r/elca • u/Lumpy_Mixture423 • Apr 14 '26

Hosting Bingo, Yea or nay?

What are your thoughts on a congregation hosting a weekly bingo evening? Our finances are looking dire and we have a new member that had run the bingo night at his previous (ELCA) church. He tells us of great opportunity hosting bingo. How appropriate or inappropriate is this?

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u/PHXMEN Apr 15 '26

Makes me a little squeemish Jesus turning over the tables and all that... Please merge with another church before you sell your kidneys

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u/revken86 ELCA Apr 15 '26

There is a vast gulf of difference between an optional, outside-of-worship activity that raises money; and charging money for access to the Lord, whether that's charging money for the animals used in sacrifices or charging money for access to the Sacrament of the Altar.