Catholic Online Forum

Our parish recently started participating in Faith Direct, an electronic payment system for parishes for their regular tithes and offerings. As a participant, I sign up to have $X transferred automatically via my credit card to the parish for my tithe, and I simply place a card in the basket that says "The Stevens Family supports St Leo Parish through Faith Direct.

From their "About Us"



Their FAQ:
http://www.faithdirect.net/faqc.cfm

Some of my friends have expressed reservations about this system, all of them quite unspecific. Do any of you do similar? Any thoughts on the matter?

Personally, I love the system, and it has encouraged me to give more, because when I write a check for $y amount, it seems like a lot, but for some reason filling out a form for regular deductions I feel guilty (as I should) giving any less than 5% of my income in my regular tithe.

I'd be interested in any thoughts on it.

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Jeff Stevens

We just had our annual Appeal for the diocese. We were told that:

a one-time gift is the lowest amount given
monthly checks are more
automatic debits are the highest amounts

Since I work for the diocese, I'm able to have my tithe taken directly out of my paycheck. I never see it, so I don't miss it! Works great for me.

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Mary, JCL

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Credo in Deum

I think that is great. I tithe the same amount so this would work nicely, the DIocesan Services fund does it and it is more convenient. Personally i hate paper money and use checks, to reduce cost our parish gives us the chance to decline the envelope and write our family # on the check. But that idea would be great for a parish like ours with little support staff in the office.

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MariaToribia
Christ said, "I am the Truth"; he did not say "I am the custom." -- St. Toribio

Don't have it in my parish yet.

It does seem like a good program. Potential for some good effect.

Crummy name, though (IMO). Faith Direct? A little like reducing 'faith' to a transaction. Makes it sound as though you're going to receive graces and revelations through the mail, like NetFlix. Tithe Direct or Stewardship Direct might make more sense.

Is it common for programs like this to give you cards to put in the basket each Sunday in lieu of the old-style envelope? To what end, I wonder? Seems like it might be useful to the pastor to keep up on what families are attending Mass. Might also help in promoting the program, if other people see brightly-colored cards going by in the basket. As long as it's not for appearance's sake, anyway.

I remember a conversation with my mother some time back. Dad had gone to an earlier Mass that Sunday and had the family envelope with him. I forget how the question came up, but she said to me, "We budgeted how much we can give and it's in the check. If I'm going to throw a couple of crumpled dollar bills in the basket when it goes by so it looks like I'm not giving nothing, I'm doing it for the wrong reason."

My wife and I visited one parish back near New Year's that had implemented the program so successfully (as regards enrollment/participation) that they don't even pass the basket during Mass anymore. We had to seek out an usher afterwards to make a little offering.

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Rob

Jeff,



The parish does not have it for offerings but the Bishop's appeal does. The parish school used to do this "mandatory" if you paid the tuition monthly.

I do not use it. I am Credit Card Free, and intend to stay that way. I also had a bad experience with an insurance company double dipping my "automatic" payment from my checking account.

I do use "bank on Line" to pay bills, but only when I am controlling it. But not for the weekly offering.

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Bob C

JMJ

I am credit card free as well. I do contribute regularly; but usually I do once a month on payday. For the rest of the month, I do try to put something in the basket as it goes by also.

However, for those who have credit cards, it does, Jeff. seem like a great system.

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Peace.. Mary Jo
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles (Isiah 40:32)

My parish has a direct debit from my current account. Been in place for years, never had a problem. Also allows the parish to reclaim back the income tax I've already paid which increases my offering by over 25%

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God bless

Jim

I also use my credit unions "bank on line" to pay bills, and I have an automatic monthly payment to my parish. Unlike the the "Faith Direct" program Jeff mentioned, this incurs no cost to the parish (or to me).

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David L (CA)
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx

It gets better. Check this out.

http://www.securegive.com/



You can put a kiosk at the back of your church and people can donate there.

Or online.

Or via a MOBILE APP.

Basically, for $x/month, they put the kiosk (and whatever other services you choose) in your parish and maintain it for you.

Brilliant? Convenient? Commercialized?

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Jeff Stevens

Jeff,

For absolutely no logical reason the Kiosk bothers me. Just makes the church look commercial in some sense I guess.

Unless I'm forced to, I don't pay bills with automatic debits because my financial situation is too precarious to not need some juggling room when it comes to paying bills. For instance, I sometimes need to pay some bills late. However, if I could I'd definitely prefer the automatic deduction but see the point in the cards you place in there other than to do it for appearances sake (I'm not saying that is why you do it...I'm assuming that was the parish directing you to do so).

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

I think this is both very sad and tacky, but then again I'm just a bit old-fashioned. Why not install a drive-up kiosk to get donations from the non-attenders, we could suggest it will ease their conscience; while we're at it how about a drive through confessional, we could even have prerecorded penances and pick-a-number sins to confess.

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BobA

I don't know about other parts of the world, but around here there are a lot of people who hardly ever use cash these days.

Even for small purchases like buying a coffee or paying for parking, many people will just pull out a debit or credit card. (I, on the other hand, barely know how to swipe my debit card.)

So, there could be lots of people who would like to put something in the 'basket', but they just don't carry cash on them.

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squirt
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Jamais le mal n’aura le dernier mot. La foi et l’amour déplacent les montagnes de la haine.
- Marguerite (Maggy) Barankitse

We write a check (cheque), if we attend a church out of town or out of state; the check lets them and us know where from where - to where we were visiting and gives us a record for tax purposes if we need it.

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BobA

Brings to mind the episode of Ballykissangel with the short career of the European-designer confessional module with fax machine.

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Rob

The plus is that the parish does not keep too much cash around that would tempt robbers. The down side is that one custom we are used to, having wardens go around during offertory, will fade away. We should keep these traditional practices alive as we progress, even if they are not with the big T, because these make us who we are.

What will be next? An electronic ticker that updates how much parishioners are contributing?

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Ian DC
Blessed Ever Virgin Mary -- Sanctuary and resting-place of the Blessed Trinity where God dwells in greater and more divine splendour than anywhere else in the universe

I have met a number of good Catholics over on Google Plus, where this discussion came up, and one of the priests there commented thusly (the thread had gone toward the concern many Catholics have regarding having something to put in the basket)







It is interesting that Father Sticha wants to do away with the basket and you want to retain it for its traditional/cultural value.

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Jeff Stevens

I would think a parish would possibly lose money using the kiosk as nobody is going to wait in a huge line to make a donation so those who are just casually throwing in a few bucks in the basket are not going to use the kiosk and are probably not going to use an automatic deduction and a few bucks times several hundred people in the congregation really adds up. I don't know if the majority of people at any given Mass are even registered in the parish, I wasn't for several years so they may not even be receiving the envelopes to make donations and let's face it, most of them who are not involved enough to register will probably not make an effort to donate on a regular basis by mailing in a donation.

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

Do you think that guilt, that worry about what others think of us if we don't drop something in the basket, contributes to the cash flow? If so, maybe it's a good thing that should be retained.

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David L (CA)
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx

David L,



Yes, I've never dropped anything in the basket out of guilt and I don't feel guilty when I can't because I simply can't and support the parish through ministries and fundraising activities that then go to the parish but I have to admit, I wonder sometimes if people are noting it when I don't put money in. Human nature being what it is, I do think there are people who not only wonder the same thing but would then feel embarrassed if they don't contribute.

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

I never pay attention to who puts money/envelopes in the basket. When I forget mine (rarely) I have felt awkward, but more towards the usher than anyone else. I also don't like to forget because it counts attendance/active parishioner. I shouldn't worry because I rarely miss Mass for any reason and rarely forget an envelope or attend Mass at a different parish--not often enough.

I think the direct donation would be a nice thing along with the traditional envelopes. It would be nice not to write a check every month. It would help prevent theft from the parish. I always write checks since I think it's too easy to steal cash vs checks if someone is tempted to do so and occasionally it's in the news about people stealing.

I wondered about attendance/active parishioners and having a card to turn it in place of the envelope would show your attendance.

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Judas was the first to leave mass early

Unless everyone is connected electronically the paper system must remain in place; it could be that some day there will be a drop box rather than an offertory collection.

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BobA

Interestingly, the Mormons do track exactly how much everyone donates. And how much they make. And they are...counseled...if the former number is substantially lower than one tenth of the latter number.

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Jeff Stevens

I do not know why exactly I am wary of the middle man electronic financial service -gut feeling.

Regardless my gut, I would prefer a name for such a service more in the vein of charity instead of faith. One can electronically do much these days if they want to -why have a special supposed religious clearing house for such transactions?

All this stated -I prefer no transaction records and no government ability to obtain such records...

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Daniel

"Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." -- Luke 12:51