A change is coming … instead of passing the plate each Sunday, we will instead have mounted giving boxes to the welcome stations at each entrance to the auditorium.
There are three reasons for this.
1. We want you to give because God has placed it on your heart to support His ministry, not because the plate is coming or someone is watching to see what you’ll do.
Offering boxes give us all time to prepare our hearts and, when we are ready, make a gift to God. Throughout history, the Church on the whole has earned a reputation for shaming people into giving financially. At PRC we don’t want anyone, regular attender or visitor, to feel like there is a “cover charge” for attending a service.
2. As technology has improved over the years, electronic means of payment have become more and more common, secure and convenient.
We’ve found that while donations to the church have held steady over the past few years, the offering plates on Sunday are increasingly empty.
Two things about this:
- The time has come stop passing empty plates and provide a different method for giving on Sunday.
- While the plate may be empty, that doesn’t mean no one’s giving.
3. Not only is it easier, safer and more convenient than ever before to give online, it is also less costly to the church
. The hours our staff (with the help of our faithful volunteers) spend each week counting, entering data into the accounting system, and depositing can be better spent elsewhere.
However you give, we’re blessed by your donations! A recurring electronic gift (which can easily be set up securely online) saves us time at all levels of the process.
If you don’t have a preference for the way that you give, we would love for you to consider a switch to a recurring electronic gift.
For those who prefer to physically drop your gift as an act of worship, please continue to do so! The last thing I, or anyone else on staff, would want is for you to feel pressured to give up something that brings you closer to God. If the physical passing of money out of your hand is meaningful to you we encourage you to continue that practice – and that’s why we are placing boxes at the welcome stations.
Thank you for your flexibility and allowing us to experiment with this a little in the coming months! If you have additional questions or comments regarding this switch, feel free to contact me.
