“And you call yourself a pastor!  I don’t see how you can sleep at night!”  The copier salesman was angry because I had the nerve to insist that he honor his warranty and replace the copier.  He had promised in writing to replace the copier if could not be fixed within 24 hours.  Now he was playing the “religion card.” 

All of us must do business in our communities.  And we want to be good stewards as well as good customers.  There are some things that can help.

Vendors should compete for our business just like they compete for anyone else’s business, but beware of the discount because “y’all do the Lord’s work.”  It is fair to ask a company to compete with others for your money, but don’t use God to get a discount, and avoid those who think they are giving God a discount.  My wife and I have practiced this in our personal lives as well as my ministry.  Fair competition is good.  Someone giving me a “deal” because I am a preacher is not good.

Annual or bi-annual bidding for contracts is wise.  Never assume that last year’s good stewardship will answer for this year.  Perhaps things in the industry have changed, perhaps the products have changed, or your need for them has changed.  At the ABSC for example, we bid our employee health insurance every year.  A church would be wise to do the same.

Buying from church members or contracts with church members may save some money but it is a path that needs to be trod with great care.  If a product or service is not what it should be, you may be uncomfortable insisting on replacements or refunds.  And this is more likely if the church member gave the church a “special price.”  Church members should be expected to compete with other vendors or suppliers for business.  In one church I served, the deacon who provided our insurance reduced his price by several thousand dollars the year he was required to bid for the policy. 

Vendors and suppliers should be treated with respect and you should not hesitate to witness to them.  Don’t take their salvation for granted.  I rode in the elevator with a UPS driver and asked him if anyone on our staff had ever talked to him about the Lord.  “Kirby Martin witnessed to me,” he replied, naming one of our excellent staff members.  The UPS driver was a brother in Christ, but I was glad someone in our organization had witnessed to him.

“If we were a bank instead of a church, you would have already replaced our copier.  It will be on the steps when you get here,” was my reply to the copier salesman.  He replaced it.

This blog comes with a money back guarantee that is valid until 30 seconds after you have read it.  It also comes out Monday afternoons.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it