Equipment Appropriation and Elimination

I have noticed lately that I’m starting to accumulate quite a bit of old gear.  Now this is not the old gear that I was talking about in one of my recent posts that is still in use.  Some of this equipment has been sitting around since before it became my responsibility.  Now I’m wondering what I should do with all of this stuff.  Should I sell it?  Give it away?  Or should I find a way to use it somewhere in the church?  My church will not conduct fund raisers so an appealing proposition has been to sell the equipment and refund the budget to help offset cost of other equipment purchases that may arise.  Unfortunately most of this equipment is not worth even advertising.  I think I need to research and see what other churches are doing with equipment that they turn over in any given year.

That brings me to the question of leasing equipment.  I have been hearing of churches that lease their systems and then do an exchange type program every so many years.  An article titled “Leasing AV Systems Can Appeal to Church Buyers” in Houses of Worship by Sound & Video Contractor states that “Today, both mainstream commercial customers and clients in worship venues often look at leasing as a practical way to finance major investments in audio and video systems. Often, church buyers are especially drawn by the advantages of a well-structured lease.”  I know that the appeal is great but I think that church buyers are especially drawn to a sucker deal.  I don’t see the advantages.  I know that technology improvements are replicating at a faster pace as every year passes but I still see our systems as capital investments and not expenses.  I see our systems as a tool for ministry in which we are investing in people and not new toys.  
My first reaction to leasing is NO.  I see leasing as always a bad idea in every purchasing situation known.  I really don’t see why leasing audio, video and lighting systems for our churches would be any different.  I see leasing as paying more for a system over the long haul so you can get it now over paying what the system is worth.  I believe that is not good stewardship.