Random Ramblings by Brittany Sky

I work at a relatively small church, therefore creating a fairly small budget - now I am not complaining at all. I know children's programs that have no budget, but I just want everyone to know that I have to be careful about what I spend money on. I write a lot of my own curriculum for this very reason but sometimes I need help or inspiration so I google. In recent weeks I have been googling for ideas for the spring, new curriculum, new special activities, new coloring pages, etc. and have run into a frequent problem on many of the websites listed as top sources, they require you to pay an annual fee. Now I am not saying that people should be working for free. I understand charging for a membership (too a degree) but the fee is never a small one. The reason I thinks this bothers me the most is this: if we are all fighting for the same thing - to show the love of God to all - then why are  we charging each other for the tools we need to do it? They give you a partial lesson or they give you a trial membership, or they allow you to see a few things but never the good stuff. It's always a teaser. Why? I am not trying to criticize anyone, I just want to understand why we charge each other for things we know we all need. We are supposed to be a church, not a business, right?