No Money, Big Problem

Chances are, if you are 30 or under and reading this, you likely carry little to no cash in your wallet on a regular basis. 

As I mentioned yesterday, many of today's youth carry cellphones, and most of these phones are "smart" phones, capable of downloading and uploading data and running programs. 

I am a 30 year old female. I do not regularly carry a purse - I'll admit this isn't normal - but what I do carry are the essentials - my driver's license, my bank card, and my cell phone. 

[Some of you might say, "what about car keys?" Well, I don't always need those, especially if I am walking most places or the boyfriend is driving]

My regular job is as a cashier at ALDI food market. If you're not familiar with this store, you should be. It is amazing to me how many people pay for their bills totaling under $2, and sometimes even less, with debit cards! 

Fewer and fewer people, and especially young people, use cash as a regular means of payment. 

So what does this mean in the pews of our churches? 

Well, I am a perfect example of what can go wrong. 

I frequently travel for work and pleasure, and am also in search of a new home church. Because of this, I am often checking that visitor box in the pew pad, or signing the big red leather bound visitor ledger. Many times its not until Sunday morning that I know if my schedule [or admittedly, sleepiness from working late the night before] will allow me to attend worship. 

So there I am, sitting in the pew with my cell phone and debit card, with no forethought put into how I was going to tithe. 

This is where the concept of "digital giving" is truly a gift from God. 

Ideally it would work like this. Visitors would open their bulletin and see a link, or QR code, that can be accessed with a smartphone. Or they would see a short number which serves as an address for a text message. [Text 10101 to give"] While sitting in the pew, the visitor could tithe electronically. 

If this were a feature at the churches I visit, I would be more likely to tithe. You see, its not that I don't want to give offerings, its just that most of the time I don't have cash on me. And for those of you that may say, "just write a check!," my generation and younger ones don't carry those either.  

I dare say I would give 100% of the time - even if it was only a dollar or two. These "micro-donations" are the giving of the future - and you've probably already done it at a check-out register for the United Way or similar, or via text messaging to the Red Cross. 

These services are good for more than just visitors with no cash. I think they can be great way to increase tithing among teens. - Encouraging them to learn to use their expensive smart phones as a tool of stewardship - Giving a connection between what they have and what they should give back to God. 

I'd love to hear from anyone that has experience in this sort of tithing. What lessons have you learned from using digital tithing as a user or implementor? I didn't mention website giving, but if your church uses such a service, have you seen an increase or decrease in overall giving? What lessons are you learning? 

I also found the book, "Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity" by Richard McPherson. Thinking it would be worth reading. Anyone read it?