Word Count: 366 – Est Reading Time: <90 Seconds
What’s Up:
That passive little giving box by the door may be convenient … but it could be killing your church’s momentum.
So What:
Churches used to make giving an act of worship. Now we make it avoidable. If we want to recapture discipleship, stewardship, and engagement, we need to reintroduce friction.
The Point Is:
Giving Shouldn’t Be Accidental
The more avoidable you make giving, the more optional it becomes. Passing the plate confronts each person with a decision: to give … or not.
The Plate Has Social Gravity
People notice what others do. Dropping a card, an envelope, or a tithe into the plate creates visible momentum that encourages others to engage.
Use Connection Cards for Everyone
Train your church that every person fills out the connection/prayer card weekly and drops it in the plate. This keeps the plate from looking empty and increases your visitor contact rate.
Digital Giving? Show It Off
Give electronic givers something to drop in. Include a checkbox on the connection card for “I gave online this week.” That public participation matters.
And … ?
In the era of anonymous boxes and private digital donations, giving has become invisible, and with it, we’ve lost an essential discipleship moment. The act of giving should be both intentional and visible. In the “old days,” back in the pre-pandemic years, when the plate passed row by row, you had a decision to make. Not a guilt trip, but a spiritual prompt: “Am I investing in the mission or not?”
Some pastors have shied away from reintroducing the plate because of the awkwardness of a light offering. That’s a solvable problem. When your entire congregation drops their completed connection/prayer card in the plate every week, the plate looks full. More importantly, those cards become a treasure trove of follow-up opportunities. Names. Contact info. Prayer needs. And when guests see members taking part, they feel the subtle nudge to participate too.
There is power in the plate, not just financial, but formational. Don’t give it up. Redeem it.
Action!
Reintroduce the offering plate with purpose: align it with your connection cards, teach the why, and make participation a visible part of worship.
