Dayton Daily News \ Dayton, Ohio \ November 10, 2007

Virtual Tithing plastic accepted here

Credit Card Kiosks Boost Giving

By Andrew McGinn

A "giving kiosk" outside the Journey Church sanctuary allows members of the congregation to give an offering with a debit or credit card by using the touch-screen device. "The idea was to target a generation of people that never carries cash," explained Jamie Noel, the 34-year-old pastor of Journey Church.

Tithing just entered the 21st century.
"You use your debit card at the gas station, you use your debit card at the grocery store," Noel said. "Why are we afraid to use the technology in church? "Biblically speaking, they used to bring grains and fruits and animals as offering. Then they brought coins." The desktop kiosk, which looks a lot like the cash register at any random Subway franchise — complete with card swipe — is merely the next step in tithing evolution.
Seems to make sense, too.

For many young people, carrying cash is about as practical as tithing every 10th head of oxen.
"I believe our society is moving to a cashless society," Noel said. Journey Church, which shares space with the more traditional Springfield Calvary Baptist at Springfield-Jamestown Road, has 240 members. More than half are under age 25. With the installation of the kiosk in September — a first for a local church — giving has increased, Noel said. A secure transaction takes about two minutes to do with a bank card or a credit card. (Sorry, not even the man upstairs takes Discover or American Express.)

"We really push the debit side," Noel said. "The church is trying to steer people away from debt."
Georgia-based SecureGive, a company created in 2003 by a pastor, developed the kiosks.
Only about 50 are in use nationwide, said SecureGive president Patty Baker. Using the SecureGive software, Journey Church pieced about $700 worth of equipment off eBay to make it work.

Buying a full-sized kiosk from SecureGive runs $5,000. "Some more traditional churches are not ready for them," Baker confessed. But a church with as many young people as Journey Church? "They recognize this is how people live their lives today," Baker said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.