It is common for churches to require or urge their members to donate a certain amount of money as tithes and offerings to help fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the church to help the poor as well as fund the initiatives the church will pursue. This tradition has been based on the Bible verse Numbers 18:26 which states, “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.'”
In relation to that, churches use simple envelopes to collect tithes and offerings. But more than just keeping the collection process organized and efficient, it is also a way for the church to retain records of donations, comply to the IRS laws, and to issue annual receipts to the contributors to help them claim these as deductions from their taxes. With that said, a few church envelope examples used for various reasons are provided in this article.
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Church Envelope Examples
1. Mail Offering Church Envelope
There might come a time when you can’t physically attend a mass or service. With that, you will not also be able to give your tithes and offerings; however, various congregations allow their members to still send in their offerings through the mail. A mail offering church envelope, similar to this example, will be given to the member who wishes to send in their tithes and/or offerings to the church. Looking at this envelope example, you can clearly see the standard inclusions such as the return and inside address and the stamp which are all necessary for sending a mail.
2. Lord of the Harvest Church Envelope
In Matthew 9:38, Jesus refers to God as the Lord of the Harvest. In relation to this, churches will encourage its members to partake in a Christlike maturity and train them for their ministry to help pursue the teachings of God. To communicate this message better, they will send in official letters using the church’s official letterhead and envelope. As you can see in this example, the envelope was designed relevant to its purpose which is to convey that God is the Lord of the Harvest by using wheatgrass as its main background.
3. Church Return Envelope
The church will always encourage its members to respond positively to the efforts and initiatives they want to pursue; hence, when they send a letter they will always include a return envelope. For example, when the church sends a donation letter to its members, a return envelope containing the church’s return address will be included for a better and faster response. The envelope will usually have a basic design and little to none illustrations just like this example.
4. Non-Gift Aid Church Envelope
While some church envelopes are plain and simple, others have a unique format. Similar to this example, church envelopes can have choices that will allow their members to choose what they are giving or donating to. But aside from that, a fillable format to write their name, address, and other relevant information regarding the collection are also included on the envelope. If you are tasked to design and create the layout of your church’s envelope, you can use this example as a reference and guide.
5. Tithes and Offerings Church Envelope
Some churches strictly implement giving tithes; thus, requiring their members to give a tenth of their salary to the church to help cover expenses and other initiatives they want to conduct. In relation to this, they hand out tithes and offering envelope to their members to allow them to hand in their tithes and offering in a private way. This example is the perfect guide to use when you create a church envelope so that you can take into account all the necessary contents or texts you should include.
6. Christmas Compassion Church Envelope
Aside from tithes, the church also encourages the people to shell out a certain amount to help provide for the less privileged, which is the main teachings of the Bible. Special envelopes that states what the donation will be used for will be distributed to its members. Just like this example, this spreads a message of offering compassion through monetary offerings to support the church’s initiatives to help the poor and save their lives. It has a simple layout and design which will make it easier for the people to understand the message behind it as well as record the information of the giver.
7. Gift Aid Church Envelope
In England, Gift Aid is the government’s scheme that enables the churches and charities to reclaim tax paid on donations. This means that people can claim back the basic rate tax from HMRC on Gift Aid donations. Churches in England collectively receive nearly £90 million in Gift Aid tax rebates each year which proves that it is an effective scheme that helps the Church and the people. This envelope is an example of a Gift Aid church envelope; it contains basic information about the donating party along with a statement that explains the terms and conditions of Gift Aid.
8. Easter Offering Church Envelope
Easter is a big event that is celebrated by the Christian congregations; it is the time when Jesus Christ has risen from the dead to be with God. It is a significant day that helps people remember that God has stayed true to His words. In relation to this, special Easter church envelopes are given out to the people attending the service to urge them to give offerings that will help further the teachings of God through the church. The envelope usually has a simple design and layout with the title Easter Offering plastered on the front just like in this example.
9. Weekly Mail Offering Church Envelope
Since members of the church are encouraged to partake in the service weekly, an offering envelope is also given on a weekly basis. To be exact, this example is given to the people who can’t attend the mass or service in person but still wants to show his or her dedication through sending a donation or offering. The envelope contains the name and address of the church as the receiver along with his or her name and address, and amount for the offering. If you are planning to sponsor the envelopes for weekly collection, you can use this example as your guide.