17/02/2026
Lent and Easter can bring a rise in church attendance and interest, with families, newcomers, and returning visitors joining regular worshippers. Many now arrive without cash, but digital giving offers an accessible way for visitors to show support and participate in the life of the church if they wish.
Whether your church is just starting with digital giving or looking to strengthen what you already have, here’s five ideas from the Digital Giving team to help you.
1. Explore giving as spiritual practice
The Church of England’s Lent 2026 theme is Draw Near: Life Giving Habits for Lent. This year’s national resources centre on the idea of a “rhythm of life” – habits and patterns that help us grow as disciples of Christ day by day. This offers an ideal opportunity to help people explore generosity as a spiritual practice. What role does giving have in the Christian life, beyond simply meeting financial needs? Why is it good for us to be generous? Why can we find it hard? This could be a topic for sermons, small groups, or stories and reflections shared on social media. You could encourage a culture of giving by inviting those who give to share stories about their relationship to giving and how it has helped them spiritually. You could use the Giving team’s Living Generously series (eight video reflections on generosity) as a small group resource.
2. Use the 2026 digital giving resources
The Digital Giving Team have created downloadable template resources below to give you a simple, colourful way to encourage giving on giving devices.
There are two animated screens (‘Donation’ and ‘Thank you’) made ready-to-use for Give A Little devices, plus a customisable version of the Donation screen that you can edit on Canva to personalise it for your church. You can download a step-by-step guide to using the Give A little templates here. There is also a graphic you can share on a GWD Attract Loop.
You can also access these resources on the AChurchNearYou.com Resource Hub.
3. Try a digital giving spring clean
Take 20 minutes to check that your giving mechanisms are working smoothly.
Key quick wins:
Make sure your online giving page is easy to access with visible QR codes in high traffic areas (and doublecheck those QR codes still link to the right page).
If you haven’t done so in a while, review your giving area:
Suggested donation amounts on screen – to ensure they are up to date.
Instructional posters – make sure the information is still correct and the instructions are easy to read
Use our new giving ask poster template to ensure you are adhering to the updated code of fundraising practice
Have support available: Even with clear instructions, it’s helpful to have someone on hand to assist people who may be unfamiliar with the device.
This helps both regular givers and visitors feel confident and informed.
4. Confidently report the impact giving has
People give more – and feel better about it – when they know what their generosity supports. Try highlighting how a gift supports the work with children and families, pastoral ministry, community projects or building upkeep for ministry use.
For more information about communicating impact, read our dedicated page here.
5. Follow up with gratitude
After Easter share a warm thank you in services and via email or social media (remembering that a visitor may have generously given who won’t be there to hear your thanks at a service!). Make it clear to your supporters how much you appreciate whatever they give. Be sure to demonstrate what their giving made possible, e.g. “your generosity enabled us to…[highlight positive outcome/work]”.
Showing gratitude for giving deepens supporter trust which has been found to lead to greater generosity and joy in giving, as found in Stewardship’s 2025 Generosity report.
Not sure where to start with Digital Giving? Let us help you!
An easy place to start is online giving which offers a simple way for people to contribute whether they are in the building or elsewhere. Then you can use a simple link in a newsletter or QR code on a poster or flyer that directs people to your giving page.
Parish Buying offers a choice of two affordable and simple providers for online giving: Give A Little and the Parish Giving Scheme. There’s plenty of support and step-by-step guides on the Parish Buying webpage dedicated to online giving.
Alternatively, maybe you would like to give contactless giving a go over this Easter season. In our largely cashless society, contactless giving makes donating as easy and quick as possible for those wanting to donate spontaneously. If you're considering investing in a contactless device, Parish Buying offers a range of options at discounted prices. Browse through the selection and choose the one that fits your church's needs.
We’re here to help you. The Digital Giving team is dedicated to supporting your church’s efforts to promote generosity at Easter and throughout the year. Visit the Building a Generous Church page for more resources, guidance, and inspiration.
- Digital Giving Team
