Electronic Stewardship

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JWH123

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A few years ago, my parish started an e-giving program. Basically, instead of receiving envelopes from the parish for use in depositing your weekly offering in the collection basket, you can sign up to have an amount of your choosing deducted from your checking account or charged to your credit card on the first of every month.

Because my relatives live three states away and I visit them often on weekends (and attend mass at their church when I do), and because I am occasionally traveling due to my job on weekends (making sure to find a Catholic church to attend on Sunday morning in whatever town I happen to be), I am not attending mass at MY church every Sunday. However, I feel it is important to support my parish, whether I am there or not. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the program. I’m not sure how popular the program is; my guess is it is definitely not universally used because it’s promoted in the bulletin every week, and the pastor gets up and mentions it a couple times a year (to make sure we know that we can do this–it saves his secretary a lot of work because every person who uses the program means one less envelope number that needs to have a running tally kept of weekly offerings for year-end tax letters, which of course almost everyone requests).

I don’t want to come across as bold with this. I don’t “tithe” 10% of my income. My level of giving through the program is that I give more than some people in the parish, and I give less than others.

The problem with this for me is, every week when the offertory is taken up, I don’t put anything in the basket. Then I get “the look.” Sometimes from the usher, often times from other people seated near me. It’s the “how DARE you come to church and celebrate the Eucharist and give NOTHING, how dare you consider yourself a member of our parish” look. Occasionally, it’s more than a look, it’s a verbal lecture.

Does anybody have any suggestions how I should deal with being sent on a guilt trip on an almost weekly basis, when I’m really not doing anything “wrong”?
 
Been doing e-donation for over 5 years. Never put an envelope in. Just smile and pass the basket.

Never really know if we are getting the “eye” cause I’m either singing or praying and honestly with about 1000 people at each Mass the ushers have enough to do just to keep track of the baskets. As for fellow parishioners, never had an issue.

Bottom line, the problem is theirs, why make it yours? Smile and pray for them because chances are they are going to take that judgmental attitude right up to communion with them.🤷
 
JWH123 said:
The problem with this for me is, every week when the offertory is taken up, I don’t put anything in the basket. Then I get “the look.” Sometimes from the usher, often times from other people seated near me. It’s the “how DARE you come to church and celebrate the Eucharist and give NOTHING, how dare you consider yourself a member of our parish” look. Occasionally, it’s more than a look, it’s a verbal lecture.

Does anybody have any suggestions how I should deal with being sent on a guilt trip on an almost weekly basis, when I’m really not doing anything “wrong”?
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Ignore “the look.” Or offer a smile. You know the one. :getholy:

For those that offer a verbal lecture? I might be tempted to lecture right back. Very tempted.
 
Our parish offers cards that one can put in the basket that says you e-give. this way you are putting something in. Most people don’t use them and many of our parishioners prefer to give this way. No one ever looks funny at them as the ushers know about e-giving and some of them probably do it themselves.
 
We have envelopes and electronic giving but NO collection. There are locked boxes at the entrance of the church where people can drop their envelopes and/or cash.

No dirty looks, no jingling for cash to “break up” the flow of the Mass.

Electronic giving is relatively new to our parish, but the NO collection practice has been going on for the past 50 years! It works if the parish community wants it to work.
 
maryjk said:
For those that offer a verbal lecture? I might be tempted to lecture right back. Very tempted.
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Tempted, nothing – I absolutely would respond. Ask why they expect you to give twice, since you’re already giving through the electronic program. And I think I’d also mention it to Father. No names, but just for him to mention the subject, next time he talks about the electronic program. The ushers, especially, should know better.
 
Just remember, they will be judged by the same measure by which they judge you. 😦
 
My parish had people who had these concerns, so the pastors made some “I Use Digital Tithing” papers/envelopes so it looks no different than if people were putting money in.

I thought it was clever. That little slight of hand prevented any ill will or ugly issues.
 
Melchior said:
My parish had people who had these concerns, so the pastors made some “I Use Digital Tithing” papers/envelopes so it looks no different than if people were putting money in.

I thought it was clever. That little slight of hand prevented any ill will or ugly issues.
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We had or have laminated cards that served the same purpose, which are reusable. Electronic givers can walk out to the baskets and drop them in to give the impression they are donating.

But I don’t see a lot of people using them, even though I’m pretty sure that a lot of our parishioners give electronically and don’t put cash in the basket. At any given collection time, quite a number of people remain seated.

I give electronically myself. At first I used to feel a bit strange when I didn’t go out to the basket and put anything in, but now I don’t worry about it. I know that I’m putting in my bit.

I suppose new Catholics might think we’re a stingy lot if we’re not “seen” to be putting in cash, and this could give them the wrong impression. But there are ways around that.

I do feel a bit strange though in on those occasions when I attend another parish, and still don’t put something in. But I’m not made of money.

Our parish prefers electronic giving as it is more predictable and reliable. It makes budgeting easier as they can be more certain of what they’re going to get.

I still remember though going to one protestant church when I was younger for a couple of visits. They were trying expand, and I couldn’t believe how much money some people were “pledging” towards the building program. Huge amounts in my opinion.

At the time they were meeting in a state government high school.

If its the same church I’m thinking of, they now have “…a 100 acre campus which also includes a … Christian school, Day Care Centre, Higher Education, Ministry College and Low Cost Residential Units” according to their own website. And of course a large church.

I suspect Protestants are a bit more generous than their Catholic counterparts when it comes to giving, and a bit more visionary.
 
I think it is sad that parishes felt the need to come up with " I tithe electronically" cards.

To think that people have gotten so nosy and gossipy that laminated cards are the solution?

And you are right, agnes therese, I wouldn’t just be tempted. Especially if it happened more than once.

I bet I could stop it if I said in a very loud voice during the collection, “I give electronically. Maybe when you catch on, you can do the same. Until that time, keep your nasty looks to yourself.”
 
I don’t use electronic giving, but I do write a check once a month. That means the other three Sundays I don’t put anything in the collection basket. I can’t say that I’ve ever had someone look at me funny for not putting something in and certainly have never had anyone say anything. If they did, I would not feel a need to explain myself to them. A raised eyebrow would be plenty of response.

Sometimes I think when we’re feeling funny about something we THINK other people are noticing us even if they’re not. You sometimes hear this from people who stay in the pew during communion or whose children make a bit of noise. “Oh…everyone was giving me the look.” Probably they were worried about getting a reaction and may have seen one where it didn’t necessarily exist.

You know you’re supporting the parish. No one else’s opinion matters.
 
Our parish started electronic giving; and they make envelopes available to those who do so, so they can “put” something in the collection.

As to “looks”, be sure you are not being overly sensitive (as in, a slight guilt complex); if there really are “looks”, first, don’t make eye contact - second, if it is clear they have an attitude, address it personally. Very politely - but “in their face” explain you use the electronic giving and you don’t appreciate their look. No doubt they will protest “No Look!” but the message will have been given.

We are called to be Christian - to love one another.

That is not a call to like everyone - only to love them. It is also not a call to be a carpet for them to stomp on.

We are called to fraternal correction, before anyone decides I am over the edge.
 
They can e-things all they want, but there is a theological reason why they take up collections when they do.
 
ProVobis said:
They can e-things all they want, but there is a theological reason why they take up collections when they do.
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I’d like to hear what those theological reason are. Not challenging you my friend. I’'d sincerely like to know.

I find credit card tithes distasteful. It is very impersonal. The Church isn’t a gas station.

Maybe we can all put on headphones and flip down the little touch screens on the back of the pews, choose our style of music from a drop down list and get the Eucharist from a dispensing machine - all of it run by a priest in a call center in Tulsa.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
I find credit card tithes distasteful. It is very impersonal. The Church isn’t a gas station.
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But it is a tax exempt organization with real world bills and obligations. Salaries, assessments, electricity, etc. are a major hassle for finance councils to budget when they are basing income on expected receipts. While we agree it is impersonal, for the parish knowing how much money will be in the account by a certain date allows corporal needs of the parish to be responsibly dealt with.

Although I don’t like to say this, another benefit of e-donations is that there is less of a chance that checks and cash will be “lost”, either unintentionally or through theft and it means the parish will not need to hold as much cash and checks over the weekend or have to make bank dead drops.

The beauty though is that those like yourself who would rather not e-donate are not forced to do so.
 
TimothyH said:
Maybe we can all put on headphones and flip down the little touch screens on the back of the pews, choose our style of music from a drop down list and get the Eucharist from a dispensing machine - all of it run by a priest in a call center in Tulsa.
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Wow. Really Tim? This follows from automatic bank drafts or just a mini-rant?:confused::rolleyes:
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
I don’t use electronic giving, but I do write a check once a month. That means the other three Sundays I don’t put anything in the collection basket. I can’t say that I’ve ever had someone look at me funny for not putting something in and certainly have never had anyone say anything. If they did, I would not feel a need to explain myself to them. A raised eyebrow would be plenty of response.

Sometimes I think when we’re feeling funny about something we THINK other people are noticing us even if they’re not. You sometimes hear this from people who stay in the pew during communion or whose children make a bit of noise. “Oh…everyone was giving me the look.” Probably they were worried about getting a reaction and may have seen one where it didn’t necessarily exist.

You know you’re supporting the parish. No one else’s opinion matters.
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I could have written this. We give monthly, no one is paying attention or giving “looks”. Everybody knows about the E-giving, there is no reason for people to assume anything.
 
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