I gave at home

I read this article today on United Methodist Reporter -- "A Pass on the Plate."

What do people do who arrange their donations to the church through a monthly check or via electronic means? What do you do when the offering plate is passed your way.

The gentleman to lead the Stewardship Event in our Annual Conference last weekend disputed the idea of Joyful Giving - he had witnessed too much giving that was not joyful to think all giving through the offering plate was joyful. He suggested e-givers be given cards to place in the offering plate that said they donated electronically.

It sounds like a trivial question to me, and yet it is sometimes the question that churches have when faced with the idea of electronic giving.

What is the answer? Do we employ artificial gifts to substitute for on site giving? Do we ignore the issue and just assume people will adjust? Do we change the offering time?