Are you trying to budget better? Just finished up your Financial Peace University class and not sure how you can afford to snowball your debt while also enjoying fun Christian events? We get it. There are a lot of different kinds of events out there and each comes with a different price tag. How much is too much for these events? Since the answer is unique to each individual, we want to help you think about how much you personally should pay for different forms of Christian entertainment. Let’s start with more common events like seeing a movie or taking part in a church activity.
Before we can talk about major events, let’s discuss the costs and values associated with regular Christian events in the world of entertainment. These can be anything between a church activity that costs money and going to a Christian concert.
We all need some level of entertainment. It doesn’t matter if you prefer books, travel, movies, music, or sports. Whatever you enjoy doing for fun or relaxation, there are probably costs associated with it. Perhaps you want to see the latest Christian movies. Prices vary by theater and location, but typically you will pay between $8 and $15 per ticket for a night showing. In a similar ballpark are Christian books. Again there is variation, but if you shop in your local Christian bookstore, you will likely pay $10-20 for a bestseller. However these are simply forms of entertainment. Let’s talk about actual Christian events.
Depending on whether it is at a conference, festival, or a regular tour date, Christian concerts may range from $15 to over $200. For example, MercyMe has an upcoming tour date at a popular venue in Indianapolis, IN. If you want to sit right in front of the stage, those tickets are around $200 each. For a spot further away (and it is a big place), you can get a bargain at around $30.
Since conferences are typically a multi-day event, they can carry a larger price tag than a simple concert. The Catalyst Atlanta conference happening in October 2018 has an early bird rate of $239 per ticket. That may sound like a lot (and for many it is), but conferences like this pack in a lot of value for the price. It sounds like we’re approaching what could be called “special events,” so let us move on this category and what kind of prices at which we are looking.
“I wouldn’t normally pay this much, but so-and-so is going to be there…” No matter what we typically think of as a proper amount to pay for entertainment, we all have certain criteria for events that are worth more than others. While you enjoy the live music being performed at your local coffeehouse, you probably wouldn’t pay 50 bucks for that show, right? On the other hand, you might be willing to dish out five times that much to see your favorite artist at a cool venue.
The more unique the opportunity, the higher the price. Seeing a worship band perform is something you can do every Sunday morning at church, whereas the opportunity to see TobyMac putting on a high-caliber show on a cruise ship is a lot more exclusive. Between the boat trip, the artist, and everything else that would be involved in that experience, you’d expect to pay well over $1,000.
If you’re looking for a special night of entertainment but something like a cruise sounds like too much work, you can always enjoy a local concert in style. Sure, most people who go see a Christian concert are paying less than $100 for a ticket, but that’s because they aren’t taking advantage of the perks of being a VIP. An example of this kind of night can be found in the Houston, TX concert stop on Third Day’s farewell tour. You can get in the building for $30 or so, but you can be a Super VIP for a little over $200 per person. This ticket level gets you preferred seating, limited edition merchandise, early access to the band’s sound check, and more.
The key to special Christian events and knowing how much you should be willing to pay is unique to each individual. Not everyone has the same favorite artist or enjoys the same kind of experiences. It’s similar to vacations in that way. Some people love to go skiing while others want to sit on the beach every day. If you have the means to do so, there is no limit to what kind of amazing Christian events you can attend. The trick is knowing what events are best suited for yourself and appeal to your preferences.
If you’re asking the question of how much you should be willing to pay for Christian events, that means you are someone who knows the value of a dollar. After all, someone who is incredibly wealthy is less inclined to wonder about entertainment spending. For those looking for free Christian events, you can actually find quite a few out there depending on where you live. One important factor of these cost-free events is the importance of developing community relations. If your only connection to the outside world is work and church, you won’t be aware of local resources like libraries, community centers, school events, other places of worship and parks.
Affordable Christian events in your area start with your church. These institutions may range in size from megachurches to house churches, but each comes with its own way to entertain and minister to the needs of its community. If the church you regularly attend doesn’t offer events for the family or have a youth ministry, maybe you can try out some Christian events being held at other churches in your area. We want to emphasize that we are not telling you to switch memberships solely for entertainment purposes, but reminding you that it might be nice to take part in Christian events located at another house of worship.
Unfortunately the number of free Christian events out there starts to shrink once you look outside of churches in your area. The simple truth is that these events, even something as simple as an outdoor movie, can carry quite a price tag.
“Affordable” is a flexible term in our world today. It is an adjective that can be used to a varying degree of success on clothing, healthcare, entertainment, travel, housing, and more. The most important advice we can give you today is a reminder that we are talking about Christian events, not feeding your family or saving for retirement or a dozen other vital budget items. Each of us has to decide what is a good fit for our entertainment budget. Regardless of how much money is sitting in your bank account, a smart thing to do would be to set aside a certain amount of money for your entertainment needs. This allows you to enjoy the little things or even save up for something big like the K-LOVE Cruise. We would love for you to be able to support all of the great Christian musicians, filmmakers, businesses, etc. who are creating wonderful opportunities for entertainment, but you’re more than likely going to have to make smart choices thanks to a limited budget and time restraints. Be smart, support the creators you love, and get involved in the Christian events that you and your family love.
Since we’re talking about such fun experiences, it would be a shame for us to not mention the K-LOVE Fan Awards. This one-of-a-kind music event features many of today’s biggest performers and entertainers and the best part is that it’s all about YOU, the fans. Find out how you can be a part of the fun by clicking on the link below.
We know that making travel plans for you and your family can be a bit of a hassle. That’s why we wrote our own Nashville Travel Guide to help you out. Tennessee’s state capital is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, so come see what all the fuss is about.
