Giving: FAQs and Policies
When we feel called to give over and above our tithe, we do so as an offering.
Financial giving can be divided into two categories: tithes and offerings. The Bible teaches us that we worship the Lord with our tithe, which is ten percent of our income contributed to the church on a regular basis.
Benefits
First Fruits
In Proverbs 3:9 we are taught to honor the Lord with the “First Fruits” of our labor. By setting up a recurring contribution that is scheduled to come out of your account on the day you specify you can ensure that your First Fruits are given back to God.
Security
Online giving is even more secure than giving with a check or envelope in that an electronic gift can’t be lost or stolen.
Be A Part of the BIG Picture
In addition to giving your monthly tithes & offerings as “First Fruits,” you can also schedule a one-time or recurring contribution.
No Distractions
Instead of needing to worry about writing your contribution check during the service, you can be fully engaged in the worship service, knowing that you have already given your offering.
Simplicity
You will not need to remember if you gave this month or send in your offering checks when you are out of town.
Helping Core Church
Online contributions require less processing from our administrative staff since the information is logged and deposited automatically. They also ensure that you are still able to make your contributions in the event of a service cancellation due to weather or other circumstance.
FAQs
Is it safe to give online?
Yes. In many ways giving online is safer than writing a check because an electronic gift cannot be lost or stolen. The security of the system is continually managed by Fellowship One.
What types of bank accounts can I give from?
You can give online from your checking account via eCheck/ACH, or by credit card by MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express. To give using the eCheck/ACH method, you will just need your bank routing number and your checking account number.
Are there any fees involved with giving online?
Not to you. You will not pay any fees with an online gift. Also, online gifts are a more cost efficient way for the church to process donations.
Can I make a one-time contribution?
Yes. The system allows you the option of either making a one-time contribution or setting up a recurring contribution. For a one-time contribution, you can designate that the contribution should be made immediately or, for both one-time and recurring contributions, you can schedule the contributions to charge your credit/debit card or come out of your bank account on the date(s) specified by you.
If I want to set-up a recurring gift, what are my options for frequency of my gift?
For recurring gifts, you have the option of giving weekly, twice a month, every two weeks or once a month.
Can I change my personal information or the amount or the frequency of my gift once I have set it up?
Yes. You can change or cancel your contribution at any time before the date of your next contribution. Simply log into the system using your username and password and make the necessary changes in the system.
Can I review my donation history online?
Yes. The site will allow you to view the complete history of your contributions, given either online or otherwise. Once you’ve created an account, you will able to contribute immediately. However, for security purposes, before you can see any past contributions, we must manually connect your online account with your previous information. This is a one-time process when you initially create your account. After that, you can view your history at any time. For more details, see our security policy.
When will contributions be taken from my account?
Contributions will be taken from your specified bank account within 48 business hours of the date you requested. This time frame allows time for the contribution to process through your bank and the church’s bank. If the date of your contribution falls on a weekend or a holiday, the transaction will be initiated on the next banking day.
Can I designate my gift to a particular cause?
Yes, you can designate your gift to go toward the following:a. Tithes and Offeringsb. Core Foundationsc. Other-ContributionsThis church is a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. All tithes, offerings, or donations of any kind are deductible under IRC section 170(c)(2). Unless otherwise noted and in accordance with IRS regulation, you agree to relinquish control of the donated funds to the discretion of this church.
How will I know that I set up my gift correctly?
Immediately after submitting your contribution, you will receive an e-mail verifying your contribution.
Does it matter which Internet browser I use?
No. Any browser will work.
I have additional questions about online giving that have not been addressed. Who can I talk to?
For any questions, concerns or comments about the online giving system, please contact finance@corechurchtampa.com or call the church at 813-767-7198. You will receive a response from our staff as soon as possible.
Security
At Core Church, we use an online database called Fellowship One. Their system allows us to provide access to your contribution records and allows you to make donations online. They provide all of the security for the system. This system is used by churches throughout the country and has been fully tested by them. All of your giving data is secured by SSL encryption. SSL is an acronym for “Secure Socket Layer,” a security protocol that provides communications privacy over the Internet. It is the same technology used by banks and e-commerce companies such as Amazon.com to keep your information safe and secure during transactions.
There are two aspects of security related to the system. First, Fellowship One provides data security using the latest security technology. The following statement is from their security documentation: “[the system] utilizes the most current encryption technology to maintain the security of your data. Every parameter passed in the hyperlinks is fully encrypted. Additionally, the Login module handles passwords using what is known in technical terms as salted hash. In layman’s terms, this means it would take 50 computers (running constantly) continuously presenting password combinations four years to discover the password.”
The second aspect of security relates to account creation. When you first create a new account in the system, you will be able to donate immediately, but you will not have access to any previous contribution information. Before that can happen, we must manually link your prior information to the account you created. To verify the authenticity of the account request, we will ensure that your data matches our current records. If there is any question, we will contact you via email before creating the link. Since this is a manual process, we will perform these steps approximately once a week, but if you would like to speed up this process, you can send an email to finance@corechurchtampa.com.
When you create your account, you will use your email address for your user ID and will determine your password. If you forget your password, you can have the system email it to you by entering the email address that you used when you created your account. If you need help or cannot remember the email address you used, you can contact us at finance@corechurchtampa.com.
You can also change your password at any time. Please help us keep your information safe by protecting your login information. Access to sensitive personal and financial information can be gained by letting someone else use your account or by leaving the information for anyone to see. Core Church will never call you to ask for your login information.
Our Policies
Your information is held securely by the Fellowship One system. This information will remain private and will never be given away to third parties, other than to process your scheduled contributions.
You can schedule new contributions at any time and can modify or cancel those contributions at any time before the date they are scheduled. Once the contribution has been processed, however, it cannot be canceled. If you have any problems or questions related to this, please contact us at finance@corechurchtampa.com.
This church is a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. All tithes, offerings, or donations of any kind are deductible under IRC section 170(c)(2). Unless otherwise noted and in accordance with IRS regulation, you agree to relinquish control of the donated funds to the discretion of this church.
Other Giving Options
You can always give during any of our services or by mailing your contribution to:
Core Church
12191 W. Linebaugh #647
Tampa, FL 33626
Please make all checks payable to “Core Church.” You can also give by cash or credit card by using the specially prepared Core Church giving envelopes. To inquire about other donations, including donations of securities, please contact finance@corechurchtampa.com for further information.