News

Kiosks aid in tithing for NJ church

July 21, 2014

The 135-year-old nondenominational Ocean City Tabernacle in N.J. is an old church with a new way of giving, according to a Press of Atlantic City article.

The church installed two iPad kiosk stations this summer as part of an effort to test the effect of new technology on donations. Most of its donations are still passed on through collection plates, but Tabernacle CEO Rick Carlson has faith his congregation will see the light, the article said.

"Part of the reason is our audience tends to be older and kiosks tend to be used most by younger people who use credit or debit cards for everything. They don't write checks or carry cash," he said. “Because it's new this year, there needs to be a retraining how people do things. In a couple of years, it will be natural and normal for people to use them.”

Elsewhere in N.J., Egg Harbor Township's Shore Fellowship church has doubled its use of kiosks annually since installation five years ago. Half of donations received by the fellowship are routed via kiosks, online banking and iPhone apps.

"We believe we're creating an opportunity to participate in worship along different avenues and different paths," Shore Fellowship executive administrator T.K. Dennis said in the article.

Many people no longer use cash, and kiosks permit visitors who may only attend once a chance to give, the article said.