TL;DR
Since the 1960s, giving has declined as churches have downplayed or eliminated the offering time. Churches often apologize for asking guests to give, unintentionally discouraging even their members from giving. What's the solution:
1. Elevate the Offering: Make the offering time a prominent and meaningful part of worship.
2. Energize with Stories: Share stories of life change to inspire generosity.
3. Electrify with Technology: Offer multiple digital giving options (text, online, crypto, etc.) to make giving easy.
4. Expand Beyond Sunday: Encourage recurring giving to ensure consistent support throughout the year.
For decades, churches have unintentionally downplayed the importance of the offering time, causing giving to steadily decline. But the good news is, it's never too late to bring it back and transform giving at your church. The offering isn't just about finances—it's an act of worship that connects people to God's mission.
According to a recent study by MortarStone:
“Many churches fail to connect dollars to impact, leaving givers disengaged. The fear of offending guests or being perceived as 'always talking about money' has created a significant gap in discipleship. Many churches are not redundant in their messaging and fail to connect dollars to impact to reveal how each giver has played an important role in accomplishing the mission.” – MortarStone, 2024 Annual Report
It’s time to make the offering time a powerful, intentional part of your worship experience. Let’s explore how to bring it back and make it meaningful again.
Why Has the Offering Time Lost Its Importance?
One of the most common reasons churches downplay the offering time is the fear of driving guests away with any talk of money. As a result, many churches have eliminated passing the plate or offering baskets. Today, the average church spends more time on announcements than setting up their offering.
When they do take up an offering, it often sounds like this:
“As we take up the offering, we want all our guests to know that this is a time for our members. You don’t need to participate.”
This is not an invitation to give; it’s an apology. And when we apologize for giving, we disconnect even our members from the life-changing joy of generosity.
It’s Time to Elevate the Offering Time
If the Church wants to stabilize giving, we must reinstate the offering as a prominent part of our services. It’s time to stop apologizing for inviting people to give and start making the case for why giving matters.
Elevate Your Offering Time
Treat the offering with the same importance as your announcements. Giving is part of worship, not an afterthought. Make the offering a meaningful part of your services where people are encouraged to give generously and joyfully.
Tip: When setting up the offering time, don’t just mention logistics—share why giving matters. What will their gifts accomplish? How will they impact your church’s mission?
Energize Your Offering Time with Stories
The offering time needs to make a case for why people should give. By telling powerful stories of life change your church accomplishes, you can inspire generosity and build a deeper sense of community and mission.
How to Energize Your Offerings:
- Plan each offering time intentionally.
- Share specific stories of transformation.
- Invite people to be part of the mission through giving.
Electrify Your Offering Time with Technology
People have moved away from checks and cash to digital transactions. Make it easy for them to give!
With today’s technology, your offering plate can be open 24/7. OnlineGiving.org provides over ten ways to give, from text giving to cryptocurrency.
The easier you make it for people to give, the more likely they are to do so.
Expand Your Offering Beyond Sunday
If Sunday morning is the only time you take up the offering, you’re missing opportunities. Nonprofits and charities succeed by offering multiple ways and times to give.
Recurring Giving: Encourage your congregation to set up recurring giving so they can support your ministry even when they’re not physically present.
With OnlineGiving.org, your offering plate is open 24/7/365.
Stop Apologizing and Start Making the Case!
Get the fundamentals of the offering right, and you will see an increase in generosity.
Instead of apologizing for the offering, make it meaningful. Look into your people's eyes, smile, and make the "ask!"
You are inviting them to worship God through their gifts, to make a difference in others’ lives, and to receive a blessing of financial security and spiritual fulfillment.
Ready to Transform Your Offering?
OnlineGiving.org provides tools to help you tell your story and boost giving, including mobile apps, custom forms, and more. Call us at (615) 206-4000 or email support@onlinegiving.org for a free demo.
Your church can thrive. Let’s make your offering time a powerful and joyful act of worship!
The Stewardship Coach
It’s Time to Bring Back the Offering Time!
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) March 24, 2025
Giving is a powerful act of worship. Let's celebrate it and inspire generosity. Elevate the offering, share life-changing stories, make giving easy with technology, and encourage giving beyond Sundays.https://t.co/uYbSZUI8ff pic.twitter.com/KaqiytD2bc
1. MortarStone, Transferring the Legacy of Generosity: The 2024 Annual Report (2024). Available at https://www.mortarstone.com.
