How to make money in prayer: “secret parishioners” get $ 45 for attending church

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Get paid for visiting the temple? It does not sound very much. However, for going to church and then completing the questionnaire, you can get $ 45, writes resource The Penny Hoarder. One of the authors of this site described his experience.

"I entered my name and address on Faith Perceptions 'Secret Visitors' Registration Page. I ticked off a dozen statements, among which was “I don’t go to church regularly,” and sent the form. I received a letter in reply saying that in 2 business days I would be informed if my application was accepted. I began to wait. 2 of the day passed, and I thought that my admission that I did not believe in God was superfluous. But the next week, I talked to Melanie Smalllen, president of Faith Perceptions, and she told me that for approval it is not necessary to be a believer.

“Our ideal candidate is the one who has no church at home,” she said. Hmm, then atheists are also suitable, I thought. A little later, I learned that my application was neither approved nor rejected - it was just lost in some techno-purgatory. Smalllen solved this problem, and immediately after our conversation I was approved. Unfortunately, in my area of ​​South Florida at that time there were no assignments, ”writes material author Steve Gillman.

But they can be where you live. Next you will find out how to earn $ 45 for attending church.

"Secret parishioners" and church marketing

Smallen founded Faith Perceptions in 2008 year as a division of Hendrickson Business Advisors. She adapted the mystery shopper program for church needs, and before 2015, she rated 4 300 services in temples.

There is an opinion that churches should not be engaged in marketing at all. Smallen explains that, in fact, marketing a church is not the same as marketing a business:

«Some people are offended by the idea itself. I understand them. But after receiving our data, the churches do not change the content of their messages. They just need someone from the outside who will tell them whether they are doing what they are striving for — that is, whether it is pleasant to people to be with them.».

She added that they are “concerned specifically with the issue of hospitality” in the churches. Program participants are not asked if they agree with what they heard in the temple only about whether they understood. Smallen says that the most important thing that the leaders of the churches want to know is whether those who come there for the first time feel comfortable. Even in registration form "Secret church visitor" is such a point:

«The purpose of my survey is to help Faith Perceptions evaluate the church in terms of hospitality. Personal beliefs and church doctrine are not evaluated.».

Faith Perceptions is not the first company to offer such services. Former pastor Thomas Harrison started doing that in 2006. His services cost "approximately $ 1 500 plus travel costs for site inspection, service evaluation and a detailed report," writes The Wall Street Journal.

But if Harrison and his ilk (for example, WorshipImpressions.com) work alone, then Faith Perception provides data from a dozen different visitors. This is good - after all, they need a few willing in each area.

"Secret parishioner": personal experience

After attending Mass, you complete a questionnaire. "The service and questionnaire need about 2 hours," says Smollen. Plus time on the road, but you can not take the job to visit the temple, which is far from you.

Sitaram, a Texas resident (all names and addresses changed for confidentiality), registered with Faith Perceptions 18 months ago and had already visited 22 church. “I do it for the money,” he says. “However, I'm not bored there.”

Sitaras do 4 hours or more because they agree to do an hour's drive from home. In addition, he spends several hours completing the questionnaire.. When asked whether he could take notes (which, in any case, must be done carefully, so as not to give himself away), he replied that he had done it before, and now he had learned to memorize everything he needed.

According to Sitaram, he did not want to join any of the churches visited: “Few temples could impress me so much.”

Another “secret parishioner,” Rebecca from Pennsylvania, has been working with Faith Perceptions for 8 for months and has been on 8 assignments. She says:

«I would not do this solely for the sake of money if I did not like it. I do not consider this a “church visit for money”, but I consider it as an opportunity to learn about different churches and get paid for drawing up a report. I hope, these reports helpful for themselves churches. I thought that if any company does something that consumers don’t like, they’ll probably find out. But the churches probably do not receive such feedback.».

According to Rebecca, masses last an average of 90 minutes, plus an hour she needs to complete the questionnaire. If she does not immediately begin to ask questions, she tries to write something down, but not in church, but after leaving the service.

“Secret parishioners” rate on different parameters and explain it. This includes even everyday things: parking and cleanliness of toilets.

Is this from a moral point of view?

In the process, you may have to lie about why you are in church. By accepting the terms of cooperation with Faith Perceptions, you agree to “not contact customers or churches in order to tell them about your attitude to Faith Perceptions before, during or after the visit.”

"Secret parishioner" Jeff Winkler says that he had to evaluate children's masses and pretend that he had children. “I felt like a sinner,” he wrote later in an article about his experience. - I have never lied to church before, and even refrained from proclaiming the creed and the sacrament. So I had to ask for forgiveness. After all, then I asked for a check. ”

It can be argued that impersonating a parishioner and not being like that does not harm anyone. In addition, church officials give you permission to "deceive", because they themselves are buying this service.

“I have never been uncomfortable,” says “secret parishioner” to Sitaram. Rebecca from Pennsylvania also feels comfortable attending church:

«I go to church without it, so if there is inconvenience, it is because I am in a temple for the first time. The not less, most of them very hospitable. As a rule, several parishioners or pastors come to me to greet them before starting a service. Sometimes people ask if I recently moved to their area. I answer that I only visit, and there are no problems».

Whether you like the idea of ​​marketing a church or not, this has already become part of the process of creating parishes. Moreover:

• Any pastor can buy books like Church Marketing for Dummies on Amazon;
• Ministry Today magazine writes on marketing for churches;
• There are digital products with slogans “How to double the number of parishioners per 90 days”;
• The website of the United Methodist Church has a marketing plan for the church, which is full of advertising and practical advice on how to conduct polls, analyze traffic and use social networks.

And the most important thing: the churches are spending money to attract more worshipers. If they are doing it this way, why not join this process? Who knows - if you sign up today, maybe by the weekend you will have a task to go to mass.

See also:

How to get asylum in the United States for religious belief

Why are the keys to the Temple of the Holy Sepulcher held by Muslims

Church in Nizhny Novgorod will repay the debt with prayers - court decision

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