatever is given to me something or nothing. The body of Christ is always learning and are at different stages, some of us know what to do while others are still learning. I have learned to be content in every state I find myself in. I have sown much so I beleive that I will reap much!
In the united States we are very blessed. I do not think it is out of order to provide accomodations for a guest minister. The level of the accomodations should be on the same level of the Church/organizations size and budget. I have been ministering for over 20 years, and I must say that I have found the Church of Jesus Christ, gracious, and generous. I personaly do not use a contract, but I think it is a good idea. I think a contract can be a good thing for the host and guest minister. When you put what is expected in writing it helps keep order.
A formal letter of invatation is also fine. On a personal note. Sometimes, when I am invited to minster, as a speaker or worship dancer my husband or assistant will handle the details of my accomodations with my host. This works well so, that I can focus on ministering well and not have to worry about those details.
@Dancer246 – Thank you for providing that sample. I’ve seen both extremes!
@COHDancer – Yes! We must remain humble. The opposite of humility is pride, and pride is sin (Ps 59:12).
@Gina – That is the million dollar question (no pun intended)…where do you draw the line? As uncomfortable as it is, I’ll ask if there is a minimum love offering expected. Then I know I won’t risk offending. If the amount is too high (or maybe its not too high, but outside my budget)…then I’ll respectfully say so. I had this happen before and the speaker agreed to come anyway. The offering exceeded my expectations and I was able to bless her with more than her minimum. Other times people decline, and it is no hard feelings.
Jocelyn brings up a good point about the letter of invitation. Do you view that is different from a contract? I ask because I use an information form. It asks about travel accommodations, lodging, etc. There is a spot to check yes or no. I can then make an informed decision looking at the entire picture.
The level of accommodations should not be the deciding factor, but knowing these will prevent assumptions and confusion.
I think that it is very nice that you have an information form. Sis. Lakita. I am not a lawer, maybe oneday, but I am sure that a contract is more binding than a letter of invitation. I said letter of invitation, because some mnistry leaders might not want to ask for a contract, but do want a formal written statment. It is very important that invitations be in writing. Like you have said Sis. Lakita to prevent confusion.(for both parties)Also contracts and written invitations can help during tax time. The Body of Christ must not be afraid to put things in writing. Sometimes we think being accountable, and orderly is not spiritual. We as the Church must grow in that area. One time I lead a 6 week workshop at a Church. They asked me for a contract for my services. I said yes, but kept procrastinating in writing one. The Church lawer, was in the workshop, thus he came to know and love me. Thank God, so when he and the Church got tired of waiting for me to write the contract, he wrote one for me.
I was thankfull. I do not think that we should be afraid of contracts as the host or guest. If you do not agree with the terms, then nigotiate or say no.
I always love ethics discussions because they really make you think!
I think my issue/hang-up with contracts are you (the invitee) are stating the terms.
A contract may say:
“Airfare is the mode of transportation”
A questionnaire may say:
Does your budget include travel accomodations? Y N
Will the mode of transportation be: air___ car rental ___ personal vehicle ___
It allows the organizer an opportunity to craft the accommodations and consider items that may otherwise be overlooked.
********************
I’ll admit…I am uncomfortable when somebody asks “how much do I charge for ministry”? (They ask because I purposed to leave it off my information form) My response is typically something along the lines of “Let the Lord direct you in your giving”
If someone chooses to take advantage of that, I must trust that the Lord will provide.
PS: Another good point about tax time, Jocelyn. We have to make sure we maintain integrity in our record keeping so we can properly file when the time comes.
yes, it is true that we to get things in writing, although many times invitations are verbal. i have only had one ministry communicate in writing, and that was via e-mail. but they also were a church that showed me much respect, and provided an atmosphere that made it very easy to minister. they told me what song they wanted, and had an anointed live musician who just got in the flow. it was wonderful. i think that is more important than anyting else, that there are no hindrances. contracts/agreements aside, everyplace we minister will not be smooth waters, sometimes we go there to fight (spiritually)! sometimes the enemy shows up in the middle of the dance. so sometimes, i think that there are bigger things to consider.
I like your form. You are so smart. Can you please put this form and your other great information in a packet for us worship leaders to use?
We have to trust the Lord to provide. If you throw yourself into worship and leading others to worship, God will provide.
Like you Sister Lakita, I do not ask for a $ amount at this time, but that is me. The Lord may allow others to ask for an amount. Be led by the Lord. I must tell you that the Lord has never allowed anyone to abuse me. One time a young lady asked me to minister in dance at her dance ministries recital. I usally do not go to those type of events, but this time I said yes. Well she was not accomodating. However after the event was over, her Bishop and his wife said that they were very blessed by my ministry. With in 2 business days that Bishop and his wife sent me a very large “love offering.”
The young lady who invited me may have not even known about their gift.
Use Sis. Lakita’s form, a contract or letter but, most important minister in a poweful way and God will make sure that you lack nothing.
@Jocelyn: Thank you for your kind words. Regarding the form, that is something that would probably be packaged and made available through another entity I’m working on! Expect more information on that before the year is out!
Kita
This is still an area of trepidation for me. I REALLY DON’T THINK CONTRACTS SHOULD BE NECESSARY, IF INVITING HOSTS WISH TO HONOR THOSE WHO LABOR AMONG THEM.
I have been traveling fo ministry for almost 10 year now. In that time, I have experienced all kinds of “treatment” as minister. Just this past year, in submission to my husband, I formally set an honorarium for myself. It was really hard for me to do, but my pastor not only supported the decision, but encouraged me to do so.
My answer here is only based on what I need for ministry, and I ask for only the basics. However, there are many, many churches and events that feel that ministry should be ALL donated, including the expenses to perform it, with no (or little) compensation to the minister. According to scripture, I feel that mentality is wrong, especially when ministry is your only vocation.
Here is what I humbly ask to be provided, from those that invite me to minister:
*round trip travel (does NOT have to be a 1st class ticket)
*a clean place to sleep (does NOT have to be a private room)
*meals for me to eat while I am there
*honorarium (which I have set 10% below what I would require in a secualr setting)
My pastor pointed out that he does not pastor our church full time without an annual salary. It is a necessity for him to be able to live. And if he were to travel for minitry full time, he told me he would have to require something similar.
What people don’t realize is that most travling ministers feel their calling is a true honor, and NEVER wish to put a price on their head. At least that is how I feel. BUT, there are so many times when inviting hosts take advantage of the “ministry” and the minister, and it creates the necessity for minsters to ask for basic ministerial needs and reasonable compensation.
Hopefully my opinion is helpful?
Love & Blessings to all!!!
@Dawn ~ Thank you so much for your insight…since you are a full time minister that I know personally I’m glad you have left your insight! I know your heart is toward ministry
Your opinion is helpful!
Blessings!
I have wresteled with this issue a lot during my 9 years of ministering. Church members and family members have been on me about “charging” when traveling or doing workshops. I usually tell people to give me what they think it’s worth to them. I feel uncomfortable about asking for money to minister. I realize that it costs money to do ministry and I do have expenses, but I feel that the Lord will touch people’s hearts to give and support the ministry. I must admit I have had some experiences where I have received little or no compensation. This is just one of those topics that leave you asking “Lord, what will you have me to do.
I love this topic. My father and I were just talking about this last week. I believe that ministers are worthy of their hire. I do believe if you are invited to minister and you are traveling the ministry that is inviting you should provide all accommodations. However, I do believe that we must remember that we are going to minister. We must not take advantage of the favor of God. I believe in letting God guide us in what we ask for. Each church/organization/ ministry is not the same.
I have one more thought I would like to share… It is in story form:
I have a friend who has served in ministry for almost 2 decades. While she often serves voluntarily (free of charge) her primary source of income is from dance instruction (both secular and Christian) and traveling ministry. She is an honest, humble woman of integrity.
She has over 15+ years of formal dance training, has danced professionally, teaches on a part-time/substitute basis for a professional ballet school, directs a dance company, and owned her own studio for several years. She continues to increase her formal dance training with professional (secular) dance organizations and conventions. She lives a lifestyle committed to prayer, the Word, and spiritual excellence.
In a secular setting, she normally receives $25 per hour salary. While she is not demanding about her ministry honorarium and ministerial needs, she has often experienced less than favorable treatment. She once shared (in confidence) a personal story that she needed prayer concerning.
She had been invited to teach at a worship dance conference several hours distance from her home. When discussing her honorarium with the event coordinator, she was told (by the coordinator) “I would never pay that much for any instructor, for one day’s teaching/ministry, especially when you’re only scheduled to teach 2 classes”. She ended the conversation with the event coordinator graciously, but honestly felt insulted.
All too often, I find this same type of situation in ministry settings. We want professional teachers,speakers,instructors at our events, and then want to give them minimum-wage offerings.
While my friend was only scheduled to teach 2 dance classes at ths event, she still had to be present for the entire day’s schedule. She was expected to be present for & help facilitate morning worship/prayer, teach her assigned classes, and minister in the evening service. Being that she was several hours away from home, she could not temporarily leave to take care of home, family, or business affairs. In reality, she would be “putting in” an 8 hour day of ministry that would take her approx. 6-8 hours to prepare for. And she was basically told she was not worth more than a few hours’ compensation.
As I listened to her story, it was clear to me that she was NOT upset about “the money”. She was hurt that she was viewed as nothing more than a hireling. She was hurt that she is often treated with more honor, respect, and dignity in secualr settings than among the children of God.
While I most certainly feel that ministry is NOT a money-making business and should be treated as an honor, privilege, and responsibility…I am surprised how many in the Body of Christ simply do not value those who labor among them.
And I usually wonder this…if we were inviting the same caliber of speaker/instructor to teach at a secular event…would we offer them the same tribute in return for their investment of time, preparation, and work?
Just something to think about?
@LeShaunda & @Vioree (aka Fiery!) – I love your comments in that you both state that we must give it back to the Lord…I agree.
I have several areas that I would like to address, according to the Word of God:
1- In all your getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7).
Why a “contract?” Isn’t the purpose of a contract to have legal recourse?
Contract: In law, a contract is a binding legal agreement that is enforceable in a court of law. That is to say, a contract is an exchange of promises for the breach of which the law will provide a remedy. (Source: Wikipedia)
We understand the importance of having an agreement (understanding) in writing, but formulating a contract can become an area of contention. We may want to justify dance ministry as our occupation, but at this point, we need to determine if preaching and dancing the Gospel is a “job” to us or a commission from the Lord.
Proverbs 25:8
Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame?
James 2:6
But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
Matthew 5:40
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
1 Corinthians 6:1
[Do Not Sue the Brethren] Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
***Personally, I receive a letter of invitation to know what to expect. Usually, these items are provided, but if not, I move on and it is forgiven; however, I may hesitate to deal with that ministry in the future.
2- What exactly are we charging for? Are we charging for the Gospel? Are we charging for our time? Are we charging for our experience? We should be led by the Word and by the Lord. Let’s look at Paul’s take on this:
1 Corinthians 9:18
What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
2 Corinthians 11:7
Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
What context are we being asked to come in? Could Paul have charged? Certainly, but to keep himself pure (cannot serve God and mammon), he opted not to. How many of us have seen ministries corrupted by the love of money?
I too travel frequently and am blessed to receive accommodations, travel and love offerings. I am also blessed when I do not receive travel, lodging, or finances. The reward will be awaiting me in eternity. I am not suffering lack and rejoice in the many testimonies of the people who the Lord sends me to serve.
I believe that the difference is being aware of the circumstances up front. I personally do not ever want money to be a factor in my acceptance of an assignment. There are conferences that I have attended in which I have paid for the entire trip and received no money. Personally, the Lord has not instructed me to charge for ministry, but gave me a way to return with additional income through a vendor table for dance ministry goods. If I feel that a conference host is taking advantage of instructors, it is my choice whether or not I will continue to participate.
3- FULL TIME? Some may say, “This is what I do full time.”
***Food for thought: If we are not making enough money doing ministry, then should we look for a job (or business) to support our living expenses?
We should all be in full-time ministry as a life calling. Agreed, if we labor in the Gospel, we should live from it. The issue is that many of us have not reached the point where we are solely laboring in the Word to meet our financial needs. (Yes, I do “this” full-time, but the Lord opened the door for me to be able to do this exclusively— in His timing).
***More Food for Thought: Are we expecting our needs to be met or our wants too?
For example, I am blessed to run a praise dance company and I pay my technique instructor to show up on time twice per week and teach a progressive modern dance curriculum. She is not paid to show up and dance with us at ministry outings. She is not paid to attend Word classes. I am asking her to dedicate her time on a regular basis and be available to cover for me when I am out of town. But guess what the blessing is? She allows me to pay her whatever the Lord placed on my heart. Because I consulted Him, she is paid standard scale for dance instructors. (I also believe that by the same measure we sow, we reap. When we take care of people, God will take care of us).
It is up to us to treat one another well. Should we make demands for our service? Have we reached a level where we must be comfortable and happy to minister the Word of God? (WOW- How did Paul do it from jail?) Again, let the Word and the Holy Spirit guide. A few parting Scriptures for thought:
1 Timothy 5:17
[Honor the Elders] Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
1 Thessalonians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
“So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.”
Acts 20:34-35
“Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
1 Corinthians 9:13-15
“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.”
Luke 10:3-12
“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.”
Let’s not only preach the Word, but live it!
All Scriptures quoted from the New King James Version.
His Servant,
Rekesha Pittman