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Giving is a spiritual matter. It's not about the money.

Barna Research issued a report this year that indicates Americans are less than generous with donations; only 4 percent tithe and most typically give only 3 percent of their income. According to Mario McGowan, chief executive officer of Direct Tithing, a company that provides electronic funds transfer services for churches and nonprofit organizations, there is a larger concern for church leaders than the money, or lack thereof.

“It's a faith issue,” he said. “And, of course, a heart issue.” McGowan said American pastors should hold their congregants accountable for giving in the same way they hold them accountable to other biblical standards, as a part of discipleship.

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According to the Barna study, church donors averaged only $895 each in 2004. Evangelicals were significantly more generous, averaging $3,250 in church giving.

Through EFT, McGowan said he hopes to increase those averages. In only nine months of using EFT with Direct Tithing, McGowan reports that 75 members of his own congregation have donated a total of $125,000 — an average of $2,222 per donor in annual giving.

And the electronic giving continues through the summer, holidays and vacations, a benefit that other churches have also found to simplify budgeting.

Taking it to the streets

Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, began to offer e-giving options to members in 1997, according to Terry Storch, chief operating officer and chief technology officer for one of the largest and fastest growing congregations in the country.

Online donations continue to grow and now account for 15 percent of the church budget. And 95 percent of online contributions are set to recur biweekly or monthly, encouraging givers to be consistent, according to Storch.

“This reduces the demands on our staff,” Storch said, and “improves the giving experience for our members.”

Signing up for an automatic withdrawal is a step of faith in the same way that writing out a check may be, perhaps more.

The Journey church in New York City offers online giving to its members, and outlines four benefits to the process, which include: 1) faith — deciding in advance to give faithfully; 2) simplify your life; and 3) simplify church record keeping.

Journey also partners with electronic payment company Paypal to give their members more ways to give.

There's good news

While American giving is minimal, George Barna, author of the recent report, remains positive about the potential for Americans to be generous.

“The reality is that Americans are willing to give more generously than they typically do, but it takes a purposeful and well-executed approach to facilitate that generosity,” Barna writes.

E-giving could be part of that “well-executed approach.”

E-giving may appeal in particular to younger Americans (those under 40), who are less likely to give money, according to Barna. As more people shop online and bank online or through EFT, busy Americans realize not only the time savings in handling their finances electronically, but also the relative safety of e-transactions. According to McGowan, this may encourage younger givers to donate electronically.

“I think this e-generation is going to be more prone to use electronic tithing,” he said.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals reports that online giving is becoming more popular for donors and charities, including churches. Forty-seven percent of organizations indicated they use the Internet to solicit gifts in 2003, compared to 34 percent in 2002.

And while church still falls behind donations to educational, environmental and other charitable groups, according to the AFP and Barna reports, the increase in electronic giving is clear and may pave the way for Christian generosity.

“The Church is still operating in the horse and buggy,” McGowan said. “We need to get into the superhighway.”