Giving offerings to my congregation in difficult times*
For LCMS congregations to survive – and thrive – our worship offerings must continue as much as possible when the world is largely locked down and people are prohibited by law or, by a desire to keep pestilence from spreading, from attending church services. Though we are not gathering face to face, these needs go on.
This is hardly a demand of you to give in tough times. You are free to choose and make decisions that are best for you, made by you. Giving to the Lord is between you and the Lord.
We confess this: All charitable giving is voluntary. All charitable giving is a prayerful response to the Gospel. Our salvation is not rooted in what we give or what we do; rather, it is already secure because of what Christ has accomplished for us.
Here are a few options to prayerfully consider:
- Mail your regular offering to the church office or drop it off at the church office during the week. Mail is delivered into a secure mailbox.
- Your bank or credit union may offer “online bill payment” services. While our gifts to God are not paying a “bill” (because Jesus already did that for us), such tools can electronically deliver your offering without your having to write a check or use cash. Set up our church as you would a utility company or doctor’s office. Some of these tools also allow you to create a recurring gift (payment) made automatically. The online bill payment services are typically free but check with your bank to be sure.
- Give online through FaithStreet
*Some text above copied/referenced from article by Jim Hofman posted at https://blogs.lcms.org/2020/giving-offerings-to-my-congregation-in-difficult-times/