If you have not read:
Smith, Christian, and Michael O. Emerson. Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money. New York: Oxford Univeristy Press, 2008.
At least read this alarming summary. . .Here are 6 facts about American giving (based on their thorough research):
Fact #1: At least one out of five American Christians – 20 percent of all U.S. Christians -give literally nothing to church, para-church, or nonreligious charities.
Fact #2: The vast majority of American Christians give very little to church, para-church, or nonreligious charities.
Fact #3: American Christians do not give their dollars evenly among themselves, but, rather a small minority of generous givers among them contributes most of the total Christian dollars given.
Fact #4: Higher income earning Christians-like Americans generally -give little to no more money as a percentage of household income than lower income earning Christians.
Fact #5: Despite a massive growth of real per capita income over the twentieth century, the average percentage share of income given by American Christians not only did not grow in proportion but actually declined slightly during this time period.
Fact #6: The vast majority of the money that American Christians do give to religion is spent in and for their own local communities of faith – – little is spent on missions, development, and poverty relief outside of local congregations, particularly outside the United States, in ways that benefit people other than the givers themselves.
Someone once asked why our church “interrupts worship” to take up an offering.
At that time, I did not have a prepared answer, but if I were asked the same today, I think I would say something like, “in a wealthy and consumer-minded culture, giving up some of what “we” own may be the clearest indicator of how sincerely we worship and trust God, and thus it is one of the most important elements in our corporate worship.
For where our treasure is, there will our heart be, also.”