Ship of Fools: Collecting the offering

Thread: Collecting the offering Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :

We visited a church over the summer where they only take up an offering during the service once a month. We had to ask where to leave it after the service and were shown a special visitors' box to put our sixpences in. Has anyone else seen it done like this? Does it work as well as the usual weekly system? It was a first for me. We use an optional monthly direct debit system at our home church, but that seems different, as we're giving regularly no matter what method is used. We still pass the plate on Sunday for the regulars who want it and for visitors.

Posted by Rosa Gallica officinalis (# 3886) on :

The problem in my churches would be that many people only come to church once a month- to their favourite service, so should we take the monthly collection at the all age service, or Eucharist, or mattins ...Not a relastic option.

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

In the British Methodist Church they're trying to get people to contribute their offering by standing order. That means it doesn't matter if they turn up or not - and I've actually heard a minister make this very point!

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

Although the total of "small donations" qualifying for Gift Aid has gone up recently, it's still easier to budget and administer if the giving is done by Standing Order. (This is in Britain, of course).

And, yes, the fact that it comes in even if folk are absent is a factor. (It's surely not that different to paying rent on a house even though you're away on holiday, or having an electric "standing charge").

Baptist/congregationalist churches like ours depend on our giving, so we do urge committed giving. I can however remember, as a child in the 60s, "Christian Stewardship" coming in in our local parish church.

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :

We have a plate at the back, but don't pass it at all. We bring it up and dedicate the gifts during the service. Sometimes for the benefit of visitors who intended to make a gift we mention that there is still a plate at the back for contributions as people leave.

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

There is a balance to be had between saying, "You're a welcome visitor and we don't expect you to make a contribution" and "We know that some visitors wish to make a contribution, so this is how you can do it".

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by SvitlanaV2:
In the British Methodist Church they're trying to get people to contribute their offering by standing order. That means it doesn't matter if they turn up or not - and I've actually heard a minister make this very point!

It appears that passing a plate around seems to encourage tiny donations* (often just coins or small notes) whereas presumably a standing order might actually tend to encourage more sensible levels of donation.

*of course there really are people who cannot afford more than a few coins. I'm not talking about them, but rather those who could afford more but "want to be seen" putting something into the plate.

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BroJames:
We have a plate at the back, but don't pass it at all. We bring it up and dedicate the gifts during the service. Sometimes for the benefit of visitors who intended to make a gift we mention that there is still a plate at the back for contributions as people leave.

The most frequent users of the plate at our place are small children, who put in a dollar. For most people it's easier to teach about giving by having children actually give physical money (even though it's only a token amount) than by siting them down and talking about numbers on a bank statement.

We have a few parishioners who give via the plate, but most people do monthly automatic payments.

So keep the plate - it's for the children! [Two face]

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
It appears that passing a plate around seems to encourage tiny donations* (often just coins or small notes) whereas presumably a standing order might actually tend to encourage more sensible levels of donation.

*of course there really are people who cannot afford more than a few coins. I'm not talking about them, but rather those who could afford more but "want to be seen" putting something into the plate.

Ah, I used to be a church steward, so I know all about 'tiny donations'! There used to be a lot of grumbling in the vestry about that.

Regarding the OP, I know of one large parish church where there's a hole in the wall for donations, but the collection plate is still passed around during services.

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
It appears that passing a plate around seems to encourage tiny donations ... of course there really are people who cannot afford more than a few coins.

When I was in West Africa, some people took change. Hopefully they took out less than they put in!

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
When I was in West Africa, some people took change. Hopefully they took out less than they put in!

I remember being in one church where the congregation was invited to contribute if they were able, to let it pass if they weren't and to take out money if they really needed it more than the church did.

Posted by Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :

While the majority of our congregation give by standing order (direct credit) and one or two oldies like to put an envelope in, some of us also put a coin in the bag.
For me this goes back to the day friends' small boy wanted to know why he had to put something in when Mr F, a solicitor and presumably 'rich', didn't. Mr F probably gave generously by direct credit, but pour encourager les petits, we go through the motions each week.
Another congregation with financial struggles had a suggestion made, that in addition to their regular donation, they might consider putting any small change from their purse in the offering bag as well (actually I keep mine for charities at the supermarket door, who don't do so well now that most customers use their EFT POS card).

GG

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

That pretty well sets out our experience. Even those contributing by direct debit like to put something in the bowl as well. We still get small denomination coins from children, a good habit to learn.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
That pretty well sets out our experience. Even those contributing by direct debit like to put something in the bowl as well. We still get small denomination coins from children, a good habit to learn.

I think it is a terrible habit to learn. I've always taught my children that it is better to give nothing than to give shrapnel.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

But for them the shrapnel is a substantial sum.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
But for them the shrapnel is a substantial sum.

It isn't if the money has been given to them by parents for the sole purpose of putting into the collection plate. I don't agree with the notion that one should be seen to be giving, I think this should be done in private.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

But where did I suggest that?

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :

We expected our children's giving to come out of their weekly pocket money. One child usually ended up scraping together coppers.

[ 14. September 2016, 12:04: Message edited by: North East Quine ]

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

From the OP, what is sixpence in this day and age?

The poster does not say from what Country in the World his/her experience relates, nor whether the mention of 'sixpence' is literal or metaphorical.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Galloping Granny:
While the majority of our congregation give by standing order (direct credit) and one or two oldies like to put an envelope in, some of us also put a coin in the bag.
For me this goes back to the day friends' small boy wanted to know why he had to put something in when Mr F, a solicitor and presumably 'rich', didn't. Mr F probably gave generously by direct credit, but pour encourager les petits, we go through the motions each week...
GG

I think this is an opportunity to explain to a child that they should not be paying attention to, or judging, what someone else gives, especially since they do not know the circumstances.

"pour encourager les petits"???

Posted by bib (# 13074) on :

I felt that many people felt embarrassed to put their offering on the plate and as a result we changed to bags that were passed around and offered privacy. I'm not sure that the once a month collection would work as you cannot predict when people will come to church. There may even be people who would decide to sleep in on collection day!

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop:
From the OP, what is sixpence in this day and age?

The poster does not say from what Country in the World his/her experience relates, nor whether the mention of 'sixpence' is literal or metaphorical.

It was a cunningly subtle way to confuse my enemies and conceal what I actually put in the plate.

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:

quote:
Originally posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop:
From the OP, what is sixpence in this day and age?

The poster does not say from what Country in the World his/her experience relates, nor whether the mention of 'sixpence' is literal or metaphorical.
It was a cunningly subtle way to confuse my enemies and conceal what I actually put in the plate.

Either that or you've got a stock of sixpences from 1971 that you're too ashamed to admit you're still dropping in the plate [Biased]

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