Why Every Church Should Be Counting Offerings the Same Way Every Week

If your church takes in cash and checks, how you count them matters more than most people think. A simple written record of every offering, counted by two people and signed off, protects your church, your volunteers, and the people who give. It also keeps things honest and orderly, which fits what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:21, that we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

A good count sheet does a few simple things. It records the date, the cash by bill size, and every check with its number, the name on it, and the amount. Two people count and sign, and someone later verifies the deposit against the bank slip and again against the account statement. That one page gives you a clean paper trail, makes mistakes easy to catch, helps your treasurer and bookkeeper, and gives you solid backup when it is time to issue year-end giving statements. It also protects the volunteers who count, because no one is ever alone with the money and no one can be questioned later about what was in the plate.

If you are not doing this today, now is a great time to start. Based on the count sheets that we already see many of our church clients use, we made a simple two-page Giving Count Sheet Template that you can print and use each week, and it is free for any church that wants it.

Download the free Giving Count Sheet here

If you would like help setting up your church’s bookkeeping, giving records, or year-end statements, We would be glad to talk. You can reach us at through our website.