Online Giving FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Giving:

Q: Why do you give to the church?

As followers of Christ, we believe we are His stewards, called to manage what He has entrusted to us (time,talents, resources, family, health/strength, vocation, spheres of influence, and the Gospel). Throughout scripture, we are reminded of the importance of giving back a portion of what God has generously provided. His Word tells us that giving is an act of worship that should be done cheerfully with a spirit of thanksgiving.  Whether you’d like to give a single gift, schedule ongoing donations, or view your giving history, you can do it all through our online donation portal. Online giving is quick, easy, and secure. By clicking the GIVE NOW button above, you can give your tithes and offerings, as well as support other projects of the church.

 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.  2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)

Q: What is a tithe?

The tithe simply means a tenth part which is defined as the first 10% of a person’s income which is to be given back to God through the local church. When we tithe, we acknowledge our stewardship of God’s resources and express worship in a tangible way by putting God first and trusting Him for our needs. For more information about what the Bible says about tithing, check out these passages: Leviticus 27:30, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:6-10, Matthew 6:19-24 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Q: What is the difference between tithes and offerings?

Q: What are the different ways I can give?

•  Pick up a giving envelope at any of our campuses and drop your contribution in an offering basket during a weekend service.
•  Mail your contribution to the church office at any time.
•  By using the online Giving Portal you can easily make a one-time gift or set up a recurring contribution.

Q: What are the benefits of online giving?

Q: What are the benefits of scheduling recurring donations?

• First Fruits – In Proverbs 3:9 we are taught to honor the Lord with the “First Fruits” of our labor. By setting up a recurring contribution that is scheduled to come out of your account on the day you specify you can ensure that your First Fruits are given back to God.
• Faithfulness – Decide once and it’s done. The system helps you to be faithful to your commitments by making the donation that you have determined when you decided to have it given.
• Simplicity – You will not need to remember when and how much you’ve given this month
• Convenience – You don’t have to remember to send in your offering checks when you are out of town or on vacation.
• Control – You decide the amount, frequency and date on which your contribution goes through. You can select an amount and schedule the contribution payment over your time frame.
• Accountability – You can view your contribution history and print out a giving statement. This statement reflects contributions given online, during a Sunday service, or sent to the church through the mail.
• Cash Flow – Scheduling recurring donations helps even out fluctuations in the church’s cash flow and makes cash management easier.

Q: How can I participate in the offering during services if I give online?

If you are concerned about this, you can use the offering envelopes and simply write on it, “I gave online.” You can always give additional offerings during a service. All your donations no matter how you made them will be viewable in your online giving portal.

Q: Is it safe to give online?

Yes. In many ways giving online is safer than writing a check. Your credit card information is encrypted so that the church can only access the last four numbers of your card – the same way you notice on any receipt from a retail store. This ensures that your credit card information is not available to anyone at the church.

Q: What forms of payment are accepted for online giving?

At this point we are able to accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX,T and ACH (Electronic Funds Transfer) directly from your bank account.

Q: Are there any fees involved with giving online?

Yes there are fees involved in giving online. However, it is the donor’s choice of who will pay, either the donor or the church. There is a check box on the donation form that allows the donor to pay the transaction processing fee.

Visa, Mastercard, Discover – 2.9% +$.30 per transaction
AMEX – 4% + $.30 per transaction
ACH (bank transfer) – 1% + $.30 per transaction

Q: Can I make a one-time contribution?

Yes. The online donation portal allows you the option of either making a one-time contribution or setting up a recurring contribution. For a one-time contribution you can designate that payment be made immediately or, for both one-time and recurring, you can schedule the contributions to be paid on a specific date.

Yes. On the signup screens, you can specify whether you want your contribution made one time, weekly, every other week (bi-weekly), twice per month (1st and the 15th), monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Yes. Once you log into your account, you will see an “edit” and “delete” link to make any desired changes.

Q: Can I change my personal information of my recurring contribution once I have it set up?

Yes. You can change or cancel your contribution at any time before the date of your next contribution. Personal information is changed in the Profile area.

Q: Can I review my contribution history online?

Yes. The portal will allow you to view the complete history of your contributions given both online or otherwise. Once you’ve created an account you will be able to contribute immediately. However, for security purposes, before you can see any past contributions we must first connect your online account with your previous information. This is a one-time process when you initially create your account. After we verify that all of the information matches you can view your contribution history at any time.

Q: When will contributions be taken from my account?

Contributions will be taken from your specified bank account within 48 hours of the date you requested. This allows time for the contributions to process through your bank and the church’s bank. If the date of your contribution falls on a weekend or a holiday, the transaction will be initiated on the next banking day.

Q: Can I designate my gift to particular PURPOSE?

Yes, you can designate your contribution to go towards tithes (the church’s general fund) or to any of the other donation funds and sub-funds. The available funds and sub-funds are on drop-down lists under the “PURPOSE” area of the donation screen.

Q: Can I split my donation between multiple funds and sub-funds?

Yes. You may create as many donations with different amounts and withdrawal dates designated to a specific purpose.

Q: If I have already scheduled a recurring donation can I also make a one time donation?

Yes, you can always make one-time donations to occur immediately or at any date in the future.

Q: Can I schedule multiple recurring donations?

Yes, this is particularly useful when the frequency of the donation is different as might be the case if there are multiple wage earners and their pay dates are at different times of the month. For example one schedule could be for a weekly donation on Friday and the second could be for a twice monthly donation on the 1st and 16th of the month.

Q: Does it matter which Internet browser I use?

No, any browser will work.

Q: Can I use a debit card?

You can use a debit check card from Visa or MasterCard, but true debit cards, gift cards and other pre-paid cards are not accepted through our contribution portal due to the sensitivity of securely requesting a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Q: Can I use a credit card?

Donating by credit card is offered as a convenience, especially for those that accumulate reward points and miles. However, we strongly encourage you to use it wisely and to avoid creating or increasing debit by making charitable donations.