The following article is written by my friend Jeff Goins.
Here’s my introduction to it.
If you’ve been a subscriber to this blog and you follow my work, you know that virtually all of my ministry is free of charge.
You also know that I don’t profit personally from my book sales, nor do I demand an honorarium when I speak.
This is all abnormal in a day when most pastors and teachers make big money from their ministries.
For example:
My over 1,000 blog posts are free.
My podcast episodes (200+ episodes together) are free.
My YouTube videos are free.
Several of my eBooks are free.
In addition, we often give away my print books free at live events.
My audio seminar (The Next Reformation) is free.
My weekly UNFILTERED emails are completely free and contain some of my best writing.
And on a regular basis, my publishers offer my books free (recently, God’s Favorite Place on Earth, Reimagining Church, Jesus Now, and From Eternity to Here were all free for a limited time).
I don’t profit personally from my published books. But I have no problem with authors who do, because if you’ve ever written a book, it’s incredibly hard work. No matter what subject you write about.
Regardless, publishers must charge for the books they publish because they cost money to produce.
But the royalties I receive go to the poor and toward ministry expenses.
Again, I don’t demand an honorarium when I speak, and whenever I’ve planted or worked with a church, I’ve never charged a dime. Taking my cue from Paul of Tarsus, my in-person ministry comes free.
In addition, it takes a great deal of time and an astronomical amount of time to produce a course. And those costs are ongoing.
Despite all of this, about once every six months, I’ll get a nasty email from someone I’ve never met whining and complaining because I’ve written a book with a publisher (and the publisher sells it) or because we’ve made a course or other premium resource available for sale (all of which costs a great deal of time and money to produce).
Either that, or someone who voluntarily subscribed to my mailing list will write some ugly, ungracious, condemning remark that equates me with the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the Unabomber simply because I let my subscribers know about a new resource, a free resource, or a discounted resource at the very end of the update.
What’s remarkable about this is that each update contains valuable content that’s completely free. And only at the end, I’ll let subscribers know about a new, free, or discounted resource.
We do this because 99% of my readers ask to be updated on such things.
Not only that, but when people subscribe, they are informed upfront that they will be alerted about new resources.
Strikingly, these people who complain never offer to pay the expenses of these resources themselves so we can give them all away for free, but they feel quite emboldened to level flaming accusations against those who serve others, even though they don’t know them personally.
Someone recently wrote me about this and said,
“Frank, I can’t believe anyone would criticize you for charging for some of your resources. I don’t know anyone in ministry who speaks free of charge and gives most of their ministry away for free as you do. I’m grateful that you don’t profit personally from your ministry. But even if you did, I’d still pay for your books and courses. Do these complainers not realize that they are talking to the wrong guy about this?”
On that score, the following is a guest post written by my friend Jeff Goins.
In it, Jeff shreds a profound misunderstanding that some Christians have about money, selling, and marketing.
I’ve addressed these questions myself in years past (see the links at the bottom of the post). But Jeff’s article does a terrific job dismantling some of these misinformed ideas about money, promotion, and selling that some Christians have imbibed.
Should Christians Sell, Market, and Promote Products & Services?
by Jeff Goins
**The Worst Part About Being a Christian Business Owner**
A few times a month, I get an unpleasant email. It never fails. The message usually goes something like this:
“Wait a sec, I thought you were a Christian?! How can you in good conscience be selling me something?
The gospel is free, Jeff. Why are you trying to make a buck off me? Jesus gave freely to any in need, and you should do the same. God will provide for you.”
Let me explain.
I am an author who writes books and helps other people get their messages to spread. And one of the ways I do that is by occasionally selling things. Books. Online courses. Events. That sort of thing.
And when people find out that I’m a follower of Christ who is selling his “art,” they sometimes say not-so-nice things. Like I’m not trusting God enough. Or I’m doing the devil’s work. Or who knows what (I’ve heard it all).
But the truth is this: God’s people have always had to manage this tension between paying the bills and pursuing their calling. And that’s just what it is: a tension to manage, not a question to answer.
What I have discovered, though, is that for the Christian artist, selling their services or products is not wrong, bad, or “unChristian.” In fact, it can be a very noble calling, if you do it right.
**Embracing the Third Way**
There are basically two ways to pursue a creative calling as a Christian.
First, you can go into vocational ministry (as I did for seven years) and ask people to support you. This takes time and it may include some awkward conversations, pledge drives, or capital campaigns.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s not necessarily wrong, either.
When I understood that inviting people into my ministry was actually a way to serve them, it liberated me to let people know what I was doing without feeling like I needed to coerce or manipulate them into giving. And as a result, those who gave were excited to give. My ministry flourished, and I learned a lot about my own misconceptions about money.
Second, you can get a job or go into business for yourself and support yourself that way. In your free time, you can volunteer your time at church, go on mission trips, and give discretionary income to ministries and causes that you believe in.
Those are two main ways, and I would be surprised if you weren’t familiar with both. But there is, in fact, a third way.
The third way is this: If you have a gift, a talent, or skill that the world needs, you can and should offer it people in exchange for money. If you have value to offer, you should let people pay you for it.
But we don’t always think this way, do we?
We think we’re greedy if we sell our art. Or have too bold of aspirations. We see the world pursuing wealth, using any means necessary to acquire it, and we think, “That’s wrong. So money must be bad, too.”
As a successful businessman once told me when I was seriously considering whether I should continue pursuing business opportunities, “Nobody said you had to keep the money.”
And therein lies the beauty of Christian entrepreneurship.
You can create value, let people compensate you for it, and then use those resources for God’s kingdom.
***How Selling Products or Services Helps People More Than Giving Things Away ***
I loved my season of vocational ministry. I learned a lot and was part of something bigger than me. But I didn’t get to give much. It was just the nature of that position. I didn’t make much money, so other than tithing to our church and the occasional financial gift here and there, those were the limits of my philanthropy.
But since going into business, I’ve been able to make enough money that we’ve started giving to a ministry in Kenya, helping them build two different buildings just outside a leper camp (one of which is a sewing workshop that allows local woman to come and create products that produce an income for their families).
Do I think every Christian needs to go into business for himself or herself? Of course not.
But I do think those with marketable gifts—those who write songs or books or jokes, those who counsel or coach or lead, those who organize or orchestrate or bring people together to do incredible things—are worth their wages.
Yes, dear Christian, you are worth the work you do and the wage you earn.
Perhaps, though, you are in the other crowd. You are the spectator, the potential customer, maybe even the complainer.
Well, here’s an idea: what if we Christians were the first to patronize each other’s work instead of criticize it? What if we supported one another instead of tearing each other down?
The next time you see another Christian artist or author “selling out,” maybe instead you should thank God for them.
Remember, when you accuse a Christian of “selling out” because they are selling a product or a service, then this means you shouldn’t accept any work from a Christian . . . including paying for a movie made by a Christian, buying a CD made by a Christian, paying for a plumber, a handyman, or any other service that’s owned by a Christian.
And saying “Paul didn’t sell his letters” is really a stupid way of thinking. I don’t sell my letters either, but a book isn’t a letter. A book cost money to produce. And all Bibles are sold. Even those Bibles that people give away for free were paid for by someone to produce.
As for “the gospel is free,” I’m not selling the gospel. A Christian book or course or event isn’t “the gospel.” So it’s ridiculous to make that charge.
Promotion and marketing aren’t dirty words. Jesus promoted and so did Paul. Promotion simply means making people aware of a message or an event. Marketing carries the same idea. I’m marketing right now with this blog post.
I’m marketing an idea that I hope will correct some wrong thinking on the subject of money, marketing, and selling that’s still alive in the minds of some Christian people.
Jeff Goins
An added note from Frank
What Jeff says here is dead-on. To add to his points, most people don’t take advantage of what’s free.
Case in point. I’ve given away tons of books for free over the years as well as some courses. The result? About 99% of those people never read the book or took the course.
But when they paid for the book or the course, they had skin in the game. And they ended up going through it to their own benefit.
The former CEO of my publisher (Thomas Nelson) — Michael Hyatt — stated publicly that every time he’s given a free ticket for someone to come to one of his conferences, it was those same people who complained about it, missed sessions, and created trouble.
Point: Most people don’t value what’s free.
Regardless, most of my work is free of charge anyway.
But in this regard, Jeff is right in that selling a product or service often ends up helping the person consume and benefit from the product or service.
I know for me, most of the things I receive free of charge get filed to an oblivion folder or put on my bookshelf to collect dust. But if I buy it, I’m committed to consuming it.
The fact is, giving things away usually causes people to neglect them. Like it or not, people value what they pay for.
I’ve heard this same testimonial over and over again from people. So consider it.
In closing, if you are a Christian who has a business or ministry, and you feel it’s wrong to charge people for any of it, then you should follow your conscience.
But refrain from judging others by your own personal standards, for this is the sin of legalism that Paul condemns in Romans 14 and other places.
Delving Deeper
Clergy Salaries vs. Selling Products and What 1 Corinthians 9 Really Means – when you get to the page, go to the May 6, 2012 Q & A.
Writing, Ministry, and Money – my own practice in these areas.
Frankly Speaking: “I Don’t Like Christians” & Why Christianity is a Joke to Many – addresses those demanding a “handout” from hard-working artists.
My Interview with Ray Edwards on the Twisted Way that Many Christians View Money – Ray hits it out of the park on this subject.
Answers to Questions on Pagan Christianity – how clergy salaries are different from supporting missionary and apostolic work.
How Gmail Is Keeping You From Seeing Valuable Emails & How to Fix It
[Response to someone who wrote us.]
I’m confused. What specifically do you disagree with in Jeff’s article?
I’m aware that you charge a fee for your consulting and social media business. That’s a service; you even promote it on social media. Jeff is defending this and responding to the idea that a Christian shouldn’t charge for any service, product, their art, their work, their business, etc. There are Christians that say you must give everything away for free and that publishers are wrong for charging for a book – which costs an enormous amount of money to produce. These same people would condemn you for charging to promote people’s ministries and work on social media.
He also makes an important point as well that giving away everything for free causes people not to value it. I know this to be true from my experience since most of my work comes free of charge. I still give it away, but it’s true that people don’t value it as much which results in neglect. (The exception are those in third world countries, which we sponsor.)
To illustrate this a recent survey showed that the vast majority of students who have their college paid for them by their parents don’t value it and end up having poor grades compared to those who took out loans and worked to pay for it. (Clergy salaries is something different altogether and I deal with the difference in the links at the bottom of the article. Perhaps that’s what you’re thinking of, in which we would agree.) 🙂
btw/ The Blog Mananger doesn’t allow links in the comments. Just fyi – see https://www.frankviola.org/rules
All love.
P.S. I gave you that free promotion for your business cuz I love ya Joey. 🙂
Frank and Jeff,
I, too, struggled with this. That is, until a discussion with a former Navy SEAL friend of mine prompted me to look at how the Church views business. What an eye opener.
It started with my looking, word for word, at the Bible, namely the parable of the talents. Did you know that the talent was the LARGEST currency of the day? Up to 200 LBS of GOLD or SILVER! That means at at conservative 75 lbs one talent is worth $1.44 MILLION DOLLARS!! If Jesus talked about this amount, why isn’t the church? Or in Luke Jesus said in Luke 14:28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” When was the last time you heard a sermon on project and cost management?
When I took my preconceived views out of my head and got rid of them, I began to see business, profit, and giving in a whole new light. Jesus Himself, learned the Torah from age 6 to age 12. From age 12 to age 30, or 18 years, He both apprenticed AND ran a successful general contracting business.
Thank for sharing, I’ll be sharing this far and wide with my friends.
Thanks Kevin. Jeff’s article has helped a lot of people to align their thinking with Scripture and that’s why I was happy to feature it. The article at the bottom of the article by Ray Edwards is also excellent on the subject.
Great post,
The hypocritical thing about all of this is most people who complain or condem those who market and sell products or services for profit works for a company or benefits in some way from the profit made from a business who markets, sell promote their services for profit.
Great point, Kalil.
Jeff-
I have struggled with this exact same thing.
Thanks for stating so clearly what is *right* about selling art (and not-so-artsy things too).
-Derek
P.S. See you at FinCon.
Thanks, Derek. See you soon!
Very helpful and well-balanced post, Jeff.
As a young(er) man I advocated the “sell out” mentality when I would see a Christian marketing a product or service, but I reeked of self-righteousness. Now I’m a husband and a father with a family of my own to provide for, and I know a little better.
We live and we learn, right?
My mind has changed about this a lot, too, Joshua, since I’ve become a husband and father. It’s easy to have ideals when you don’t see who those ideals affect.
I have an acquaintance who owned and operated a Christian bookstore for a long time in our small town. She said the worst customers she had were Christians — both individuals and those representing a church — who expected her to either deeply discount or give them free of charge whatever books or materials they wanted to “purchase.” Never mind that she had to first buy the books/materials herself and couldn’t pay her bills if she wasn’t making any money, she was still criticized for expecting them to pay for it. This wasn’t all her Christian customers by any means, but it happened quite frequently, and she grew to really wish she wasn’t in the business. On the other hand, the non-Christians who came to her store and used her services expressed nothing but appreciation. And I had much the same experience when I operated a home-based resume and word processing service.
The attitude of these Christians who expect to be given either a product or a service isn’t commendable, it reveals their selfishness and greed. In fact, many of the local businesses don’t want to do business with these same Christians and churches, because they have a reputation: If they’re not given a product or service for free or below cost, they often just won’t pay the bill. When it’s other Christians they say “how can you sell something to a Christian brother/sister?”, with non-Christians they use “I represent God” as a cover. But, of course, THEY won’t work for free.
Man, that is truly an indictment. Thanks for sharing, Catherine. May we be different.
Great post!
This is a great and timely post. I know it is something many Christians deal with. I know I asked this question to you Frank a few years ago, and your advice was simple, but golden. You said do your business as a business and your ministry as a ministry.
It has been a constant struggle, but I just drew the line in the sand and if something is out of the Bible, or I’m teaching or expounding on the Bible it goes under my ministry Supervictorious. I had to remove the expectations of it being a business. Once I freed myself from worrying about growth, revenue, profits, people, etc, I could minister to one person or many and know I was fulfilling my calling and putting the Lord first.
BUT, I also have a business that is targeted strictly to God-centered leaders where I sell my original leadership and personal development programs and products. Since it is a business I can focus on growth, revenue, profits, and expansion and not feel any guilt about “selling” the gospel. I had to make the distinction between the two, because if I didn’t it was starting to muddy the waters.
Indeed, I also said I do business as a follower of Jesus who is in business (note that Paul was a leather-worker, Peter was a fisherman, Luke was a doctor, and Jesus was an artisan). The world does business rather differently. But I keep business and ministry separately, and that was my point.
I think the thing that gets some people is if they have a target market that is Christian. Whether you make tents or sell paintings to Christians, or to the general public, you have the right to earn an income from it.
But there is this stigma that it is wrong to charge other Christians, which is crazy. If you are offering a service or a product of value, the fair exchange for that value is money.
My dad used to own an A/C business and a lot of churches would call him to fix their air conditioning, but would put a guilt trip on him when it came to paying the bill. That’s just nuts. Same goes for any product or service you offer. Just because you are providing a service to Christians doesn’t mean it should be free.
I agree, Ron. Sorry to hear about what your dad had to put up with. That’s not right. In the “real world” (not the church world), that’s called stealing. And I think the Bible talks about that, too. 😉
Paul was a tent maker by trade. The apostles were fisherman by trade. We still have to take responsibility for ourselves and our own livelihood so that we won’t be a burden to others or to society, for “if a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
I am self-employed, making jewelry and women’s and children’s clothing. I sell online and at art/craft shows. I meet all kinds of wonderful people that I can pray for and sometimes have to opportunity to talk about the Lord. I have made many new Christian friends in my vocation.
But best of all, because my work schedule is flexible, my time is the Lord’s. I have opportunities to volunteer and serve that I NEVER had while I was in the corporate world, adhering to someone else’s schedule and agenda. I was so totally consumed by and exhausted by long hours and high demands for my time and my allegiance I rarely had time to do anything but prepare again for the following week in a corporate setting.
I have more time to pray, pray with others and read my Bible. If someone is in need of help, a ride or a meal, it’s very rare that I cannot accommodate.
I don’t make much $ and I live an incredibly simple life. The Lord has blessed me tremendously and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is awesome, Eileen!
Good read. Thanks for the info/clarification. It’s hard to do it the third way — especially if you’re not engaged in the church growth paradigm or you want to set a part from many of the current pastors who “sell” their messages, sermon series, or “religious” products and services ON TOP of the salary they get from their local congregation. I’ll admit, I agree with this post, but I have not managed the tension well. :-/
Barry, check out the links below the post. There’s a pretty substantial difference between a clergy salary and charging for a product or service.
Jeff – very well said. This is such an ongoing tension as you say. I also observe that those who receive inspirational materials for free seldom take action to improve their lives. They simply look for and expect the next handout. While those who invest – have skin in the game – take action to maximize their own talents and gifts. We often cheat the very people we want to help by not charging as a legitimate way to increase their engagement and commitment.
Dan, my experience and observation has been the same. I’ve given away thousands of books to people over the years. And based on our surveys and follow-ups, 95% who received them for free never cracked them open.
This is the reason why counselors charge for their services. I never understood this as a young man, but they all say that when people have skin in the game, they take the counseling more seriously and actually apply the advice given. From this perspective, then, charging for some services and products actually *benefits* the people buying them. I know for myself I’m much more apt to read a book or take a course if I paid for it. The vast majority of people are the same.
That said, I’m glad Jeff knocked down some of the most ridiculous things people say who want hand-outs, like “the gospel is free.” I’ve never met a person who was selling the gospel. And this business about Paul didn’t sell his letters. I don’t know who sells their letters either.
Appreciate the intelligent comment, Dan.
Wow, Dan. Thanks! I’m honored by your reply. Frankly, I’ve learned a lot of this from you. I appreciate your example.
Jeff, you have written a lot of great things, but in my opinion, this post is one of the most helpful things you have ever written. You’ve absolutely hit the nail on the head when it comes to Christian perceptions about money and ministry. I worked at a church for 8 years, and have taught at a Christian college for the last 10 years. I resonate with your experience of not making much money in those positions. 🙂 But many times, those of us in vocational ministry positions are afraid to sell or market our own products because we believe it somehow is fundamentally different than our “ministry” work. I once heard John Maxwell say that money is only good for two things: it gives you the opportunity to help more people, and it gives you options. Both of those are very good things.
Thanks for having the guts to write this post and challenge popular notions about ministry and money, and encouraging us to help others by making more income.
Wow. Thanks, Kent! That means a lot.