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Offering Plates
and Envelopes:
Christians have taken collections for the poor since the days of Paul
(1 Corinthians 16:1-4). However, only in the 19th century did it become
customary to raise money for church expenses by passing plates during
worship. This gradually replaced such practices as paying the preacher
in kind, subscription sheets and pew rentals.
Offering envelopes came into use after the Civil War. the United States
was industrializing, and money was growing ever more important. A growing
money supply produced extremes of wealth and poverty, and who was giving
how much was seen as "private business". Also, churches often
had cash flow problems and gave out envelopes marked for every Sunday
to encourage steady weekly giving. In the 1880s duplex envelopes appeared
letting donors designate gifts for specific purposes such as current expenses
or missions. Soon churches began speaking of the "offering"
rather than the "collection" and interpreting it as an act of
worship signifying our stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us.
– The Rev. Hoyt Hickman, Nashville, Tenn., is an author,
educator and church worship expert.
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Where Does My Offering Go?
For every $100 you give in the offering plate, only $4.70
goes to churchwide mission:
Of that $4.70:
- 91 cents supports global partner churches in 60 countries, 349
missionaries and overseas volunteers, and the work of the Lutheran
World Federation (through Division
for Global Mission)
- 84 cents starts new congregations (30 in 2000), develops 155
congregations not yet organized, and encourages 375 existing congregations
intentionally focused on outreach (through Division
for Outreach)
- 62 cents supports eight ELCA seminaries, 28 church colleges and
universities, 144 campus ministries, schools and leadership development,
including scholarships (through Division
for Higher Education and Schools, Division
for Ministry)
- 47 cents supports congregational worship and evangelism and domestic
witness through public media, news service, media relations, ELCA Resource
Information Service, churchwide interpretation, congregational renewal,
resource development, and programs for youth ministries, outdoor ministries
and the Lutheran Youth Organization
(through Division for Congregational
Ministries, Department for Communication)
- 34 Cents funds domestic social justice advocacy and education,
including advocacy with the United Nations, federal and state governments
and corporate decision makers, community development, support of Lutheran
Services in America, and efforts toward full participation within the
church of people of color and women (through Division
for Church in Society, Commission
for Multicultural Ministries, Commission
for Women, Division for Congregational
Ministries)
- 33 cents subsidizes health care premiums of retired church workers
(clergy, missionaries and lay church workers), including low-income retirees
and their survivors whose minimal pensions place them below poverty level
(through Board of Pensions)
- 30 cents provides stewardship education and resources for congregations,
helping members support ministry today and into the future with their
accumulated wealth, as well as to assist the stewardship ministry and
education of all our members (through Division
for Congregational Ministries, ELCA
Foundation)
- 17 cents provides for all centralized building services and contracted
services, facilities, telecommunications, ELCA Advantage Program, mailroom,
copy center, building service personnel and maintenance for the Lutheran
Center and affiliated offices, including the ELCA Archives (through
Department for Management Services)
- 16 cents maintains the ELCAs official rosters and records, publishes
official documents, provides legal counsel, manages arrangements for Churchwide
Assemblies and Church Council meetings, and preserves official church
archives (through Office of the Secretary)
- 15 cents provides for the administration of the churchwide units
and development of the budget and strategic planning; coordinates both
financial and personnel support to ecumenical organizations and membership
in national and interchurch agencies; arranges for ecumenical dialogues
and interfaith conversations (through Department
for Ecumenical Affairs, Office of
the Presiding Bishop)
- 12 cents supports the work of synods and regions as they recruit,
prepare and place leaders for ministry, including coordinating the first
call process and mobility of clergy; the work of the Conference of Bishops,
regional coordinators; and support for specialized pastoral care and counseling
ministries (through Department
for Synodical Relations, Division
for Congregational Ministry)
- 11 cents makes possible the churchwide information technology
system, including the accounting system, banking system, World Wide Web
management, and insurance program (through Department
for Information Technology, Office
of the Treasurer)
- 10 cents conducts research and evaluation on behalf of the churchwide
organization and its units, synods and regions; provides unit reviews
and evaluations; offers recruitment, staffing, performance appraisal and
training of churchwide staff; implements strategies as identified by the
Church Council; and provides a subsidy to The Lutheran magazine in order
to keep the subscription rates as low as possible (through Department
for Research and Evaluation, Department
for Human Resources, Church Periodical)
- 8 cents covers depreciation of property, equipment and improvements
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