Leadership Network’s Warren Bird recently asked, “How ‘Dead’ Is Passing the Plate?” Bird’s organization, Leadership Network, is conducting a study of church salaries and benefits. In the midst of that study they asked how much of the churches giving came online as opposed to in person. Bird asked this question, “Does a bigger percentage of your church’s giving come online, in the postal mail, or in person?”
“In person” includes passing the plate during church services, bringing gifts forward to the altar during worship, or using an offering box in the rear of the sanctuary. The result are interesting and thus lead to the question, about the value of passing an offering. Bird’s conclusion is it depends on the size of the church. Here are some of Leadership Networks findings…
In their still-being-conducted Large Church Salary, Staff and Benefits survey the overall averages are:
- 56% in person
- 36% online
- 8% by postal mail.
However, the larger the church’s size, the bigger the percent that give online. In churches with attendances of 5,000 and higher, the averages flip flop to…
- 47% in person,
- 48% online, and
- 5% by postal mail.
By contrast, in churches of 500-999, the averages are…
- 58% in person,
- 34% online, and
- 8% by postal mail.
Bird concludes by saying, “Whatever the size, in person giving in such ways as passing the plate is far from “dead,” though it is in decline. It’s still a significant portion of most churches’ income.”
Passing the “plate,” is NOT dead but it has and is changing! That is my view not simply from research but from my own experience of working with hundreds of churches literally around the world. Bird is right, that online giving is increasing but a significant amount of dollars are raised the old fashioned way, through an offering.
What does this mean for you? First and foremost, it means you should not give up on what works, passing the plate. Another recent study, this one by LifeWay Research showed that a majority of people polled like to give AT church rather than online. I think this trend will continue for the next several years. Consider this true story…
I recently did a full financial analysis of a church with a $3 million dollar budget. The number two donor gave 5% of the total amount given. As I talked to the Business Administrator he revealed to me that the number two donor was not a person but the amount of lose plate gifts from the previous year’s offerings. Without passing a plate during their services they would have lost $150,000 dollars for missions and ministry. No church can afford to lose 5% of their giving.
Online giving is on the rise but as of yet the offering plate is still alive and well! So, this weekend, step up to the platform and make the “ask” for your offering!
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach and Founder of Giving365