EGive
“But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Cor. 8:7 (NIV)
What does the Bible tell us about giving?
1) You are taking a step of faith – When you sign up to eGive you are deciding in advance to faithfully give on a regular basis. God always blesses that kind of faith!
2) You will simplify your life – You won’t have to remember whether you gave this month or need to send in an offering by mail when you are on a trip.
3) You will be helping the Lord’s church – Every person who gives through eGive makes our record keeping much easier and saves us from paying check deposit fees. You will help the Church keep up its cash flow steady no matter whether up or occasionally down as sometimes happens during the summer vacation months.
4) You can focus on worship during the offering at church – You can focus on God while the offering is being taken.
To sign up for eGiving:
Go to the Lakewood website at www.lakewoodlight.org and click on the eGive button on the top of the page. This will take you to the eGive page and a button which will take to the website where you may setup a My eGive account to give to Lakewood. You may monitor your gifts to the church by signing into your My eGive account and may give special one times gifts anytime from the convenience of your home computer.
eGiving Frequently Asked Questions Answers to our most commonly asked questions…
Q: How can funds be withdrawn directly from my account?Only with your authorization. Nobody can deduct money from your account electronically unless you specifically authorize it.
Q: Are electronic contributions risky?No. An electronic contribution is safer than writing a check, and it can’t be lost, stolen or destroyed in the mail. To sign up for eGive you are only giving information that is already printed on your check. National laws, rules, and guidelines govern all Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) transactions. Over eighteen billion EFT transactions are processed annually in the United States.
Q: When would this automatic contribution be taken from my account?On the eGive online secure giving form or on the paper giving form, you can specify whether you want your contribution made one-time, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or as designated. When the date you have selected falls on a weekend or holiday, the transaction will occur on the next business day.
Q: Can I test this by giving one time?Yes. You may test online giving by selecting “One-Time Gift” in the Giving Amount and Date section of the sign up process.
Q: If I don’t write checks, how do I keep my checkbook balance straight?Your contribution is made on a pre-established day, so you can deduct it from your check record then and you will receive a general Email reminder thanking you for giving to the Lakewood Church of Christ each time your giving is posted.
Q: Why can’t I give by credit card?We chose to set up eGiving through electronic funds transfer rather than credit card for two primary reasons:1) With electronic transfer, your entire gift goes to the church. When using a credit card, as much as 4% of your gift would go to the credit card company.2) Although many pay off their credit cards each month, many also do not. We do not want to potentially put someone in the place of going in debt and paying credit interest on gifts given to the church. Giving by credit card may be coming soon. Q: How can I keep a record of the amount I have contributed? Your bank statement will include an itemized list of automatic gifts given from your account. We will continue to provide you with a personal giving statement for your tax records. You may also run a report of all your gifts in the eGive system at any time. Q: Can I give for something special, a missionary, youth project, or special event? Yes, just put the amount you committed or want to commit in the “Breakout of Giving” section online.
Q: What if I change banks or accounts or want to change the amount of my contribution? You can change your giving choices or bank account at any time, 24 hours a day/7 days a week, through the eGive web site.
Q: How do I participate in the weekly offering if my contribution is automatically deducted from my bank account? If you wish, you can write “I’m giving online” on the giving envelope and place it in the offering basket, but it is not necessary. We have small eGive stickers that you may place on your nametag so others will know you are eGiving and the ushers will bypass you during the offering.
Q: Is there any charge to me from my bank to give online? No. Electronic funds transfers carry no bank fees and this service is free to you. The church will incur a small monthly fee to utilize Egive.
Q: Can I designate my giving online? Yes, you may designate your offering in any way you like as you would on Sunday and write it in yourself. The total is what shows as the transaction with your bank; however, the church receives the breakdown directly from eGive. You may give a special offering 24 hours a day on eGive. The elders as always reserve the right to direct all the funds given to where they determine those funds are needed.
Q: Who do I talk to if I have more questions? Email Darla at the church office at lakewoodlight@juno.com or call 281.424.9513.