Hey church, is it time to stop passing the plate?

Spoiler Alert: Yes, yes it is.

Time for offering, “There is a plate coming your way, hella people are trying to be sly and not to watch — but they are— so, yeah it’s time to drop some dollar dollar bills y’all . . . oh, and it's cash-only.”

Okay, before you start with the, #NotAllAhurches responses, I see you.

I don’t care if you collect offering with woke, woven baskets or if you have found some great language to try and make the awkwardness go away for visitors (I have done both, BTW.), let’s stop kidding ourselves, offering in worship is really about the money.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the church addressing the importance of fiscal health and financial support of the church and its ministry. We must do this and, in fact, I love talking about finances as part of our faith. Thing is, so much energy goes into the navigating this particular part of the worship experience that at best it is a waste of time, and at worst, it works against the overall financial health of the church.

Just thinking about ecclesiastic and liturgical gymnastics of collecting offering is exhausting.

Take a moment to think about the energy expended on the act of passing the plate: the recruiting of ushers, the training of counters, the fretting about “loose offering” decline, the question about online givers, the constant efforts to tell visitors that this is an important act, but you if you really don’t want to give you don’t have to give . . . yet.

There are three main reasons why I believe that we should just stop the practice as it exists in many worship services. First, the ways in which people give, combined with church attendance trends, what is actually collected is decreasing. Second, while we have good intentions about what offering is, what we most visibly communicate is that offering is only/mostly about money. And third, the offering is the only time during worship where we intentionally tell people —In an attempt to be welcoming. — NOT to participate in the communal act of the Body of Christ.

If we totally changed the way that we engage in offering during worship, we might actually live more fully and truthfully the important concept of giving back to God, what God has entrusted to our care . . in time, talent, and treasure.

’Cause right now, it’s all about the treasure.

Seriously, let’s just stop with the agonizing over and apologizing for offering and let’s start calling people in an offering that is inspiring and inviting.

So here is my idea for you to chew on.

First, HAVE COMMUNION EVERY WEEK! Okay seriously, for those who come to the table on a specified quarterly Sunday, it will be okay. I say this as if this would be an easy shift, but I firmly believe that following communion with an act of offering makes theological sense and flows right into the sending of the people in the world.

Here is how I would introduce it — right before after the invitation and words of institution and just before calling people forward to receive communion.

After you receive communion we are invited to offer back to God some of what God has given to our care. As you feel called, please visit any of our offering stations: lift up a prayer by lighting a candle at our prayer station, find out how your time can be used here at the church or in the community by choosing one of the tasks in our time station, help to support the ministry of the church here and throughout the world by leaving a financial gift —and yes, you can swipe, tap, or write leave one of those check things — and finally, if you are in need of a blessing, receive one from one of our deacons at our blessing station. At the end of our time, we will gather in a circle around the sanctuary for our sending and final blessing.

The gifts of God, for the people of God.

And here is how it would work:

First, serve communion by intinction AKA “rip and dip” with people coming down the middle aisle and after each person receives communion have they could choose to visit various stations around the sanctuary.

Prayer Offering Station: Use candles, paper, or other ways for people to leave prayers of healing, celebrations, etc.

Time Offering Station: Have the office, committees, or ministry team come up with tasks that are needed, “Two hours to help in the office” or “Buy four loaves of bread” or “Get coffee for Bruce.” Make sure there are a variety of times and that tasks change every week. Write them on slips of paper so people can choose a task, sign it and place it in an offering basket.

Blessing Offering Station: This is a place where someone in the church can give and receive a blessing or annointing. Some training may be needed here, but this more intimate space can be a powerful experience for the blessed and blessee.

Service Offering Station: Curate a list of organizations, service projects, or other service opporutnies for people to engage with. Also have slips of paper that people can write on to share time they already give to the larger community.

Treasure Offering Station: No more passing the plate because people can come of their own free will. Have a basket where people can leave cash/check and, if appropriate an electronic giving option. You may also want to have a simple token for those who give online.

Have some music in the background and movement begins to wain, there should be some cue to then either return to their seats or gather in a circle around the worship space for a closing ritual: song, charge, benediction, etc.

Things to keep in mind:

• Not every person will get to every station. That’s okay, they will get another chance next week. You know, since you now serve communion every week.
• Be aware and pay attention to accessibility for those who are unable to participate in any movement.
• Know your people and create stations that make sense to your community. That said, be creative and challenge folks to worship and offer in creative and expansive ways.

I would love for you to have these conversations and I hope this little rant can spark some meaningful conversations. Of course, you will have to translate for your context and dedicate the energy and focus on reclaiming the act of offering in a way that is more textured and meaningful. At the end of the day, you may end up with the same liturgical practice, but avoiding the topic will only act to even more deeply calcify a practice and approach that is in need of deeper reflection and possible rejuvenation.

Finally, I have no delusions that this change in our offering practices will be an easy one. I have pastored four churches in my 20+ years of ministry and the only one that didn’t collect offering by passing the plate was the one that I started. So yeah, I just talk big. So even though it could be a difficult conversation to even start, that’s no reason to blatantly continue to do something that, in fact, works against itself.

I believe that if more of us do this, not only will church financial systems become healthier, but our experience as generous and offering people will become more meaningful and have a more positive impact for the entire church and the world.

Thanks for taking the time and I look forward to hearing what you think.