How Churches Can Use Digital Giving to Fund Missions and Outreach

Missions and outreach have always been at the heart of the church. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said to His disciples, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

This command from Jesus has been a driving force for churches to spread the message of God's love and salvation to people around the world.

Today, there are more opportunities than ever before for churches to reach out to others and fulfill this mission.

But here's the thing. Sustaining missions and outreach costs money. Bibles and other resources need to be purchased. Food pantries must be stocked. Many mission trips require plane tickets and lodging expenses.

So how can your church fund its outreach efforts?

One of the best ways is by utilizing digital giving. In this article, we'll explore how churches can maximize missions and outreach through digital giving.

The Shift Toward Digital Giving

The need for missions and outreach funding hasn't changed. What has changed is the way people give to support missions and outreach.

Over the last decade, there has been a massive shift towards digital giving. Most people no longer use checks or cash. They donate online or through mobile apps, like Venmo or Apple Pay. Millennials and Gen Z especially prefer digital giving, although Boomers are beginning to adopt it as well.

The reality is that digital giving is so much easier. With just a few taps on your smartphone, you can support the cause you care about.

As more people are opting for digital forms of payment, it only makes sense that they would also prefer to give digitally to their church's missions and outreach efforts.

How Digital Giving Supports Missions and Outreach

Digital giving can be a massive driver of missions and outreach in the church. Here are a few specific ways it can help.

Simplifies the Giving Process

One of the most significant advantages of digital giving is how easy and convenient it is. Instead of having to remember to bring cash or a check to church, your members can set up recurring donations or make one-time contributions. They can give through an app, text-to-give, your website, QR codes, etc.

This eliminates barriers that may prevent people from giving, such as forgetting their checkbook at home or not having enough cash on hand.

Digital giving also allows people to give anywhere and at any time. For example, a member might be prompted to give after hearing a missionary give a mid-week presentation. They can easily pull out their phone and make a donation right then and there. No pledge card to fill out. No letter to send, or check to write. Just a simple click and donate.

Encourages Recurring Donations

Another significant advantage of using digital giving is that it encourages recurring donations. With traditional methods, donors have to remember to give each time they attend church or receive a mail-in donation request. This is easy to forget or overlook, leading to inconsistent giving.

With digital giving platforms, donors can set up recurring donations that automatically deduct funds from their accounts on a regular basis. The predictable giving allows churches to budget more effectively for missions and outreach. It also helps build a sustainable foundation for long-term mission partnerships.

Expands the Donor Base Beyond Sunday Services

Friends, family, and those outside the church community often want to contribute to missions and outreach. Grandparents want to support their grandchildren as they go on mission trips. Friends want to support their loved ones as they serve abroad. With online giving, churches can expand their donor base beyond those who attend Sunday services.

Through social media and email, churches and members can reach out to potential donors and make it easy for them to contribute. Online giving platforms also allow for customizable donation options, such as designating specific mission projects or partnerships for individuals to support.

This creates a more personal connection between the donor and the cause, increasing the likelihood of continued support in the future.

Increases Transparency and Trust

Digital giving allows donors to specify exactly how their donations are used. They can see where their money is going and be confident it's being used for missions and outreach. Reporting features can also provide real-time updates on the impact of donations, creating a sense of transparency and trust between the organization and its donors.

This level of transparency builds trust between the organization and its donors, which can lead to stronger relationships and continued support.

Enables Real-Time Fundraising for Urgent Needs

There will be times, such as when a disaster strikes, where your church has an opportunity to step in and be the hands and feet of Christ. In these urgent situations, having a way to quickly and easily accept donations can make a huge impact.

With online giving and fundraising tools, you can quickly set up a donation campaign and share it with your community through social media, email, or other means.

These tools also enable real-time tracking of donations, allowing you to monitor progress toward your goal and provide updates to donors. This creates a sense of urgency among donors as they see the immediate impact of their contributions.

Practical Ways Churches Can Use Digital Giving for Missions and Outreach

Here are some practical ways your church can leverage digital giving to drive your missions and outreach.

Create Dedicated Mission/Outreach Funds

One of the most effective ways to use digital giving for missions and outreach is by creating dedicated funds for these purposes. With a digital giving tool like Tithely, you can set up specific giving funds, such as local outreach, international missions, family life center, or disaster relief.

Donors can contribute directly to these funds in an app, or even by text message. If your church offers text-to-give, a donor can send a simple text like "$100 LOCAL" to a number you specify, and their donation will automatically be allocated to the right fund.

Use Text-to-Give for Mission Sundays

Many churches have a Sunday dedicated to missions and outreach. Imagine a missionary teaches through a slide presentation of their time overseas, or a pastor gives a sermon that encourages members to consider global mission work.

With a tool like Tithely, you can make it simple for people to give immediately following the presentation or sermon, when their impulse to donate is strongest. You can provide your members with a text-to-give code that they can easily use to donate during the service or even after they leave.

Leverage QR Codes and Social Media

Sharing QR codes makes giving much more accessible and engaging for your members. Here are some ways to incorporate QR codes into your church's outreach:

• Bulletins: Include a QR code in your weekly bulletins so attendees can scan and donate during or after the service. This ensures a seamless and immediate giving experience.
• Slides: Display QR codes on the screens during services or presentations. Encourage members to take out their phones and scan the code while they feel motivated to contribute.
• Social Media Posts: Share QR codes on your church’s social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, or X. Pair the QR code with a compelling message about your mission or the specific cause it supports to inspire members and followers to give.

Promote Recurring Giving for Long-Term Missions Support

Encourage members to commit to supporting missionaries or outreach projects on a monthly basis. Highlight how recurring contributions can provide stable funding for long-term missions and allow missionaries to focus more on their work.

Share stories of the tangible impact that consistent giving has made, such as funding for community development projects or providing resources for evangelism efforts.

Tithely makes it simple for donors to set up recurring giving to missions and outreach. With just a few taps, your members can set up a monthly donation using your website, app, or text-to-give feature.

Share Impact Reports

Your members need to see the impact of their giving. They need to see how lives have been changed and the kingdom of God advanced.

Whenever possible, share impact reports with your church members. Let them see the ways God has taken their giving and multiplied it. Include photos, testimonials, and stories that demonstrate the connection between generosity and tangible results.

As your members see how their donations have been used, they will be inspired to give even more.

Final Thoughts

Missions and outreach will always remain central to the church's identity. They represent the way congregations live out the Great Commission and embody Christ’s love in their communities and around the world. But these efforts require more than vision and passion. They require resources.

Digital giving provides a way for churches to meet this need with consistency, transparency, and accessibility. By making generosity immediate and straightforward, churches can inspire more people to participate in mission efforts. 

Platforms like Tithely provide churches with the tools to not only collect gifts but also to foster trust, expand their donor base, and share the stories of impact that keep people engaged.

When churches incorporate digital giving into their mission strategy, they unleash generosity that fuels transformation. The result is a church equipped to reach further, serve more, and bring hope to the ends of the Earth.

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