Will I Be Asked for Money if I Visit a Church of Christ?
No. If you visit us, you will not be asked for money, singled out, or made to feel awkward when the collection is taken. There is one contribution each Sunday, and it belongs to the members of the congregation — not to guests. You can let the tray pass right by you, and no one will think a thing of it.
The worry behind this question makes sense. A lot of people have visited churches where the pressure to give felt heavy, or where a guest got singled out and handed an envelope with their name already on it. So here is exactly what happens when you are with us — and what does not.
What the Collection Actually Is
Once each Sunday, a collection is taken up from the members. This is not a fundraiser, and no one works the room with a plate. It is a simple act of worship the members do together, following the instruction Paul gave the early church: “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper” (1 Corinthians 16:2).
Notice who that instruction is written to: the members of the church, giving on the first day of the week as an act of their own worship. Paul was addressing the Corinthians about their own practice of giving — it was never aimed at whoever happened to be sitting in on the service that week, and we do not aim it at you either.
Why Visitors Are Not Expected to Give
Giving, as the New Testament describes it, is something a person decides privately and does willingly, not under pressure: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Money squeezed out of someone who has been put on the spot is the opposite of what that verse describes.
You are our guest. We are glad you came to worship and to look into what the Bible says. Asking you to help fund the congregation on your way through the door would work against the very reason we hope you came.
What You Will Actually See When the Tray Passes
At some point in the service, trays or plates are passed quietly down each row, the same unhurried way the Lord’s Supper is passed. Members place their contribution in as it goes by. When it reaches you, you simply pass it to the next person. That is the whole thing.
No one is watching to see what you do. There are no pledge cards, no envelopes with your name on them, no one walking the aisles, and no announcement calling out visitors. If you never reach for your wallet, no one will notice, and no one will care.
Can I Give If I Want To?
Some visitors ask the opposite question — not “will I be pressured to give,” but “am I even allowed to?” Yes. If you’d like to place something in the tray as it goes by, you are welcome to. But please do not feel obligated on our account. We would rather have you visit ten times giving nothing than visit once and feel like the price of admission was your wallet.
No Dues, No Pledges, No Fees
There is also no membership fee, no annual pledge, and no bill that follows you home after a visit. The congregation’s contribution funds the work the New Testament gives the church to do: building up its own members (Ephesians 4:11–16), supporting the spread of the gospel (Philippians 4:15–16), and caring for Christians in need (Romans 15:26). That is what the money is for, and members support it freely. It is not a subscription anyone signs you up for.
We should be honest about one thing. We are an independent congregation, with no headquarters directing us, so we handle our own affairs and can only speak for ourselves. What we have described here is how it works with us, and we cannot answer for every group elsewhere. The one promise we can make is that this is how it works when you are with us.
You’re Welcome Here
If a fear of being pressured has kept you from visiting, we hope this settles it. Come, sit, worship, and watch. You are free to give nothing and just as welcome, because we would rather you leave having heard something true than having left something in a tray. Here at Christians in Honesdale, we are simply Christians, glad for anyone who wants to look into the Bible with us.
You can schedule a free Bible study, learn more about who we are, or reach out to plan a visit. Take your time, ask anything you like, and see for yourself.
When we gather:
We meet at 416 Main Street, Suite D, Honesdale, PA 18431. Please park and enter at the rear of the building.