Sam sent me this article and it reminded us both of something we did at the church we both used to work with. Instead of passing the offering plates, we put an offering box at the back of the room and simply reminded people that it was there each week. I don’t remember there being much of a difference between the amount given when plates were passed or when the box was left at the back. I wonder if there have ever been any studies done about which method generates the most response.
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I would personally prefer this method. Our family visited a church that did this, and it just seemed more classy or something.
I would hope the response would be to the purpose of giving and not the method of giving.
Craig–I would too. And that’s what I’m trying to get at. How much does the method of collecting influence the amount given or is methodology neutral because those who want to give will do so no matter what?
I’ve wanted to do the same thing at my church since I got here. I just hate the approach and the way in which it seems like we’re hitting people up for money. I truly think that those that want to give will.
But at the same time I visited a church a year or so ago that didn’t take an official offering but at the same time they didn’t announce it either or explain how it worked and they seemed to have a hard time financially. So it seems like you really need to communicate with the people so they know and understand how things are done.
Kind of a funny/sad story for you: My current church actually had some debt when I got here and I found out they were taking up “special offerings” to help with the debt on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and on Easter Sunday. It all made sense to them because that seemed to be when the most people were here so why not pick their pockets twice!! I put an end to that right away and hopefully it’ll never happen again.
Anyway, I enjoy your blog. Keep it up.
Yes, you’re right – this is the discussion that should happen. I guess I wrote my comment just assuming everyone would continue to grow in their giving whichever way it is collected.
But in our culture (as any culture, probably) materialism abounds, and there is a huge need for teaching in the area of discipleship with our money.
I’ve never attended a church with a box, but I was taught from a young age the importance of tithing, I watched my parents and grandparents examples, and it was taken for granted that if it was a choice between a tithe and eating out or something, we would give. And not just give some change, but 10% or more.
Now, I see kids in my youth group tithing when they have babysitting money or whatever, and since I sit with them every Sunday, and many of their parents don’t attend church, I feel I should let them see my husband and I tithe, as an example.
Passing the plate encourages them to notice what’s going on, and it is a subtle reminder that when they have something to contribute they should. Maybe a box would too.
I have visited two congregations that did it that way and I prefer it.
Case in point…
last night, the brother who presided over the Lord’s Supper in the evening (yeah, I know, a whole other topic) said a prayer and left the basket out but did not pass it. He left it up to whomever wanted to give.
I heard the sister in front of me (who had been absent and “partook”) getting out her pocketbook as he prayed and put it back when he didn’t pass it. I didn’t pay attention afterwards to see if she left anything.
But this I can say…if she was only going to give money if the basket came her way and because of the reminder, then it wasn’t from her heart and better that she didn’t give.
I heard a few Churches have ATM Mechines in the building to remind memmbers to tithe.
Others have coke/pepsi mechines to raise money for youth group.
Espresso served in lobby served before and after church to support missions.
I don’t think a black box would be a good idea people might fogget. 🙂
We pass no collection plates and have a box on the wall under a pewter cross. But we never remind people that it’s there.
I’ll take a different turn on this for a second. We had a month long study once on giving. It encompassed all forms of giving and focused on how they all start in the heart and all end with God being glorified. Many of them are gifts of energy and time, others are money. The act of giving was described as an act of worship.
After that series, “passing the basket” wasn’t just “passing the basket” anymore. We viewed as a corporate act of worship. Physically putting the check or cash or stock certificate or whatever took on a different meaning.
We were encouraged among other things to take turns putting money in the plate(if you are family). Also, this discouraged automatic withdrawals. More people went back the old manual method. I found it refreshing and it has changed the state of my heart each time the basket gets passed.
If people take offense to the idea of the church asking for money, they are probably viewing the money as their’s and not God’s. I know sometimes you have to bring people along slowly, but we’ve gotten so private about our finances. I would imagine the reason for this probably lies close to the reason we are to spiritually private and why we don’t seek any accountability.
This is probably one of thousands of matters about which there is no ONE RIGHT WAY to do it. Still …
There is something vaguely scriptural about the collection box in the back.
Think about the lady who gave all she had at the temple: her two cents’ worth. I’ve heard it preached (and read articles) maintaining that the incident implies things we don’t normally think about: Was the temple collection box made out of metal, so that people around could hear how much coinage you threw in? Was that why Jesus sometimes lectured about giving to be seen (or heard) of men? Would it have been different if there had been voting booth drapes around it? If it had been lined with sheepskin?
I don’t really believe the family which gives through automatic bank draft – or by dropping into a box or a plate – gives any more or less generously or from the heart because of the method through which they express their generosity.
And I’ll bet even George Barna would agree that – whatever the method of collection; whether in church or non-religious charity – people give more when they perceive more value. Show them that their giving is glorifying God and helping people in a powerful way, and they will give.
That makes me think of something, I never considered that the collection plate could be a distraction. But people might get distracted by who gives and how much, or who doesn’t. I attend a small church, and I help with the offering occasionally, and I’ll admit I’ve noticed when an elder or teacher doesn’t give for weeks in a row. It used to bother me, but I got over it, now I try not to pay attention. A box might keep people from distractions like that, or help a bit.