We live in the age of the internet. This is why large retail stores like Macy’s and Wal-Mart are closing physical locations and investing more resources into their e-commerce departments. They know they have to do this in order to compete with internet based companies like Amazon. If they don’t they’ll be obsolete within a generation. E-commerce isn’t a fad. It’s here to stay, and it’s creating a culture that’s increasingly paperless.

That’s why companies are constantly looking for ways to make payment transactions quick, easy, and safe with just the click of a button. According to the Denver Business Journal 40% of Americans no longer use paper checks. That percentage shoots up to 61% for young adults ages 18-24. So how are churches to encourage giving in an increasingly paperless world? Give your church the opportunity to support its ministry through online giving.

Is online giving right for your church?

Due to the growth of e-commerce in the United States a plethora of companies have developed software to help churches create an online giving platforms that are simple, secure, and fast. If your church already has contact management software (i.e. Elexio, Church Community Builder, The City, etc.) consult their recommendations for online giving solutions. They’ll help you set up an online giving pathway that’s connected to your church database.

Online giving solutions come in many different shapes and sizes designed to meet the needs of all kinds of churches. Each solution has positive and negative aspects. For instance, some are expensive, but offer wonderful customer service; while others are cheap, but are limited in their customization features. Here is a list of popular solutions starting with the least expensive ones.

PayPal Donations

This is a viable solution for new churches that don’t have a large number of financial supporters giving via the internet. With PayPal Donations there are no setup, monthly or cancellation fees. Transactions fees are as low as 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction. A negative aspect of this solution is that it giving must be done on PayPal’s website and away from your church’s website, but gifts can be entered without creating an account. PayPal Donations also isn’t set up to accept recurring gifts or gifts via ACH (echecks, more on ACH later). Churches looking for an easy and inexpensive giving solution should consider PayPal Donations. More info here: http://ow.ly/p9qe304i6hl

EasyTithe

Offers a customizable and yet still inexpensive online giving solution. The company will help your church create an app for giving solutions on mobile devices. They offer various plans that will cater to your church’s needs. The fees associated with this solution aren’t as low as PayPal Donations, but they’re close making it another inexpensive option. It’s a perfect solution for churches which have a low volume of online transactions, and yet desire a platform that corresponds to their branding. More info here: https://www.easytithe.com

Stripe

Like EasyTithe, this solution only charges transaction fees, so no worries about setup or monthly charges. The fees are 2.9% for credit cards plus $0.30 per transaction. Customizing this solution will require some software expertise, however, as this solution was designed so software developers could customize the platform to fit the church’s online presence. Since the transaction fees of Stripe are higher than most solutions it’s not a good solution for churches with a high volume of online donations. It a good solution for churches that have a willing and capable software developer and a low number of online givers. More info here: https://stripe.com

More Extensive Options

Kindrid

Kindrid exists to equip 100% of your church to give. They seek to encourage generosity by empowering churches with their Smart Giving technology, a simple system designed to engage new givers. According to their research when churches roll out Smart Giving 25% of people who use Smart Giving are first time givers, and 70% of those people will give again. Kindrid was developed by Life.Church the same people that brought us the YouVersion Bible app. Their primary focus is serving the local church. However, at $45 per month and transaction fees for credit cards starting at 2.5% Kindrid may be too expensive for a new church. More info here: https://kindrid.com

Pushpay

This solution prides itself on offering the fastest giving process. Gifts can be made in about 10 seconds. They offer various plans to fit a church’s needs. They will set your church up with an app that includes a place for mobile giving, video sermon, event registration, podcasts, and more options in development. PayPal charges a monthly fee, but its transaction fees are fairly low making it a preferred solution for churches that process a large number of transactions monthly. Giving options include mobile, text, kiosk, and online. More info here: https://pushpay.com

SecureGive

Like PushPay this solution offers mobile, text, kiosk, and online giving options, but SecureGive emphasizes security over speed. At $29/month its monthly charges are lower than PushPay, but its 3.9% transaction fee rate will catch up with churches that have a large number of online givers. Do the math to figure out which solution make more sense for your church. Most new churches aren’t large enough to justify using either PushPay or SecureGive from day one. More info here: http://www.securegive.com

Authorize.net

This solution claimed to be the most affordable and customizable online giving software package out there for large churches. This solution empowers churches to process online gifts themselves, which creates a little more work, but saves money. Authorize.net provides a comprehensive solution for churches interested in not only offering online giving, but also looking for bookstore and event registration payment options. Like PushPay and SecureGive, Authorize.net is not an affordable solution for most new churches, who’s online giving base is small. More info here: http://www.authorize.net

This is not an exhaustive list of online giving solutions. Many more solutions exist to serve your church. Google search “online giving for churches” and you’ll find many more helpful articles on the subject as well as companies that can help you find the best solution for your church.

Doesn’t it cost a lot?

One common objection church leaders give for not offering online giving is the cost of transaction fees.
This is a reasonable objection. However, if offering online giving gets people giving for the first time, which research validates, perhaps these transaction fees are worth their cost. Plus, churches can decrease transaction fees by asking their financial supporters to give through ACH (“Automatic Clearing House,” essential an electronic check transferred from a checking account). Fees for ACH are typically around $.50/gift. The bottom line is if you’re concerned about your church losing transaction fees to credit card companies and banks, encourage your people to give via ACH. It is the most cost effective online giving conduit out there.

Doing business in today’s world costs money and time. Unless your church decides to be a cash only business, you’re going to incur banking fees. Plus, think about all the time your church finance team will spend counting offerings, recording gifts, and sending out giving statements (not to mention the financial scandals that could be avoided when less people have access to church offerings). Free up their time by offering your church an online giving solutions, which will do all of that for them.

Is online giving right for your church?

If increasing the number of people who give at your church is a priority for you, then the answer to that question is probably yes. Online giving isn’t for every church, but most churches will benefit from offering it. If you think it’s right for your church, research which solution works best for your church, set up your giving platform, and then encourage people to utilize it.

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Every legal entity must have a name. In the case of the church, the name communicates many things about who you are. The name of the church should flow directly out of your philosophy of ministry. Once you have defined the mission, vision and core values for the church, you’re ready to choose a name. The church behind the sign we found, Church of Uncertain, might be a really great place, but is “uncertainty” really one of your core values?

If you have to stop and think about the name, it probably isn’t good.

Since the church name precedes the experience people have at your church, it plays a significant role in shaping important first impressions. Every name communicates something:

• Fresh or stogy
• Formal or informal
• Alive or dead
• Churchy or edgy
• Boomer or postmodern
• Artsy or businesses like

Locality

Some planters select a “locality” name that communicates this is a local church. For example, a church in Pittsburgh may select a name such as “Steel City Church.” You may also consider naming the church in a way that communicates vision about the church. A church that emphasizes discovering God may choose the name “Discovery Church.” Some planters are required to use a denominational title as part of the name.

Understand Your Community

It is important to understand your target community before choosing a name. It would be a bad idea to name the church Discovery only to find out later that it is also the name of a local “adult” establishment. Spend time locally learning the community before selecting a name. Test the name by going to a local coffee house and ask at least five locals what they think of the name (the “Starbucks” test).

Legal Requirements

The name needs to be selected early in the planning process since it is required for completing many other actions (e.g. setting up checking account, marketing, filing articles of incorporation, etc.). Many of these actions have very long lead times and are required to gain maximum benefit from tax-exempt status (e.g. direct mail costs can be cut nearly in half for churches who have obtained non-profit status).

Some Advice

1. Don’t use a temporary church name. Not only due to the additional costs and paperwork involved but also due to the loss of any branding accomplished under the other name. Instead, work hard to understand what God has called you to do with his church in this place and at this time. Struggle to define who you will be and name the church accordingly.
2. In our experience, you can check online to see if anyone has registered the name you’ve chosen in your state. It is very important to make sure no one is already using the same name in your area. By checking with the state, you will ensure that other new churches that may be starting when you are do not use the same name.
3. Pay attention to names that are like the one you’ve chosen and see if there are websites that are using that particular name. There is nothing more embarrassing (to say the least), to discover your name is linked to an organization that is the farthest thing from Christ-like activity.

Recommended Actions

• Determine name availability (or distinguishably) with your state corporation commission (should be available via an online).
• Consider using a Branding Company to select a name.
• Read the Igor Naming Guide:
  • Igor Website
  • Download the short version (28 pages)
  • Download the long version (122 pages)
• Do a Google search to determine what names are already in the target area.
• Make a list of all other churches and think about what each name communicates about that church.
• Look at maps and consider whether a “locality” name is a good path to take
• Brainstorm possible names (see Church Name Brainstorming List)
• Solicit input from people in the target area, especially non-Christians, to determine if the intended meaning is clearly understood.
• Verify there are is no local history or bias that would give the name a bad reputation

PlanterPlan Task

Along with hundreds of details required to launch a new church (or relaunch an existing church), we cover this task in detail in PlanterPlan. Follow the link below to jump directly to your PlanterPlan project’s task.
Select Church Name

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