Posted on 02/27/2023 8:15:50 AM PST by SeekAndFind
My childhood memories are vague. Still, I do recall with some surprising detail the passing of the offering plates in my first church. I never questioned its validity or efficacy. It was just something churches did.
Most churches used an offering plate or its equivalent prior to the pandemic. Now, most churches do not. It has been that stark and sudden.
The offering plate is disappearing.
One of the members of our Church Answers community conducted a simple poll that asked other members of the community if their church still passed an offering plate. The results were clear and profound. Seven of ten churches no longer pass the offering plate.
While the sample size and selection of the poll would not pass scientific rigors, the numbers are telling. Even among smaller churches, the offering plate is disappearing.
Rather than analyzing the reasons for the disappearing offering plate, let’s take a look at some of the implications of this dramatic shift. There is more to it than a mere removal of a traditional element of worship service. Indeed, the change is very important. Here are five reasons why the disappearance of the offering plate is so significant.
1. Online giving is now the default of the majority of churches. When COVID dictated that most churches would not be open for a season, there were no worship services to pass offering plates. In a figurative blink of an eye, churches that never considered online giving made the move. This change is not trivial. It means that church leaders must continuously point church members to digital giving as their means of stewardship. The offering plate served as the visual reminder to give generously. That void must now be filled.
2. The offering plate communicated clearly that the act of giving is an act of worship. Indeed, this reason is the most often articulated rationale of the remnant of churches that still pass a plate in worship services. Church leaders now must find and communicate ways to remind church members that the act of giving is an act of worship. A number of churches have a stewardship generosity moment during all of their worship services.
3. The offering plate will not return. While churches have resumed a number of pre-COVID practices, don’t count on the return of the offering plate. Once a church member gives online, he or she is unlikely to change behaviors. And church leaders now see clearly that online giving is more dependable. If a church member is out or if the church has to cancel a worship service, digital giving means that the funding will not stop.
4. Millennials do not like the passing of the offering plate; Gen Z abhors it. Though this statement is based on our anecdotal research only, I believe a scientific study will validate our observations. Millennials are not comfortable touching a plate touched by many other hands. Gen Z will avoid it completely.
5. The disappearance of the offering plate provides churches an opportunity to rethink all aspects of the worship services. While the offering may be the most visible change in church worship services, it would serve church leaders well to ask serious questions about other elements or aspects of the services. What are we doing because we’ve always done it that way? What could we change? What do we do that is non-negotiable and must not change? Why?
It happened so quickly. Soon, over 90 percent of churches will not pass an offering plate. The change is profound and sudden. Other changes are taking place as well. For example, the “stand and greet” time in worship services is all but gone as well. We will return to that subject in a future article.
Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Just pass around a tablet with a credit card reader on it. Not so hard these days. LOL.
How very sad.
Especially sad...”Millennials are not comfortable touching a plate touched by many other hands. Gen Z will avoid it completely.”
These are the same freaks wearing masks at the supermarket today, wiping down shopping cart handles, and still moving six to ten feet away from you.
“Millennials are not comfortable touching a plate touched by many other hands. Gen Z will avoid it completely.”
In his day Howard Hughes was considered a kook for refusing to touch anything touched by others.
Nowadays he would fit right in....with the rest of the kooks.
We had offering plate in the 60’s (Lutheran)
When we attended an evangelical church later there was an offering/tithe box in the back.
Jesus said to do your giving in private.
Too many people had to see who was giving and who was not and made some uncomfortable if they could not give this week or had already tithed based on biweekly or monthly pay schedules.
When you see people reaching in and helping themselves to the loot, it is somewhat discouraging.
Send a check
When the big power outage comes, our younger generations, who certainly couldn’t bring themselves to touch a doorknob, won’t be able to enter or exit any buildings or many rooms.
My friend Jimmy was an altar boy. The priests loved when he passed the plate. It was on a long stick. He would hold it in front of someone and not move it away until they put something in. If they waited too long here give it a little shake.
People were terrified when they saw little shakedown Jimmy headed their way.
I give when I give, I give what I give and I don’t expect anything to come of it and I don’t care if anyone looks my way when I do it.
Good riddance to the begging device.
Our giving should be between us and the Lord. The vehicle for how we give is not important only that we give to the Lord and not under any compulsion from the preacher, church or legalism. Our giving is between us and Christ. Credit card, cash, check, stocks and bonds, baskets and collection boxes - are not the issue. Are you giving as the Lord leads you to give is the issue.
You summed up my position perfectly. I always thought an offering box was the way to go. As you noted, it’s a private thing.
I’m just glad they’ve eliminated the “grope of peace”.
RE: I’m just glad they’ve eliminated the “grope of peace”.
What on earth is that?
Taking it away is a mistake - but so much the modern church does is a mistake so it probably doesn’t matter.
I liked the collection plates with the long handles the ushers would hold from the aisle and push in front of the congregants. No one touched anything, just drop your cash or envelope into the collection plate.
> RE: I’m just glad they’ve eliminated the “grope of peace”. What on earth is that? <
I’ll be honest. That “grope” comment startled me at first. But now I’m sure he means that part of a Catholic service where you shake hands with people near you and say, “Peace be with you.”
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