Money Solution

Today marks six years since I've been pastor at Fairview Community Christian Church. After six years of watching this church struggle with finances (something that makes our country church just like every other small church in America), I've finally come up with a solution.

Yesterday, I went in and talked with the folks at Umpqua Bank in Marysville, where our church has its checking account, and I was able to set up a program whereby everytime one of our members does business at an Umpqua ATM, a screen will come up asking them if they want to make an instant donation to the church. The screen will ask them if they want to make a donation of $5, $10, $20, or "other" amount.

But the plan I've come up with isn't just for members who bank at Umpqua. I was able to secure from the bank our very own debit card machine, which we can use during worship. The way it will work is this: The congregation will come forward down the center aisle for the offering (which won't be too much of a change, since we already come forward for communion on most Sundays). At the front of the church (on the communion table) will be the debit card machine, and worshipers can simply slide their card through, enter their pin number, select the amount they wish to donate, and ta-da! It's that simple. And the machine works with any debit card, not just Umpqua debit cards.

We should be raking in the money in no time. I think the first purchase I'll make for the church will be a 14-foot electronic outdoor sign, similar to the one pictured below; I've seen them advertised in the church supply catalogs, and have always wanted one. The elders in our church told me at a meeting last week that they want to see our sign updated more often, but to do that I have to go outside and slide all those little plastic letters around, and when 20 of the last 31 days have had rain, that means I get wet! Soon, I'll be able to simply program that sign from inside the church office. And those bright red lights dancing across the sign will sure give the cows next door something to look at at 2:00 in the morning!

From this......to this