"Digital offerings will be the end of the offering as worship." That is what someone wrote to me a few years back when I wrote a post encouraging churches to set up online giving. Ten years later, my response is still the same that I gave then, the offering isn't dead, but it has changed.
The offering has always been changing throughout the history of the church. First-century Christians gave in coins, and the Bible is silent on how they gave those coins. The Bible doesn't tell us the means by which an offering is to be taken up. Down through the centuries, the means and even the money of the offering have changed.
The critical point is not how we give but that we give. I do agree that the offering time should be a meaningful and worshipful part of every service. The question for us in the 21st century is how to accomplish this? So, here are some thoughts on…
How to Make the 21st Century Offering Worshipful
First, give it priority and place in your worship service. Let's be honest, the offering time in the vast majority of churches is the least planned out, thought out part of the service. So, when people tell me, they fear digital offerings will destroy the worship aspect of giving, I want to laugh.
I began working intensely on changing the offering many years ago. But it was my launch of, "Elevator Pitch Your Offerings," which started my weekly writing of an offering talk. I write one a week, at least, and have for six years running. In my experience, churches that make the offering time a priority always raise more money than those that don't.
So, don't hurry through the offering. Don't stick it at the end of the service. Give it a priority, and a place of importance and giving will increase.
Next, plan out every offering time. We plan out every aspect of worship but the offering. That must change. I believe you need to set up each and every offering helping attendees see the value of the offering. I call that connecting the dots. Help them understand how a dollar given to the offering helps change the world for good as we seek to build the Kingdom of God.
Take time to set up the offering as worship by telling the stories of what your church is accomplishing. Teach them what Scripture says about giving. The point is if you want to make the offering worshipful, you need to plan for that in order to accomplish that.
I believe that the majority of people know they need to give. I want to create within the hearts of those that attend a desire to give. That is when the offering truly becomes a time of worship. That doesn't just happen; it takes planning. Churches that plan out their offering time always raise more money than those that don't.
Finally, in the 21st century, we need to tell them how they can give. In today's world of digital commerce, few people carry cash or checkbooks. They use plastic or a smart device.
We have to show them how easy it is to give to your church by mentioning the various ways to give. The offering plate, text, app, online, etc. I advise closing out every offering time by saying something to the effect of…
"Remember, we have multiple easy ways you can give here. The bulletin gives you that information. Let's pray…"
That's the essential steps for how to take up an offering in the 21st century. If you follow those concepts each and every time you take up the offering, you will see results.
"Let's make giving easy and fun." That was what I once told the staff of one of the largest churches in America. The year before giving had declined by 3%. Their mission was too important to risk another year of decline. So, we worked to make giving easy and fun.
Your offering time is the best place to make giving easy and fun! I know that sounds bonkers. You have hung in there this long, hang in a few more sentences.
The "easy," part of that statement is easy to understand. It's the multiple options of giving primarily electronic or digital giving. That's why I advise ending your offering talk by helping people see how easy it is to give.
The "fun" part is a bit harder for me to break down. To me, when I give to something I genuinely believe in, and I see or hear about the impact made, it makes me feel good. Feeling good is fun. Living a life of generosity should be fun.
From this point forward, commit to never take the offering time for granted.
Plan out each and every one. Why? Because the mission and ministry of your church and the ministry you provide deserves to be fully funded and is worth making "The Ask" for.
Do you know how to make the 21 century offering worshipful? The offering isn't dead, but it has changed. First-century Christians gave in coins, and the Bible is silent on how they gave those coins... https://t.co/Goy1ceCod5 #giving #onlinegiving pic.twitter.com/RvyoUhKkm3
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) August 1, 2019
