By Jon Roberts – Denver, Colorado … Almost a year ago, our way of life was interrupted by a pandemic which has caused us to rethink the way we handle routine items. Instead of going to King Soopers or Safeway for groceries, we now have them delivered to our front door or we pick them up in the parking lot.
For many church members, their way of returning tithes and offerings has also had to adapt and change since March 2020. Individuals either mail their donations to the church office (which can take days or weeks to arrive with our uncertain mail system) or they can donate through AdventistGiving.org, a fast, secure, and safe way to donate.
AdventistGiving is an app which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Android Market and is also available online at adventistgiving.org. It allows donations to be made safely to your church using a credit/debit card or electronic check for either a one-time donation or recurring donations.
For some members, it has been a game changer for their financial routine.
“I resisted online giving for quite some time. It just seemed to be untrustworthy, cold, impersonal, etc. Now it has become a joyful experience. I get an endorphin rush as I hit the submit button knowing that I have been a “cheerful giver.” The convenience and time-saving factors are just gravy. Give it a try. You may just get hooked on giving online like I have,” said Ron Price, Piñon Hills church member and a member of the RMC executive committee.
AdventistGiving is a free resource that requires very little set-up time for church treasurers and other users of the tool.
George Crumley, RMC vice-president of finance explains the history of the AdventistGiving program and the impact it has had during the ongoing state of medical emergency the country has been under. “AdventistGiving was in place well before the pandemic hit us in North America. I believe that was providential and it has provided a secure, easy and effective way for our members to return their tithes and offerings during a time when we have not been able to worship together as easily as in the past.”
“Even though AdventistGiving was in place before the pandemic, it has been during COVID that we have seen utilization increase dramatically throughout the conference as more churches have come on board and more members have started using it. We now have 71 churches who are active users.”
For some, the change may not come easy; however, the benefits and rewards will become evident shortly after the first use of AdventistGiving.
“I think our faithful members will continue to be faithful. They may need just a bit of time to adjust to giving in a way other than placing funds in an offering plate. That is not an option now. But I know they will find a way. One great option is AdventistGiving, an online mechanism that makes it easy to continue giving through a person’s own local church straight from their bank account, debit card, or credit card,” explained Randy Robinson, treasurer for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
AdventistGiving also gives family members, friends and visitors an easy way to donate to the church and their mission no matter if they live 5 miles or 5000 miles away from the church.
Go to www.adventistgiving.org and enter your church name to start one of the easiest and safest ways to donate. If you discover that your church is not signed up for this free resource, ask your pastor, head elder, or treasurer to sign up immediately for the tool to allow for free, easy, and secure donations to be made via credit/debit card or electronic check.
–Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; photos supplied
