E-Giving=Consistency and Simplicity

The rush has started for those claiming a position at the starting line, each beginning a run for the office of President of the United States. What is amazing about each of these candidates is the use of a tool that continues to amaze those of us born before the advent of computers, that being the internet. From McCain to Clinton, every candidate is making his or her pitch heard with consistency and simplicity, all through the use of e-technology. Churches across the Provinces have jumped on board with the use of e-based tools such as web pages, e-mail communications, and even chat rooms. Electronic giving has been received a bit less “warmly,” and, yet, e-giving offers the same consistency and simplicity for churches and members. To be honest, e-giving has come of age.

In a nutshell, “electronic giving,” also known as “electronic funds transfer” (EFT), is a means to make contributions by a credit card, debit card, or EFT directly from one’s checking or saving account to the congregation. It is an easy transaction that is revolutionizing how people give. There is an array of e-giving services available to churches, from local banking institutions to companies that offer many attractive and affordable plans to people and organizations across the country and beyond. Proven benefits of churches that have offered e-giving as a means for members to provide contributions are:

• Security — contributors are secure in the knowledge that their gift and the means of giving is protected. Their identity is safe, as is the amount of their transaction.
• Recurring transactions — contributors can designate when the transaction is to be made, recurring at optional intervals such as weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly. A contributor no longer needs to remember the checkbook.
• Record keeping — contributors can receive a listing of all contributions made at any time desired.
• Receipt — contributors receive an immediate receipt of their gift which can be kept as a hardcopy of the transaction.
• Act of worship — contributors can use the receipt to place in their weekly envelope and/or offering basket as an act of worship.
• User friendly — contributors receive guidance and support as they create their contribution schedule and oversee transactions.
• Consistency — contributions to the church flow in more regularly and the “summer slump” is no longer the same concern.
• Generosity — contributors make their gifts as part of a “first fruits” theology. All is a gift from God. God deserves the best. More people are able and willing to give to God first in proportion to how God has provided. More members are willing to reach toward the biblical goal of tithing.
• Donation revenue — contributors make more regular and consistent contributions to the church, meaning more revenue for ministry.
• Individual needs — contributors and congregations can customize a program to meet their unique needs.
• Awareness of financial goals — contributors understand the financial realities of ministry and their role in fulfilling those goals.
• Affordable — congregations find the modest fees are eclipsed by the increases and consistencies of contributions made.

In a testimonial listed on the web site of an “e-giving” services company, a pastor wrote, “Demographics show that members who commit to systematic giving electronically represent a population of givers who believe in our Biblical giving principles and who have a clear view of the vision for the ministry. We recognize that all givers will not give electronically, however, we believe that electronic/web giving has provided a specialized platform for (an increasing number of) members.”

Within the Moravian Church, the Sturgeon Bay congregation in Wisconsin has long been an advocate for e-giving. The Rev. Matthew Knapp recently wrote, “There are 55 e-Givers at Sturgeon Bay. Needless to say they are the ones doing the most pulling on our financial sled, not necessarily because they are all the biggest givers, but because of the consistency of their giving. In Sturgeon Bay, consistency of giving is a critical factor because we have gone from a church that had a cash flow crisis every summer to a church that can expect a fairly even distribution throughout the year. They are giving a percentage of their first fruits to the Kingdom. All of them love it. They love the convenience, they are proud because they know what a blessing it is to the church, and they are the best resource to recruit others to become e-givers.”

For more information about electronic giving, feel free to contact your a Provincial Office of Stewardship Education and Resources.

The Rev. Gary Marsh serves as Director of the Stewardship Division of the Northern Province.