When in the Service should you take the Offering?

At what point in the worship service should you invite the congregation to give their financial gifts? Actually, the more fundamental question is whether or not you should set aside time for this activity at all. Many churches opt out of the offering altogether, asking people to donate online or via a donation box placed elsewhere in the building.

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Offerings have been a part of Christian worship services since the earliest written records of the church. In the book of Acts we read about conflicts among the worshipers regarding unfairness in how the offered food was shared among them (6:1-7). In these early days, food was probably not collected as part of a formal offering, but we know that church meals were connected to the worship service from very early on. For instance, Paul wrote specific instructions to the church in Corinth about appropriate sharing and distribution of the food that was brought for the Lord's Supper. (See 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.)

In later decades, as Christian worship slowly standardized across various culture groups, the offering became directly connected to the celebration of Communion. It seems that initially these offerings were the very bread and wine that would be consumed during the service. In documents known as the Apostolic Tradition, probably written in the third century, we read that deacons would bring "the oblation" (the elements of bread and wine) to the bishop presiding over the service, after exchanging a kiss of peace. This would have happened between the proclamation of the Word and the celebration at the table.

These days offerings are almost always currency of some kind, usually in the form of cash or check. In many churches the offering is taken in the middle of the service, perhaps following a time of singing and/or scripture reading, often before the sermon. However, it is not at all uncommon for churches to take the offering after the sermon, just before celebrating Holy Communion. These congregations remember that the offering is rooted in the ancient practice of preparing for Eucharist. In the United Methodist Church's Service of Word and Table, the Offering happens as part of a bigger movement of responses, thereby linking the preaching of the Word and the Prayer of Great Thanksgiving. These five actions are sometimes called the "Invitation-Confession-Pardon-Peace-Offering." The United Methodist Hymnal provides an order of worship that guides a congregation through these steps on pages 7 and 8, along with these prompts for the worship leader:

• Invitation: "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live at peace with one another."
• Confession: "Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another."
• Pardon: "Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Christ, you are forgiven."
• Peace: "Let us offer signs of reconciliation and love."
• Offering: "As forgiven and reconciled people, let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God." 

In this order of worship, the offering immediately follows the passing of the peace because of Jesus's words in Matthew 5:23-24: "So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."

Placing the offering between the sermon and Communion, as a link between the Word and the Table, is more than a restoration of an ancient practice. It is a way to live out the truth that our offerings -- that is, not just our money, but how we live our entire lives -- are presented as a response to God's revealed grace, as heard in the proclamation of the Word. These offerings also play a role in transforming the givers, preparing us for the work of the church in the world, asking God to be present in the ministry of healing, reconciliation, and forgiveness. Placing the offering after the sermon, whether or not you plan to celebrate Communion, can be a powerful reminder of these truths -- that our acts of grateful response are also transformational, for ourselves and for the world.