My daughter just posted on Facebook:
“I love that my church has pay my tithe online. Makes it SO much easier to make sure that’s the first 10% off the top!”
One of her friends quickly responded:
“That is nice! I hate using checks and cash for anything anymore. It requires way more planning.”
That caused me to think, “What a great service – FORWARD thinking leadership! Imagine a church that doesn’t have the service and won’t put it up.”
The reality is that 20- and 30-somethings are increasingly a cashless peoples. Churches that fail to recognize and provide for this reality are essentially closing off the income stream and telling those people their desire to give isn’t wanted. (Don’t go ballistic and expect them to understand your love affair with checks!)
Imagine Such A Church!
Imagine a church that doesn’t want to help you give your tithes an offerings easily!?!
As I did, I came up with a few impressions a 20- or 30-something would feel …
1) We don’t want your money!
Younger adults simply don’t understand why the local church can’t do this and everyone else who wants their money can. (Yes, you can. Get a swiper and start a Square account or have an iPad with your PayPal account on it for worship and put the links on your website.)
2) Don’t give here unless you do it OUR way!
When younger adults see you are unable or unwilling to accommodate them in such a simple way, they begin to realize you probably don’t respect them. They will also think, “They probably don’t want us around here, either, since they won’t change to help us help them.”
3) They will give somewhere else!
Soon, the church will be devoid of the future and present ay leadership of a whole generation who have discovered a local church that does understand their desires and was more than willing to make it possible for these 20- and 3-somethings to funnel thousands of dollars into the ministry every year. Most big non-profits have SMS giving (aka “text to this number and give $5”). Those campaigns usually raise a LOT more than ones that don’t.
When I asked my daughter about this, she replied, “I never carry cash! lol, most folks don’t. We want to pay with our phones (ala Starbucks) or quickly or we will go elsewhere.”
In reality, reality has come. Create access or lose people.
What thoughts come to your mind on this timely subject?
