The offering in Christianity is a gift of money to the Church.

In general, the offering is differentiated from the tithe as being funds given by members for general purposes over and above what would constitute a tithe.

In some Christian services, there is a part reserved for the collection of donations that is referred to as the offertory. Historically, the offertory takes place either in the middle of the service (or at the end) and is collected by passing a collection plate (which may be fancy, or simple). Other churches collect donations by placing a collection box reserved for that purpose (usually near the exit doors). More recently, donations are collected by electronic means, either as one-time or recurring items. The offering goes towards upkeep of the church building, various ministries such as that of evangelism, as well as to the poor, among other areas.

History Old Testament In the Bible, the offering is an act of gratitude to God.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 46-47 At the time of Moses, God gave certain prescriptions to the people of Israel. In particular, they were to bring God some of their wealth by way of gratitude for the land that God had given for inheritance.Richard Watson, A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, Carlton & Porter, USA, 1831, p. 835 The offerings were largely agricultural products: wheat, barley, oil, animals and the amount was one-tenth of their income, the tithe.James Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology, Volume 2, Second Edition, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 410

New Testament In the New Testament, especially in the Epistle to the Galatians in chapter 6, Paul of Tarsus reminds the believers' commitment to their pastor and the poor.Frank S. Thielman, Theology of the New Testament, Zondervan Academic, USA, 2011, p. 492 In this same book, the offering is compared to a seed.Rodney Reeves, Spirituality According to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2011, p. 158-159. These concepts are echoed in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 9. The motivation of the donor is no longer an obligation, but must be a free choice of generosity.Frank S. Thielman, Theology of the New Testament, Zondervan Academic, USA, 2011, p. 339. Paul of Tarsus has made several collections in order to help people in need.Michael Barnett, Janice Gross Stein, Sacred Aid: Faith and Humanitarianism, Oxford University Press, UK, 2012, p. 67. Moreover, the offering is presented as a support for the mission and a sign of compassion for the poor.Mark L. Vincent, Matthew M. Thomas, A Christian View of Money: Celebrating God’s Generosity (4th edition), Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2017, p. 43

Methods

Offering in kind Some members of a church offer goods and services to a church in place of money. This could include donating food, toiletries, or other goods necessary for the upkeep of the church building. Additionally, church members could donate equivalent free services such as construction, food prep, or mechanical maintenance. Offering in cash

Offertory box

Offering plate

Historically, it was collected in an offering plate/dish, a basket, or a alms box.Dean R. Hoge, Money Matters: Personal Giving in American Churches, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 1996, p. 99-100 New methods have been used in the 21st century, such as a payment terminal or a connected shopping cart.Vianney de Villaret, Le premier panier connecté pour la quête arrive, fr.aleteia.org, France, January 18, 2018

In evangelical Christian churches, the usage of internet payment and mobile payment is increasing.Aaron Earls, The Most Impactful Tech Shift Your Church Can Make, research.lifeway.com, USA, November 30, 2021Ghana News Agency, Asoriba launches church management software, businessghana.com, Ghana, February 3, 2017

Tithing

Tithing can be considered as a form of offering.

Use The offering is put at the service of the Church, for example for the support of the ministers of God, Pastors and missionaries, building maintenance costs, programs, helping the underprivileged (Christian humanitarian aid).Brian Stiller, Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Éditions Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 128-129Rémy Chhem, Marc-André Morency, Le culte du dimanche à l’Église évangélique baptiste de Québec , IPIR, Canada, December 13, 2011 For the affiliated churches, the offering also supports the services of their denomination (such as missionary organizations, hospitals, schools and theological institutes).Norman Doe, Christian Law: Contemporary Principles, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2013, p. 332 According to a 2014 survey of 1,605 churches in the United States by Christianity Today, the top five expenditures are staff salaries (ministers) to 47%, the ministries and the support (Christian humanitarian aid) to 9%, the place of worship (mortgage or rent of the building to 7%, utilities to 7%, maintenance to 5%), the support for international missions at 5% and support for local missions at 4%.ChurchLawAndTax, How Churches Spend Their Money , churchlawandtax.com, USA, July 15, 2014 A 2016 study conducted by the Leadership Network and the Vanderbloemen Search Group among 1,252 churches in the United States, in Canada, in South Africa and in Great Britain, gave similar figures.Mark Woods, The Spiritual Discipline That Really Ought To Catch On, christiantoday.com, UK, October 06, 2016

In 1948, the evangelist Billy Graham and his evangelistic team established the Modesto Manifesto, a code of ethics life and work to protect against accusations of financial, sexual and power abuse.Seth Dowland, The “Modesto Manifesto”, christianhistoryinstitute.org, USA, #111, 2014 This code includes rules for collecting offerings in churches, working only with churches supportive of cooperative evangelism, using official crowd estimates at outdoor events, and a commitment to never be alone with a woman other than his wife, unless another person is present.Yonat Shimron, Billy Graham made sure his integrity was never in question, religionnews.com, USA, February 23, 2018

See also

Church service Church attendance Christian liturgy Poor box

References