Our team is always looking at ways to make giving to the local parish more convenient. For most people, that means making a sustaining monthly gift online. But these online givers still need to be included in the weekly offertory, since everyone is giving their first fruits at that time. Here are a few ways everyone at your parish can participate in the Sunday offertory:
- The “we give online” marker: Whether you have laminated sheets of paper or pewter challenge coins, offer something physical for your online givers to put in the basket. These should include simple language such as “We give online to <your parish name>.”
- Text-to-give instructions: By having these in each pew and in the bulletin, regular parishioners and visitors will know it’s fine to use their phones during offertory to make a gift.
- Children’s offertory: Work with children and parents to encourage kids to give to the offertory on Sunday. Five cents out of a one dollar weekly allowance can instill a lifelong habit of generosity.
- Prayers of thanksgiving: Include a basket with slips of paper and pencils in your gathering space. Parishioners can pick up one of each and give thanks for blessings received and put them in the offertory basket.
We don’t want to lose the beautiful symbolism of the offertory just because everyone is giving online! Even if you’ve got the best online giving form, everyone should have the chance to make an offering at Mass.
