At one time there was only one way to collect an offering–the offering plate. Although, if you were at a tent revival then you may have seen a KFC bucket come your way. Today you can find everything from plates, buckets, boxes, kiosks, envelopes, websites, bank draft, text, apps, etc. Pastors constantly ask how to increase their weekend offering and it always relates to which medium creates more generosity. My polite answer is the way is meaningless without the why. The end game and result are not to be pursued over the value or the process of enjoying generosity. Here are some ways to increase the joy of giving.
1. Giving is about what God wants to do in you more than through you.
He can meet needs however He likes. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. When He pursues you for the generosity opportunity, He wants to work in you and bless you more than anything else.
2. Learn a new language.
Often times the generosity language at church ranges from silence to guilt. Rarely do we model God’s amazing plan for the generous life. Generosity is ridiculously rewarding. It is the path of life that many desire and do not attain by the pursuit of accumulation. Financial freedom can come today regardless of the amount of money that you earn or the personal debt you have. God’s promise is for today.
3. Make giving a way of life.
It is not about a weekend service, capital campaign, or special emphasis. It is about a 12 month, 52 week, 24/7 generosity culture. You should provide ongoing genuine discipleship, meaningful impact opportunities, the information to support the path, and speedy convenience. Generous churches collect offerings any number of ways. I give 100% of my church offerings via text immediately when I get paid, while I use online bill pay, old-fashioned checks, or credit cards for other non-profit organizations. The keys are culture and convenience.
4. Model the generous life from the stage.
What’s your most recent generosity story? When was the last time you thanked your congregation for their consistent generosity every week? How about live texting your offering on stage to model how convenient it is? The number one factor we find in generous churches is that a generous pastor leads them. Your passion trumps technology!
5. Be flexible because the means will change.
It wasn’t that long ago that kiosk giving was the most modern form. Well guess what? It is quickly becoming old school. While I don’t know what technology advances are around the corner, I know we will see them. The value and rewards will always be true and are far more important than the means. A giving culture produces exponential results.
