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DMcFadden · #4 (**permalink**) 01-13-2008, 01:21 AM

During my pastoral years, my book allowances varied greatly. Our congregation of 100 in attendance was much less able to provide a decent amount than the congregation averaging more than 500. I actually "cheated" a bit by combining conferences and books in the same account. My predecessor loved expensive denominational trips back east; I craved the latest books. By putting the two accounts together it permitted me to build a large library over the years rather than taking junkets to boring meetings.

One word of warning. Besides the allowance, I always purchased more books out of my "own pocket." With five kids this led to some pretty stupid, yet predictable, consequences. No matter how much you think you need every book imaginable the sins of covetousness and materialism apply to "ministry tools" as well as they do to men's toys (e.g., boats, cars, motocycles, etc.). When I left the pastorate (after 22 years) for my current ministry, away went about half my books (2,500/5,000).

My present preference for computer books is not because I like straining my 54 year old eyes. It is partly due to the embarrassment at wasting so much of our family's meager resources on my "hobby" over so many years. Getting tons of good books for pennies on the dollar in electronic form represents a decent way to balance a desire for exhaustive resources with the realities of family budgets.