Bobservation: Passing the Plate

I remember it well; it was the type of Sunday we have come to expect at Sunridge. The service started with the worship team leading our church into a place of meaningful worship through music and songs. Pastor Britt presented a message that was practical, applicational, and allowed us to worship God through the truth of the Bible. Then it was time to worship with our tithes and offerings. As the ushers passed the baskets across each row, I sat in my seat ready to pass it to the person on my right when I noticed it was empty. Two emotions flowed through me; first there was panic because the basket was empty and our church is on a tight budget, but even more than that, I felt the awkwardness of passing an empty basket from person to person. I even noticed many were putting their bulletin in the basket just to avoid the discomfort of passing an empty basket. Obviously, creating an uncomfortable moment is not how we want to end our services. Our desire for this time was to allow people to joyfully worship God through their tithes and offerings. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

In reviewing our giving data, we discovered a couple of important take-aways. The first one was that even though the volume in the baskets were meager, overall giving was on the rise. Clearly, Sunridge was taking advantage of online options. Second, passing the offering basket every week had become one of those things that we were so accustomed to doing that we missed how it created an awkward moment in our services.

Fun Fact: This calendar year, less than 30% of all giving has come through the Give boxes during our Sunday morning services.

Once we realized that a mostly-empty basket didn’t mean people had stopped giving, we could confidently move forward in addressing how our church could worship through giving without the awkwardness. For Sunridge, it meant adding Give boxes throughout our campus to allow those who desire to give on Sunday the opportunity to do so, while recognizing that technology plays a large part in the way people give and embracing the change.

Here are all the ways you can invest—cheerfully and from the heart— in what God is doing through Sunridge:

Donate on Sunday
Each Sunday our church programs have envelopes that you can place your cash or check and drop at any of the “Give” boxes throughout the building.

Donate via the PushPay App
To give via a mobile device like a smart phone, text “pushpay” to 77977 and download the free app.

Donate Online
To give online from your computer right now, click here

Donate by Mail
If you would like to mail your donation, please send your check to:
Sunridge Community Church
42299 Winchester Rd
Temecula, CA 92590