Churches increase use of online giving

NASHVILLE, Tenn., 8/26/08 -- Traditionally, church members give tithes and offerings to the church by placing cash or a paper check into a brass plate passed during Sunday worship.

In today’s anytime, anywhere culture, more and more church members are giving tithes with the click of a mouse or automatic draft from online bank accounts.

"The trend in e-giving is a cultural move as fewer people of the younger generations carry cash," said Ben Stroup, coordinator of LifeWay Christian Stores’ offering envelope services. "We live in a plastic, online banking world where growing numbers of people prefer to exchange funds electronically rather than carry a checkbook or cash."

Statistics show growth in the use of the Internet for financial transactions. In December 2007, Pew Internet and the American Life Project reported that 53 percent of American adults participate in online banking and more than 35 percent pay their bills online.

Church members are not the only ones becoming more tech-savvy. According to the April 2008 Barna Update, Web usage by churches is also growing.

"Back in 2000, just one-third of Protestant churches (34 percent) had a church Website," stated the report. "That exploded to 57 percent in 2005, and has inched upward since then to 62 percent."

Church Websites now feature podcasts of sermons, online member directories, blogs written by ministers, and tools that allow church members to give their tithes online.

"Churches are exploring the theory that people who give electronically may tend to give more consistently because giving occurs even when the church member is not present at church on Sunday," said Stroup. "The most popular types of e-giving are credit/debit cards, recurring electronic funds transfer from an established checking or savings account, or private booths set up in the church foyer for members to give before or after the worship service."

The "private booths" Stroup refers to are ATM-like kiosks available in churches that allow members to tithe using a debit or credit card.

For many churches, though, giving tithes online is the first step towards catching up with today’s online bill-paying culture.

Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Ga., with 11,000 members, began offering e-giving solutions through its Website to church members last year.

"People are so used to doing everything online so it was a natural progression," said David Baker, administrative pastor at Hebron.

Through the church Website, members may sign up for automatic draft of their tithes from their checking accounts, or make a one-time payment through the online payment system. Paying online allows for more consistent tithes and offerings, said Baker.

"People are more mobile now; they travel more or are on the road working," he said. "This allows them to tithe online instantly."

Baker disregards arguments against online giving on the basis of it being more of a habit with automatic draft versus an act of worship during the Sunday morning service.

"The most important thing is the attitude of your heart whenever you give," he said. "Online giving is just a different method of supporting the church through tithes and offerings."

Bill Gruenewald, minister of business administration at First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, Tenn., wanted to give online tithers the option of participating in the offering time of Sunday worship.

"We wanted to offer online giving for people already using online banking and the Internet for bookkeeping to make it easier for them," said Gruenewald. "Our only reservation was that for some people, giving during the service is an act of worship. Those using automatic withdrawal can still participate in the offering time by placing an envelope in the offering plate that is marked that they contributed online."

LifeWay Christian Stores now offers an e-giving solution for churches participating in its offering envelope service. Included with the e-giving service is an online event manager that allows church members to register and pay for events at the same time. Increasing stewardship and giving options for our churches is key, according to Stroup.

"What makes our e-giving solution unique," he said, "is that we do not charge setup or monthly service fees for our existing customers. Dealing with one vendor for offering envelope and e-giving solutions simplifies the giving process for both the church member and church leader."

For more information on the envelope service offered by LifeWay Christian Stores, visit www.lifewaystores.com/envelopeservice.