Is Your Church Getting an ATM to Put in the Lobby????
 

There was an email sent out about a week ago informing members of Christ Church in Nashville that they could be set up to make a direct deposit for tithes and offerings. This means never having to write another check for tithes or special missions pledges. In fact, your weekly or monthly pledge can be automatically deducted from your checking or savings account!

Here is an interesting article in Time magazine about this trend:

The ATM in the Church Lobby

I don't know...direct deposit for tithes? Brings a whole new meaning to "bring in your tithes"...now we electronically transfer them

Here is the ATM website:

http://www.churchlink.biz/products.php

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...wayman/ATM.gif

Do you recken the Tulsa group will preach against this? :D

After all, it does have a TV screen!!!

So does their computer.........:ursofunny

I would welcome the chance to have my tithes deducted electronically...half the time we can't find the checkbook LOL

Church and pizza are the only things I write checks for these days! :D If the pizza delivery guy would bring a charge card machine (for debit purposes) I would have it made! :bliss

At the pizza place I moonlight at on Saturday nights, they'll let you charge it when you order and the delivery guy will bring the receipt to sign :)!

I've seen on some church websites where you can make offering payments electronically, through the website. And I know some churches take credit cards too. Putting an ATM in the lobby is just another way of making it easier to get money to put in the collection plate. And presumably the church gets some percentage of the ATM fee these machines collect from people who use them. Yes, there is a cost involved here. Banks don't set up this service out of the kindness of their hearts.

I have to wonder if this doesn't make it easier on the church to account for the money, you know, for those lucky people who make enough that it's worth it for them to take it off their taxes.

(never been in that position)

In Houston you can order on line and pay with your CC. :)

Wouldn't it be easier to just set up a Chruch Paypal account? Or maybe a couple of them. One each for tithes, offering, missions, sundayschool, building fund......etc.etc.etc.

Preterists say this is not really the mark of the beast also!

:stirpot

A Merchant account costs 1.9%.

The PayPal fees I think are 30 each transaction and 4%.

They sell the processing machines at Sams and Costco.

Ok, all you rednecks need to get with the times like we do right here in Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada, a town with 50,000 modern city folks...he he he!!!

We have done this at our church for a few years already, our fair town has free wireless internet service (FreddyZone), and we also have 3 McDonalds!!!!!!

Next year we get indoor plumbing!

I think its a great idea. So many times I haven't been able to give when the offering plate passes around cuz I don't have cash on me. I don't see anything wrong with it. I think the church would be at an advantage.

Church of Champions in Houston has been doing this for some time and communications I have received indicate that they have seen fairly significant increases in donations and tithing.

ATM's
 

We've been doing Electronic Transfer of Funds (ETF) for years. I don't set it up on automatic just in case I don't like something the preacher said.

I only write a check once a month for the house payment. That's not on automatic just in case my wife doesn't like something I say and I'm out the door.

It has been proven that those who use Credit Cards spend 30 % more. Imagine the increase in a Offering service.

I digress

:2cents

I really wish our church would do this. I would really prefer to have my tithe and offering automatically drafted each month. Then it would have a chance of being returned first ahead of all of my online bill payments I have been shamefully late returning my tithe at times even though I always set the money aside up front because I could not find my checks. Tithe and offering is the only reason I even have a checkbook anymore.

I'd be for having an ATM, but direct deposit is something else

Amen it would be nice to use the ATM right in the lobby rather than stopping by the banks drive through before church.I think its a great idea for larger churches.

Re: Is Your Church Getting an ATM to Put in the Lo
 

No way ! This has to be "photoshopped".