SPARK: First Fruits Giving

I am a big fan of electronic giving, as I believe it is a great help for both churches and donors. It provides a consistent and dependable generosity stream for churches, and it helps church members achieve their giving goals, even when work and family demands affect worship attendance.

At the same time, I realize that “bringing tithes and offerings to the temple” has long been part of our church tradition (more for the boomer generation and those older). Ushers brought full offering plates to the altar; a prayer of dedication was prayed, and the singing of the Doxology completed the offering time. Electronic giving had disrupted the traditional passing-the-plate offering in many congregations for years, and the COVID pandemic disrupted it even more dramatically.

One tradition we can keep, even in this age of digital money, is making our offering “the first fruits” of what we receive. Knowing that we honor God by what we give and how we give, I’ve tried over the years to make my gift to the church the first thing that comes from my paycheck. That means not letting bills and other expenses be the priority; the church offering comes from what is left. When I began my years as a local church pastor, I was impressed by members of the church I served in the early 1980s who told stories of how, even amid tough economic times, their offering to God was the first thing that came out of their weekly pay and how God always managed to provide a way for what was left to be enough to take them through the week.

The example of these committed Christians is shaping my giving habits in these digital money days. When I go online to set up my automatic deposit for the new year, the first direction for my biweekly pay will be ten percent to the tithe account we set up at our bank. Next is the amount for our savings deposit, and then the balance comes to our household checking account for bills and expenses. It reminds me of all those faithful church members who schooled me in “first fruits” giving. I make sure that my electronic gift to the church is sent biweekly on the same day my pay is deposited. I’m aware that this makes no measurable difference to the church’s finances, but it makes me feel that my giving is a bit more intentional at a time when it is easy to “set it and forget it.”

I know that my routine does not work for everyone. Yet, remember that while what we owe God is beyond our ability to give back, we can find ways to honor God by giving the best we have and giving first to God’s work and honor.