Part 1 in a 4-part series on How to Count Church Offerings

This is one of those areas that you can’t just improvise or fake. Every church needs to know how to count church offerings.

Money can feel complicated in our American churches because money is so intertwined with our culture. All of us seem to have some level of unhealthy relationship with money. I think that’s a big part of why God instructs us to give back to Him: it forces us to wrestle with our money issues and grow personally. Jesus said it best – “You can’t serve both God and money.”

So part of Christian worship is bringing a sacrificial offering to God as a regular part of our worship gatherings. Perhaps at some times and in some places that has been animals or crops, but in our context the gift is money in its various forms. Which creates the need for good systems, because churches then have cash and sensitive card numbers & account information ‘laying around’ that need to be handled with the utmost integrity.

Here’s an overview of the posts to come:

Part 2: The Counting Team

You need to have the right people on the Counting Team, the right number of people on the Counting Team, and provide the right training.

Part 3: Onsite Tools

I’ll give you a basic walk through of the process as well as the list of tools the Counting Team will need each Sunday.

Part 4: Handling Donor Info

The IRS requires nonprofits to provide donors with a year-end giving statement to substantiate the donors’ gifts come tax time. The church has a big responsibility both in keeping good records and in keeping sensitive information secure.

Come back next week – by the time you’ve read through the entire series, you’ll be able to explain to anyone how to count church offerings.