Should You Give An Offering Message Every Sunday?

If you’ve ever questioned why or if a church should give a weekly offering message, either as a pastor or a church member, we are here to help! Some churches have moved away from a weekly offering message for various reasons. Are they in the wrong? Or has the offering message become so ingrained in our culture that we are doing it without thinking about it? 

Habits, even good ones, can lose their meaning over time. Repetition feeds apathy and we forget why we encourage giving to begin with. When we stop to examine why we do something, it brings us back to our initial convictions. This makes room for intentional growth and understanding. As we look at both sides of the issue, take time to follow your thoughts and beliefs back to the root of it all. 

Set Your Watch By It

Do you or your church fall into the category of taking up an offering each week? Many believe that the offering is an extension of worship and a time for every member to remind themselves who is ultimately their provider. The Bible speaks exhaustively on finances, and Jesus as well as the apostles (looking at you, Paul) definitely didn’t shy away from the topic. This seems a reasonable point to make in support of talking about finances and giving each week. Here’s a list of verses that discuss money and finances in the Bible. 

Another reason churches encourage giving on the regular is that it’s part of the discipleship process. Giving generously is pleasing to God and even more so when it’s accompanied by a closer commitment to and trust in God. This is supported in 2 Corinthians when Paul says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” An offering message then becomes an opportunity to shift mindsets from what we “have” to do, to who we get to become thanks to Jesus. 

Finally, many churches and pastors believe that giving money generously is part of Christian life. We have a post that explores that more in-depth here. If you have studied the scriptures and hold that conviction, a weekly offering message would make sense. 

Offering Message is a-la-carte 

Maybe you or your church only take up an occasional offering, or you have it as an option but do not give an offering message. You might take offerings each week, but never preach on why you are doing so. There are a few different reasons that might be. 

First, some people feel like there’s little point in spending their time preparing and delivering an offering message. This could be because the members who are going to give already are, and that hasn’t changed in a while. This is where some troubleshooting can help. First, take a look at your processes and procedures for collecting tithes and offerings. If you haven’t adapted to the (essentially) cashless society we live in, it’s time. Visit our site to learn how mobile giving through Tithe.ly will empower your church for greater generosity and growth. 

Tithely also makes giving easy for your members any day of the week, not just on Sundays.

Preparing an offering message takes time and energy. It might be tempting to either breeze through that part or skip it all together. But everyone needs to feel inspired once and a while. What better place to come for inspiration than a church that helps bring biblical truths and principles to the forefront of society? If you’re suffering from offering message fatigue, we got you. Check out this post with 20 tithe and offering messages for any occasion. 

Lastly, you might think a weekly call to giving feels manipulative or like you just want money from your congregants. This is when you can lean into the discernment and wisdom God gave you. Maybe there are times or seasons where you feel that giving people the opportunity to give is enough, without a message attached. When you arrive at that place after careful prayer and discussions with your elders or team, it makes sense to follow that conviction. 

You’ve Unlocked a Bonus Level

If you fall into that camp mentioned above – fatigued from the weekly message and worried your congregation is too, we’ve got some ideas for you. 

1. Highlight a ministry you support or fund 

Sometimes people need a tangible reminder of where their money is going when they give. Invite someone from a ministry you support to share what they do and how your church has helped them in that mission. If you can’t arrange for someone to come in-person, many ministries have videos produced specifically for their partners. 

2. Invite someone to share their testimony

If someone in your congregation experienced a growth in faith or triumph in their life, have them share it! It doesn’t have to be specific to finances to be an encouragement to others. This is best done in a question/answer format so you can keep a level of oversight, and always use discernment in asking someone to share. 

3. Make it a moment of prayer and thanksgiving

There’s nothing wrong with simply praying and thanking God for the generosity he’s shown to you and your church. 

Whichever camp you fall in, we hope this helped you to think deeper and find clarity on the topic. God has you where you are for a reason. When we pray to him for wisdom, and read his word faithfully, he’ll lead us in the right direction. 

For more information and help with how to make Sunday run smoother, check out Tithe.ly All Access and demo all the resources curated just for you.