Q. What is online giving? Online giving is the ability to give a donation or schedule a series of donations using your debit or credit card or your bank account on FBCtopeka.com.
Q. What is a repeating donation? This is similar to a subscription. You can choose how often you would like an automatic donation to be made—weekly, Twice per month (1st & 16th or 5th & 20th) or monthly (1st or 16th).
Q. Why do I have to set up an account and password? Setting up an account and password allows you to enter a highly secure environment for your transaction. Once your account and password are established, all of your personal information including credit card information is safe and protected.
Q. Is it secure? Yes, we've taken steps to ensure that the giving process is safe and secure from beginning to end. 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. No one has access to your banking data except you and you have full control over the management of your account at all times.
Q. Are there any hidden charges or fees to give online? Nope. You select the dollar amount for your gift. That is the dollar amount that will be recognized as your donation. No costs or fees to you.
Q. Can I use my debit card or credit card? As long as it's a MasterCard, Visa or Discover card.
Q. Can I use an electronic check? Yes, simply click on the image of the check to the right of the payment options. This is by far the best way to give and the way we would prefer for you to give.
Q. Can I just try this by giving one time? Sure. You can set up an "auto-tithe" anytime you want or simply log in each time you want to give.
Q. If we want to help people get out of debt, why does Fellowship Bible Church accept credit card donations? Used within the parameters, debit and credit cards can be an efficient tool for payments and purchases. Many people utilize them in place of checks or cash throughout the month, and then pay off the balance in full. For these people, we offer the option of using a debit or credit card to give. We strongly discourage those who have ongoing credit card debt from exercising this option. If you have ongoing credit card problems please consider talking to one of our financial counselors or attending Financial Peace University. As we have already mentioned....we highly recommend the use of the e-check option for everyone giving online.
Q. How should I tithe if my income varies from pay period to pay period? Depending on which is more feasible for your situation, you can handle tithing with a fluctuating income in 1 of a couple of different ways. Some people choose to give exactly one-tenth of their earnings for each individual pay-period. Others estimate their total earnings for the year and give a portion of the total tithe each week or month throughout the year.
Q. Can I designate my gift to a particular department or ministry? Every dollar given to the Fellowship Bible Church's general fund is used to support the mission of FBC; therefore, gifts cannot be designated or restricted for use by a specific department or ministry at this time. There will be times that you can designate offerings in the future (i.e. Christmas Offerings, Disaster Relief, Building Fund, etc.)
Q. Should I tithe off my gross earnings or the net amount of my paycheck? Scripture doesn’t use the literal terms “net” or “gross”. It’s more important to note that the spirit in which we give is of greatest value to God. He tells us in II Corinthians 9 that “each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give; not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Q. How can I keep a record of the amount I have contributed? You can view your online giving record by logging in to your account at any time. You can manage your records and any re-occuring donations from there. It's secure and only you have access to that information.
Q. Can I give online to the building campaign (Built to Last)? Not at this time.
Q. When is the automatic contribution charged to my account? You choose: one time, weekly, twice per month, monthly. You can set up as many schedules as you would like, so it’s possible to give a monthly gift as well as a weekly one.
Q. How do I participate in the weekly offering if my contribution is automatically processed online? You can still participate in the offering during the service by reflecting on the message of the song or media that is being presented during that time...it's all about the heart!
Q. What if I want to change my online giving or stop it? Log in to your account anytime and you can manage your account.
Q. Who do I talk to if I have more questions? Contact Vicky Nelson at: 785.478.0002, or donations@fbctopeka.com and your questions will be addressed.