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August 25, 2009
Is online giving sacrilegious?
I'm asked a similar question - at least once - in nearly every group of pastors I speak to regarding technology and giving: How can we maintain giving as an act of worship if we implement online giving?
Perhaps one of the greatest objections to online giving comes from a belief in the offertory as a core element of the worship experience. However you feel about the subject, its an excellent question. In fact, I noticed a string of conversation just yesterday in a Church Business Administers forum I'm a member of. The question, as expected, generated a lot of chatter.
If you're a pastor or church leader interested in online giving but feel unprepared to address this issue within your congregation, let me offer a few points to consider:
1. The success of online giving begins with how it's presented and the level of acceptance by established lay leadership. This is why I always suggest that the Sunday online giving is introduced, the pastor and the entire deacon body give online. Whether or not they continue doing so is irrelevant. The fact that they did - even once - offers a perception of acceptance that eases the hesitation of many doubters.
2. We never recommend that a church use online giving as their only channel for support. (There are a few exceptions to this.) In most cases, online giving should be one of many options available to members. It's really not the churches decision how the member gives. The church should continue to provide a traditional, paper-based, tangible tool such as an offering envelope. Having more than one option helps address the concern some church members have regarding the preservation of the Offertory as a sacred act of worship. In other words, you're not taking anything away that presently exists.
3. Many of the churches we work with do use offering envelopes. We suggest placing a line on the weekly offering envelope that says "I gave online." This offers the member a chance to use his or her giving channel of preference AND allows them to continue to have the opportunity to participate in the giving of tithes and offerings as incorporated into the corporate worship experience.
One person put it to me this way: online giving will be propelled by the acceptance of technology. As people move away from paper forms of monetary exchange and move to online or electronic exchange exlusively, how a church collects tithes and offerings will change too. We know we are presently in the midst of this change. It's important for church leaders to begin to deal with electronic giving while it's still a voluntary choice and not a mandate.
Read more about e-giving.
Posted by bstroup at August 25, 2009 8:16 AM
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