All church leaders understand the vital importance of regular, consistent giving in the church; however, it is also helpful for congregants to understand the big picture of how their financial support contributes to the church’s vitality.
We’re called to give generously in ministry for the sustainment of the Church as it blesses others. Giving is not a burden, but rather, a biblical call to become further transformed in Christ—a divine opportunity to trust God to meet our needs and participate in growing the Kingdom of God.
While many church members might recognize the need to give, many fear their financial situation isn’t conducive to giving. Additionally, congregants are more hesitant to support their church financially when they don’t understand where their money is going.
The following practices are designed to help church leaders appeal to congregants, making giving opportunities better understood, fulfilling and easier.
Practice Transparency in Purpose, Distribution and Results
Churches can clearly relay the purpose of their ministry and how funds will be prioritized by answering the following questions for congregants:
Why are we here?
What do we do?
Who in our local or global community is impacted by our ministry?
What communities would suffer if we were forced to close our doors?
What has God called us to do on a regular basis as a church?
What is the big picture/vision?
After these are clearly laid out alongside an overarching mission statement, church leadership can share financial distribution transparently to congregants. This can be done with monthly breakdowns, displaying where funds are going. Letting congregants know how their giving is changing lives, fostering relationships and growing the Kingdom of God and encourages congregants to see how their giving is making an impact.
Invite Congregants to Partner with You
Inviting congregants to partner in ministry through giving is an encouragement to participate in something meaningful and worthwhile. It isn’t asking for charity, being greedy or overstepping; it is a divine calling for church members to take part in Kingdom work greater than themselves. Commensurately, when those who work in ministry embrace this divine partnership, it makes the action of asking and receiving altogether humbling, fulfilling and joyful.
Thanking congregants is also an incredibly crucial piece. Not only does expressing sincere gratitude towards those who are already giving allow them to be blessed in the offering process, but it also encourages others who have been contemplating giving financially to take that important next step.
Make Payment Options Easy and user-friendly
One of the most integral facets of church giving today is process convenience. Because a large proportion of society is now cashless—and because technology allows us to make instant transactions more seamlessly than ever before—it is important for churches and their various ministries to also offer congregants simplified digital giving processes.
The following relevant features can help make the giving process as quick and effortless as possible.
Online giving is a great starting point in technology for all churches today in that congregants can easily make one-time gifts or set up recurring gifts directly from church websites.
Text giving offers convenience for anyone with a smartphone. The text-to-give option allows users to text in, click on the response link and access the simple giving web portal.
QR codes allow congregants to scan displayed image codes with their smartphones during the middle of their church service offering time, directing them instantly to the giving platform.
Digital wallet options, such as GooglePay or PayPal, can help users avoid both inconvenience and error in otherwise having to re-enter their credit card details each time they access payment portals. These programs allow users to process payments more instantly and securely.
Recurring giving opportunities not only surpass the above options when it comes to convenience, but they also allow congregants to consistently give weekly or monthly—even on Sundays when these members are absent from church.
Giving to the Church is crucial. Embracing the tools and opportunities accessible to us in ministry and technology today grants us the ability to further grow the global church body—specifically, by blessing others.
