GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

If you want to go to general conference , i think is is 15 bucks a head. Does this mean if your not in the chips you cant go.
I realize there is over head, but what every happened to faith . we are in the worse economy and more people out of work than in 80 years, seems like lower over head, and free to get in would let more struggling familys in and enjoy gods spirit.
Seeems like everything is money. UPCI website is filled with places to buy and spend, any help is in fine print and burried away. A few yrs ago, UPCI spent 200k for a one day add in USA today newspaper for pentcost sunday, did anyone feel the results. they can aford 200k one day news paper add, but can not afford to let people in church without charging per person.
Do other movments charge for church services?

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Keep in mind you get what you pay for. I went to one GC service in Ohio. I thank God I didn't have to pay for that service.

On the other hand, it $15 bucks isn't too much. It's not a big money maker. Just enough to pay for the use of the facilities. If you think $15 bucks is worth it, go for it. If not, don't go.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

This building charges a very large rent. Take it up with them.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Did Jesus Charge. Jesus never held a General Conference. So the question is a logical fallacy.

The UPCI has been "charging" for years so to speak but involuntary. Apparently there aren't enough faithful givers to give more than their measly dollar bill so they now have to charge.

Yes believe it or not but it costs a LOT of money to rent out a huge huge Conf building, pay for use of electric and their sound systems, lighting, video and all the crew that makes it go not to mention those that clean up after the messy ones that leave their trash behind.

Things cost money and the UPCI is not over running with cash

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

These large centers have vendor contracts and the guest/lessee has to pay union electricians to set up electric for the booths, set up displays, do the sound and video. You don't bring your buddies in and do all your own work.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

That's true

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Jesus has always been more expensive.

GC asks for $15.00.

Jesus asks for your life.

Granted, Jesus gives you infinitely more bang for your buck, but when you compare the costs... ?


Well you do the math.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Every other conference we go to charges and trust me, it's always way more than $15. I have paid $300 to go to conferences before. $15 is nothing in today's world.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I hate the idea. If you have to charge people to get in, thats ridiculous. Maybe they should open the consession stands and sell nachos and hot dogs to the faithful.

Maybe my church should charge $10/head at the door (plus offerings), after all, we've got bills too. We can give a deal, one months services for $25. Or 10% off your tithes for new members. Maybe we could do seat/pew licences like professional football stadiums. I mean after all, its for a good cause right?

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

"Jesus never held a General Conference." Exactly.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I hate the idea of charging for a church conference but they are in a very difficult situation. It costs much more these days to put on these events than it did 20 or 30 years ago.

Of course I always thought those horrible one hour offerings covered the costs. Apparently not.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Conference? What's a conference? Why a conference? Why not hold some local meetings in a park, on a mountain side or at a beach/lake/river side? Or, even in a desert?

Where did the First Apostolic Ministerial Association of Jerusalem, International (FAMAJI) hold their annul conferences? Who was invited, who preached, and how much did it cost?

And, how much money was raised through the auctioning off of Peters, James and John's sandals? Forgot, the church in Jerusalem kept Peter's sandals.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Why wear clothes? Why not robes? Why churches and houses?
Why not tents?

Because we are not wackos. We understand that times change.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

A conference for a political/religious organization is not the same as a local church meeting.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

:thumbsup

Honestly though, $15.00 isn't too much.

If you have the resources to make the trip, you probably have the resources to pay the $15.00 cover charge.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Excellent points! Why not? What happened to tent meetings, meeting in barns, homes, unused buildings, and yes, even outside? There are some oneness organizations that even mandate their ministers wear robes. So why do we need to spend (who know how much) for a general conference when it really isn't necessary - especially with the level of technology that we have today? Need a conference - how about a fellowship meeting with those other churches in the same general area - the one some pastors will not allow their assembly to even associate with (same organization)?

The point is how do we serve Christ and his body of believers by spending so much money on buildings, religious trappings, creature comforts, etc., when so many are going without the basic necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter, medical support, etc.)? Whatever happened to the priorities of service and worship that Jesus commanded? Paul held his final local conference at Miletus with the elders from Ephesus finished up aboard a ship!

I guess this subject just caught me in a 'hot spot'. To see hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on frills, clothes, dining, the buying and selling of books and trinkets, and the building up monuments to man, when the desperate stand at the gate with hands outstretched, just hurts my heart. To personally see a $5,000 a month church mortgage (plus related building expenses) taking the church resources, when a widow can't get her roof fixed. Or a 78 year old man is having to work part time jobs because when he pays his living expenses and tithes to the pastor, he doesn't have enough money left over to eat on for the rest of the month.I personally know this man and his situation!

Correction: No, this misuse of church resources does not hurt my heart - it make me downright angry!

So, if my zeal is misplaced and excessive, I apologize.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I guess Jesus wasn't up with the times. The Sermon on the Mount would've brought in a great haul.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Well, we could sell pages from the original sermon on the mount at the next GC or offer autographed pictures of Jesus.

Then there are always pieces of the "true cross" and relics from the clothing Jesus, Paul, Peter, or hair clippings (from men only, of course) or fingernail clippings from the saints that could bring in big bucks for home or foreign missions or just for HQ workers' perks.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Glad to see some positive posts on AFF. My son wanted to go to a Christian event with several singers and speakers (non-upci) and the tickets were $25 online PLUS a $15 extra net charge - making it almost $50 for one person for ONE NIGHT. And some think $15 is too much!

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Confession time...I paid $50 in 1999 for back of the stage tickets to see the Rolling Stones and was glad to get them. I don't know that I'd drop so much money on a Christian event.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

The church has become building and fundraiser centric in its focus in North America. A friend of mine is a minister in a UPCI church in S. California and their church runs like 150-200ish and rents a high school on Sunday and a small office for its administration due to commercial property prices. They are barely considered to be a "real" church by the building owning pastors in the area. There is a heavy bias where a pastor is many times judged by his building, not by his charity, outreach and evangelism efforts.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Strange thread... But since we are on a roll...

did Jesus have an espresso machine?

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

No he drank wine.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I love it! As long as that local church can remember what their true purpose is, remain clear on how they are to achieve their goals, and to whom they are to serve and please, they shall do well. Let those serving within their own monuments stay on and take glory in their wealth. Even so, a wealthy church can yet be a Spirit filled church, but like the rich man, it is often a more difficult walk than for the poor man.

Let us keep the gospel simple and the spiritual teaching full of meat.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Many pastors would be well served to look at history. Read up on what happened to Metropolitan Tabernacles decline after Charles Spurgeon died. There are tons of half filled, over built churches out there where a 2nd or 3rd service would make more sense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Tabernacle

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

probably not but He was called a "winebibber"

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Greetings friend. I don't mean to hi-jack the thread but "is the Gospel really simple?" I thought it was until I started reading all of the many explanations posted here on AFF about the Gospel. (Now please don't misunderstand me, I understand explanations that you make very easy.) But there are others who post so much "depth" if you can call it that, that I think the common everyday Christian would never be able to understand it all. Do I make sense? How much "learning" does it take to understand the Gospel?

BT

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

:thumbsup

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Aw,why not just go sell your house and lay the proceeds at brother Bernards feet.tic

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I love the insinuation that somehow people (or in this case, an org.) is charging for church.

As some have mentioned, conferences, seminars, youth conventions & congresses, men and ladies retreats all have expenses related to them. The fact that there has been a registration process involving a fee in recent years is of no surprise. It is certainly not a charge for church or the message.

Considering what is cost to send two teenagers to youth convention and/or youth congress, I would call GC bargain basement.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Is the expense the facility or is it paying for the preachers travel, meals, etc? Why not have conferences at churches or camp meeting sites, or even cheaper large venues such as convention centers.

Do they really have to rent out professional sports arenas? They probably could have had a conference at Lakewood if they'd of asked. ;)

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I don't think so, I've seen a number of respected churches in our area that were renting out warehouse like buildings and infact that "industrial" look is kinda hip to some

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Perhaps that will be expected at next year's conference? :grampa

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

The by-laws of the UPC state that the "voice" of the organization and its highest earthly authority is the assembly of its licensed ministers in a General Conference. No one person speaks for the UPCI - just the "General Conference."

Having an annual meeting like the GC is absolutely essential to the democratic structure of the UPC's ministerial fellowship.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

Jesus "never charged" for attendance at His sermons, etc. But then again, Jesus was never charged a rental fee for the Mount, the Sea or any of His other venues. He had no "overhead" except for taxes (Matthew 17:27).

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

The short answer is: Not very much.
The long answer is quite lengthily, so I’ll keep this one short.

If the gospel required (and was dependent upon) a full understanding of Judaism (history, culture, religion and language) in order to come to a ‘saving’ faith in Christ, then Paul would never have been able to raise up Gentile churches from Asia to Rome. Yet, to mature in the knowledge of the gospel – that is another issue altogether.

Over the years I have asked many ‘Christians’ across the land, “What is, The Gospel? What were the original gospels preached by Jesus and His disciples?” I also asked, “Why should I become a Christian?” Most of the answers I received would make a rock weep.

BT, keep on thinking.
:grampa

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I love your input to discussions. Like this one, where you expose the basic flaws inherent within most religious organizations. Thank you.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

I think most of the people going to GC are staying at the Hyatt, Marriott, etc. and eating at Pappasitas or PF Chang's every night. I think sometimes they forget the struggling ministers who may struggle just to pay for gas and parking even if they are only a couple hours away, let alone from somewhere else in the country.

Re: GC in houston no free ride - did jesus charge
 

There are a lot of pastors with big churches that started the same way. They did revivals and sometimes hardly got paid.