Invite parishioners into intentional giving.
Tithing Journey
About this journey
Move parishioners into prayerful & intentional financial stewardship in your parish. This journey helps people navigate the emotional, spiritual, and practical factors of tithing, and bring them into helping your parish grow. This journey includes emails, bulletin inserts, a practical tithing guide, prayer, and more.
Roll this out over a month, or in a week. See the rollout plan for more details.
A special thanks to Fr. Moore for his wisdom and work in this project. Many parts of this package were developed and run in his parish within the Diocese of Seattle.
Customize for your parish
Everything in this package is ready-made for you to use as is or edit to make it more your own. We've created fully customizable templates in the free-to-use online design tool Canva. Use all the assets together or pick and choose what makes sense for your community.
Prayer card
Start the conversation of tithing by inviting parishioners to orientate their hearts and pray this prayer over the span of a few weeks. Hand these cards out in the back of the parish or leave in the pews.
Start the conversation of tithing by inviting parishioners to orientate their hearts and pray this prayer over the span of a few weeks. Hand these cards out in the back of the parish or leave in the pews.
Tithing guide
A downloadable guide for parishioners to easily calculate tithing according to their resources & lifestage.
A downloadable guide for parishioners to easily calculate tithing according to their resources & lifestage.
Pledge card
Print these pledge cards and leave them at the back of the parish or in pews over the span of the series.
Print these pledge cards and leave them at the back of the parish or in pews over the span of the series.
Parishioner emails
This email drip guides parishioners through specific steps in tithing from praying through their heart towards money, to committing to online, monthly giving at your parish.
This email drip guides parishioners through specific steps in tithing from praying through their heart towards money, to committing to online, monthly giving at your parish.
Kick off your series by inviting parishioners into praying a tithing prayer.
An invitation to pray over finances
Dear (*NAME*)
As an integral part of our culture and community, I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our parish. Your presence has genuinely enriched our parish.
My heart is to see our parish become more and more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives. For the next month, I want to invite us all into praying and evaluating our hearts around tithing.
It can be an uncomfortable topic! Yes, it’s the resource that puts food on our tables and keeps a shelter over our heads. It pays our bills and sends our kids to school. But many of us get uncomfortable whenever we talk about money, and in particular, tithing.
I do believe that God has something beautiful and freeing for each of us in this process. But before we talk anything about money or address our individual tithing, we must first come to Jesus and ask Him to meet us.
I want to invite you into joining me in committing to [three weeks] of praying this prayer below as a way to reorientate our hearts towards God’s heart around tithing.
Are you ready? Ask the Holy Spirit to be present, because we want to invite you into an extended prayer over your tithing.
Over the next few weeks, use this prayer in your daily or weekly prayer time. There will be printable versions of this prayer available on Sunday for you to pick up as well.
In Prayer,
(Pastor’s Name / Parish Name)
Dear (*NAME*)
As an integral part of our culture and community, I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our parish. Your presence has genuinely enriched our parish.
My heart is to see our parish become more and more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives. For the next month, I want to invite us all into praying and evaluating our hearts around tithing.
It can be an uncomfortable topic! Yes, it’s the resource that puts food on our tables and keeps a shelter over our heads. It pays our bills and sends our kids to school. But many of us get uncomfortable whenever we talk about money, and in particular, tithing.
I do believe that God has something beautiful and freeing for each of us in this process. But before we talk anything about money or address our individual tithing, we must first come to Jesus and ask Him to meet us.
I want to invite you into joining me in committing to [three weeks] of praying this prayer below as a way to reorientate our hearts towards God’s heart around tithing.
Are you ready? Ask the Holy Spirit to be present, because we want to invite you into an extended prayer over your tithing.
Over the next few weeks, use this prayer in your daily or weekly prayer time. There will be printable versions of this prayer available on Sunday for you to pick up as well.
In Prayer,
(Pastor’s Name / Parish Name)
Explain why we tithe & how it plays a role in discipleship.
What is tithing & why do we do it?
Dear *NAME*,
Some conversations make even the best of us shift uncomfortably in our seats whenever it comes up. In church settings, one of those conversations is the one about money.
Yes. The resource that puts food on our tables and keeps a shelter over our heads. It pays our bills and sends our kids to school. In and of itself, money is not a bad thing. Yet many of us get uncomfortable discussing money, particularly tithing.
Are you ready? Ask the Holy Spirit to be present because we want to invite you into a conversation about tithing.
What is tithing?
A tithe comes from the Hebrew word “a tenth.”. Scripture talks about tithing as giving the first fruits of your resources, in other words, ten percent of your earnings and possessions. It is a spiritual practice, a tangible way to worship our God. It reminds us that all we have is ultimately a gift from God, and our job is to be good stewards of everything we receive.
We give as an act of worship. It is part of our discipleship, stewardship, and journey to following Jesus and being a member of His Church. Tithing is not meant to force our will into submission; instead, it is an invitation to live a life of freedom from the disordered attachments offered by the world and even more joy in our lives.
Some may think, ‘But I am barely making ends meet!’ We understand this is not a simple conversation or even an effortless act.
However, closer and more disciplined attention to our allocation of finances can allow families to continue the practice of tithing and provide more joy and freedom in our walk with Jesus.
So, how does one actually tithe?
For starters, it’s important to remember that tithing is proportional. It is a calculated response to what you earn and are earning and being blessed with. Just as the poor widow’s two mites are worth so much more than all the other treasures being given, your tithe is proportional to your financial situation. And because financial situations can change over time, so should your giving. Tithing can be re-evaluated periodically, depending on the circumstances you find yourself in – that you find yourself in – whether good or bad.
So, how do you know where to start for your situation?
Great question. The starting point of all giving should be prayer. If you don't have it, please start with praying our tithing prayer before jumping into discerning your tithing. Have an honest conversation with God about where and how you’ve been blessed, and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how you are being asked to respond.
I know that structure can often bring freedom! This is why we invite you to use this Tithing Guide to help you calculate your giving based on your financial situation and be helpful in the discernment process.
I have found that committing to a certain amount of giving actually brings great freedom and joy. There is no constant decision-making but freedom in knowing you have already set money aside to give. And from that comes a deep, generous joy. In this discernment process, we encourage you to grab a pledge card from the parish and return it to our office.
There are many more valuable resources about giving that we’ve gathered for you, and they’re included in this email.
We pray that this exercise renews your relationship with Christ and brings a sense of spiritual refreshment.
With you in prayer,
(Parish Name / Ministry Leader)
Relevant Resources
Dear *NAME*,
Some conversations make even the best of us shift uncomfortably in our seats whenever it comes up. In church settings, one of those conversations is the one about money.
Yes. The resource that puts food on our tables and keeps a shelter over our heads. It pays our bills and sends our kids to school. In and of itself, money is not a bad thing. Yet many of us get uncomfortable discussing money, particularly tithing.
Are you ready? Ask the Holy Spirit to be present because we want to invite you into a conversation about tithing.
What is tithing?
A tithe comes from the Hebrew word “a tenth.”. Scripture talks about tithing as giving the first fruits of your resources, in other words, ten percent of your earnings and possessions. It is a spiritual practice, a tangible way to worship our God. It reminds us that all we have is ultimately a gift from God, and our job is to be good stewards of everything we receive.
We give as an act of worship. It is part of our discipleship, stewardship, and journey to following Jesus and being a member of His Church. Tithing is not meant to force our will into submission; instead, it is an invitation to live a life of freedom from the disordered attachments offered by the world and even more joy in our lives.
Some may think, ‘But I am barely making ends meet!’ We understand this is not a simple conversation or even an effortless act.
However, closer and more disciplined attention to our allocation of finances can allow families to continue the practice of tithing and provide more joy and freedom in our walk with Jesus.
So, how does one actually tithe?
For starters, it’s important to remember that tithing is proportional. It is a calculated response to what you earn and are earning and being blessed with. Just as the poor widow’s two mites are worth so much more than all the other treasures being given, your tithe is proportional to your financial situation. And because financial situations can change over time, so should your giving. Tithing can be re-evaluated periodically, depending on the circumstances you find yourself in – that you find yourself in – whether good or bad.
So, how do you know where to start for your situation?
Great question. The starting point of all giving should be prayer. If you don't have it, please start with praying our tithing prayer before jumping into discerning your tithing. Have an honest conversation with God about where and how you’ve been blessed, and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how you are being asked to respond.
I know that structure can often bring freedom! This is why we invite you to use this Tithing Guide to help you calculate your giving based on your financial situation and be helpful in the discernment process.
I have found that committing to a certain amount of giving actually brings great freedom and joy. There is no constant decision-making but freedom in knowing you have already set money aside to give. And from that comes a deep, generous joy. In this discernment process, we encourage you to grab a pledge card from the parish and return it to our office.
There are many more valuable resources about giving that we’ve gathered for you, and they’re included in this email.
We pray that this exercise renews your relationship with Christ and brings a sense of spiritual refreshment.
With you in prayer,
(Parish Name / Ministry Leader)
Relevant Resources
Tithing ask to all parishioners whether they have given before or not.
We need your help - Fr. [NAME]
Dear [NAME],
I want to thank you for engaging with the tithing prayer. I hope it’s been an encouraging time for you.
Again, as a beloved family of our parish, I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our community. Your presence has brought so much to our community, and seeing you in the pew is always a joy.
I have a personal question for you.
I'm inviting parishioners to consider signing up for our new monthly tithing plan. Whether you have given in the past or you have not, I am prayerfully asking you to consider is threefold:
- Evaluate your tithing - We believe tithing is both proportionate and should be evaluated ongoing (I’d recommend yearly!). I want you to evaluate your household tithing using this simple Tithing Guide download that helps you calculate based on your situation & resources.
- Evaluate if you can give 10-20% more for the parish (or more if you feel called) - If you have the financial margin and feel called to give to our parish, increasing your donation will give us an excellent platform for long-term growth. [OPTION: Give examples of areas you want to grow in as a parish, if there are any]
- Sign up for a pre-authorized monthly tithing - Access to a fixed monthly donation that arrives on the first of the month will stabilize our parish finances and contribute to our parish becoming a more welcoming and engaging place for people to gather, worship, and encounter the Lord. Click here (Link to online giving) to set up your monthly auto-deposit.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration to support this parish community financially. No matter how big or small, we are grateful for your contribution.
If this is your first time tithing with our parish and you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can reach me at our parish number: [Parish Phone Number] or via email. If you’re curious about why we tithe and what God is calling us to, I’ve also outlined more of that here [Link to Tithing Resource Page].
You can click here [link to giving page] to set up your monthly auto-deposit or contact [RECEPTIONIST's NAME] at the parish office at the phone number above. Either way, the setup process is straightforward and can be completed within a few minutes.
God bless and peace in Christ,
Fr. [NAME]
P.S. I'm so excited to share this fantastic budgeting tool to help you determine your monthly tithing. It's benefited many others, and I'm sure you will also find it helpful. Let me know what you think of it.
Dear [NAME],
I want to thank you for engaging with the tithing prayer. I hope it’s been an encouraging time for you.
Again, as a beloved family of our parish, I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our community. Your presence has brought so much to our community, and seeing you in the pew is always a joy.
I have a personal question for you.
I'm inviting parishioners to consider signing up for our new monthly tithing plan. Whether you have given in the past or you have not, I am prayerfully asking you to consider is threefold:
- Evaluate your tithing - We believe tithing is both proportionate and should be evaluated ongoing (I’d recommend yearly!). I want you to evaluate your household tithing using this simple Tithing Guide download that helps you calculate based on your situation & resources.
- Evaluate if you can give 10-20% more for the parish (or more if you feel called) - If you have the financial margin and feel called to give to our parish, increasing your donation will give us an excellent platform for long-term growth. [OPTION: Give examples of areas you want to grow in as a parish, if there are any]
- Sign up for a pre-authorized monthly tithing - Access to a fixed monthly donation that arrives on the first of the month will stabilize our parish finances and contribute to our parish becoming a more welcoming and engaging place for people to gather, worship, and encounter the Lord. Click here (Link to online giving) to set up your monthly auto-deposit.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration to support this parish community financially. No matter how big or small, we are grateful for your contribution.
If this is your first time tithing with our parish and you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can reach me at our parish number: [Parish Phone Number] or via email. If you’re curious about why we tithe and what God is calling us to, I’ve also outlined more of that here [Link to Tithing Resource Page].
You can click here [link to giving page] to set up your monthly auto-deposit or contact [RECEPTIONIST's NAME] at the parish office at the phone number above. Either way, the setup process is straightforward and can be completed within a few minutes.
God bless and peace in Christ,
Fr. [NAME]
P.S. I'm so excited to share this fantastic budgeting tool to help you determine your monthly tithing. It's benefited many others, and I'm sure you will also find it helpful. Let me know what you think of it.
Ask donors to discern their current tithe.
We need your help - Fr. [NAME]
Dear [NAME],
I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our community. Seeing you praying in the pew is always a joy and deeply inspiring.
I have a personal question for you.
I'm inviting parishioners to sign up for our new monthly tithing plan. I know you have given in the past, so what I am prayerfully asking you to consider is threefold:
- Evaluate your tithing - We believe tithing is both proportionate and should be evaluated ongoing (I’d recommend yearly!). You can re evaluate your tithing using this simple Tithing Guide (LINK to tithing guide) that helps you calculate based on your household & resources.
- Consider if you can give 10-20% more for the parish (or more if you feel called) - If you have the financial margin and feel called to give to our parish, increasing your donation will give us an excellent platform for long-term growth. [OPTION: Give examples of areas you want to grow in as a parish, if there are any]
- Sign up for a pre-authorized monthly tithing - Access to a fixed monthly donation that arrives on the first of the month will stabilize our parish finances and contribute to our parish becoming a more welcoming and engaging place for people to gather, worship, and encounter the Lord. Click here (Link to online giving) to set up your monthly auto-deposit.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration to support this parish community financially. No matter how big or small, we are grateful for your contribution.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can reach me at our parish number: [Parish Phone Number] or via email.
You can click here [link to online giving] to set up your monthly auto-deposit or contact [RECEPTIONIST's NAME] at the parish office. Either way, the setup process is straightforward and can be completed within a few minutes.
God bless and peace in Christ,
Fr. [NAME]
P.S. I'm so excited to share this fantastic budgeting tool to help you determine your monthly tithing. It's benefited many others, and I'm sure you will also find it helpful. Let me know what you think of it.
Dear [NAME],
I want to thank you for all the ways you and your family have contributed to our community. Seeing you praying in the pew is always a joy and deeply inspiring.
I have a personal question for you.
I'm inviting parishioners to sign up for our new monthly tithing plan. I know you have given in the past, so what I am prayerfully asking you to consider is threefold:
- Evaluate your tithing - We believe tithing is both proportionate and should be evaluated ongoing (I’d recommend yearly!). You can re evaluate your tithing using this simple Tithing Guide (LINK to tithing guide) that helps you calculate based on your household & resources.
- Consider if you can give 10-20% more for the parish (or more if you feel called) - If you have the financial margin and feel called to give to our parish, increasing your donation will give us an excellent platform for long-term growth. [OPTION: Give examples of areas you want to grow in as a parish, if there are any]
- Sign up for a pre-authorized monthly tithing - Access to a fixed monthly donation that arrives on the first of the month will stabilize our parish finances and contribute to our parish becoming a more welcoming and engaging place for people to gather, worship, and encounter the Lord. Click here (Link to online giving) to set up your monthly auto-deposit.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration to support this parish community financially. No matter how big or small, we are grateful for your contribution.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can reach me at our parish number: [Parish Phone Number] or via email.
You can click here [link to online giving] to set up your monthly auto-deposit or contact [RECEPTIONIST's NAME] at the parish office. Either way, the setup process is straightforward and can be completed within a few minutes.
God bless and peace in Christ,
Fr. [NAME]
P.S. I'm so excited to share this fantastic budgeting tool to help you determine your monthly tithing. It's benefited many others, and I'm sure you will also find it helpful. Let me know what you think of it.
A pastoral touchpoint to thank parishioners for engaging with tithing & offer additional resources.
I’m deeply grateful.
Dear (*NAME*),
Thank you for being willing to enter into this conversation around tithing and responding to my previous emails. It’s been truly a joy to see how this community has stepped in and desired to give. I am so grateful for it.
We know this has asked for a step into deeper intentionality from you, and I pray that you have experienced Christ alongside you.
As you continue to offer your finances up to God each month and each year, I hope these resources below are a source of encouragement for wherever you find yourself.
I also am linking you to our Tithing Guide if you need to reference it again in the future.
Sincerely,
Fr. (Name)
Living in Generosity
Family Life & Tithing
Dear (*NAME*),
Thank you for being willing to enter into this conversation around tithing and responding to my previous emails. It’s been truly a joy to see how this community has stepped in and desired to give. I am so grateful for it.
We know this has asked for a step into deeper intentionality from you, and I pray that you have experienced Christ alongside you.
As you continue to offer your finances up to God each month and each year, I hope these resources below are a source of encouragement for wherever you find yourself.
I also am linking you to our Tithing Guide if you need to reference it again in the future.
Sincerely,
Fr. (Name)
Living in Generosity
Family Life & Tithing
Website resources
Build centralized places for parishioners to find the Tithing prayer, Tithing Guide, pledge cards, and resources they need during this series.
Build centralized places for parishioners to find the Tithing prayer, Tithing Guide, pledge cards, and resources they need during this series.
Roll out plan
Below is the recommended rollout plan and also a list of all the deliverables available to you.
When should I roll this out?
You may already have a time in your parish calendar where you visit tithing with your parishioners. We recommend using this to complement what is already happening in your parish life! If you don’t have a set time, spring or summer may be good moments to invite people into this conversation. This recommended rollout plan could take up to 4 weeks, depending on how long you want to spend in helping parishioner orient themselves in prayer.
Part 1 - Invite people into four weeks of prayer
Before entering into the conversation around money, start with the Kickoff Email that invites all parishioners into a Tithing Prayer. Print off the Tithing Prayer cards and hand them on Sunday as a way to help orient themselves around money and tithing as an outpouring of their relationship with Jesus. This call to prayer can last one week or several weeks depending on your resources and parish.
We also recommend you set up the resource page on your website so people can reference the steps they are taking and understand the deeper principles to tithing.
Before entering into the conversation around money, start with the Kickoff Email that invites all parishioners into a Tithing Prayer. Print off the Tithing Prayer cards and hand them on Sunday as a way to help orient themselves around money and tithing as an outpouring of their relationship with Jesus. This call to prayer can last one week or several weeks depending on your resources and parish.
We also recommend you set up the resource page on your website so people can reference the steps they are taking and understand the deeper principles to tithing.
Part 2 - Learn about tithing
During this period of prayer, invite people into understanding what tithing is and begin to introduce some discernment tools. Send this email to help them understand the heart behind tithing.
During this period of prayer, invite people into understanding what tithing is and begin to introduce some discernment tools. Send this email to help them understand the heart behind tithing.
Part 3 - Invite people to discern their tithing
This email template invites parishioners to take three intentional steps: evaluate their tithing, commit to that discernment, and set up online giving. We've broken down these steps and their resources below.
This email includes links to your specific giving page on your website, as well as links to the Tithing Guide. Be sure to edit these before sending.
Calculate using the Tithing Guide
This Tithing Guide will help parishioners be able to calculate their donations based on what the percentage they want to give. The Tithing Guide can be edited with your parish logo, or printed as a Word Doc. Once you have the Tithing Guide customized to your parish, link it appropriately to the email.
The tithing landing page can be built directly in your parish website and offers a central place for people to begin exploring this topic.
(Option) Pledge their commitment
As a way to solidify their step into calculating their tithing, a pledge card can help keep them accountable to this step, especially if they are not quite ready to set up online giving. This can be printed with or without your logo and passed out among parishioners. It can also be sent digitally, or skipped all together, and instead, invite people directly to your pledge page on Tilma.
Set up online giving
Setting people up for monthly giving is a great way to help increase donations overall in your parish, and help ease the worries and barriers for your parishioner to give. Point people towards your online giving page and explain why monthly giving benefits your parish in the long run. Be sure to include your giving page links in the emails (see the template).
This email template invites parishioners to take three intentional steps: evaluate their tithing, commit to that discernment, and set up online giving. We've broken down these steps and their resources below.
This email includes links to your specific giving page on your website, as well as links to the Tithing Guide. Be sure to edit these before sending.
Calculate using the Tithing Guide
This Tithing Guide will help parishioners be able to calculate their donations based on what the percentage they want to give. The Tithing Guide can be edited with your parish logo, or printed as a Word Doc. Once you have the Tithing Guide customized to your parish, link it appropriately to the email.
The tithing landing page can be built directly in your parish website and offers a central place for people to begin exploring this topic.
(Option) Pledge their commitment
As a way to solidify their step into calculating their tithing, a pledge card can help keep them accountable to this step, especially if they are not quite ready to set up online giving. This can be printed with or without your logo and passed out among parishioners. It can also be sent digitally, or skipped all together, and instead, invite people directly to your pledge page on Tilma.
Set up online giving
Setting people up for monthly giving is a great way to help increase donations overall in your parish, and help ease the worries and barriers for your parishioner to give. Point people towards your online giving page and explain why monthly giving benefits your parish in the long run. Be sure to include your giving page links in the emails (see the template).
Part 4 - Tithing follow-up
As people enter into this moment or even a season of thinking more intentionally about their money and stewardship, you can provide touch points that help parishioners understand more about tithing and what God is calling all of us into.
As people enter into this moment or even a season of thinking more intentionally about their money and stewardship, you can provide touch points that help parishioners understand more about tithing and what God is calling all of us into.
Listen / read how Fr. Moore presented his letter through his homily which also talked about the principles of tithing.
Helpful Guides For Implementation
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Yes! All our assets are made to be edited and adaptable to your parish brand. If you need any help editing the files, let us know.
Social posts
Social media templates to invite people into the series and emphasize next steps in the series.
Social media templates to invite people into the series and emphasize next steps in the series.