In last week’s newsletter article I shard about forming a Technology Committee to keep up with those pesky contract dates and renewals. Today I would like to specifically talk about the church’s phone bill. I have found that many folks in the church office do not realize that you can “shop” your phone bill. After the FCC breakup of Ma Bell multiple years ago and with the growth in VOIP (voice over internet protocol), numerous solutions are at your disposal for your phone service. Simply do an internet search for business phone service in your area and you will be met with potential vendors. You also may want to consider trying to bundle your internet and your phone service, normally this will involve a multi-year contact but the savings can be significant. One other thing to check on your phone bill is an advertising charge. I have found that a large portion of the church bill is related to advertisement we purchase in the phone book or yellow pages. Here are some practical questions you should ask concerning the phone book advertising: Are persons in my area still using the phone book for information? What would these same advertisement dollars purchase from the local newspaper or radio station? Finally, what cheaper options are there on phone book advertising, such as a smaller ad, less words, etc. Freeing up resources through good business sense may be freeing up dollars for ministry in your hometown. Think about it.
These thoughts above are from John Daniels, our partner based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. His primary focus is working alongside churches in administrative challenges and opportunities.