The idea of collecting donations in small offering boxes goes back to the very early 1800s, when women formed “mite” or “cent” societies to raise money. Mite boxes were given out as fundraising tools to collect pennies for the support of church projects and foreign missionaries.

The earliest American Lutheran women’s missionary society was founded in New York in 1837 to financially support the education and ordination of foreign missionaries from their synod. In 1879, the first national American Lutheran women’s missionary society, the General Synod’s Women’s Home and Foreign Missionary Society, was founded. The original reason behind the creation? Funds were needed to financially support two young women who wanted to be foreign missionaries but were denied funding by the Board of Missions. A national women’s structure was born!

 

Beginning in the late 19th century, Lutheran women were given small Thankoffering boxes to place in a special location in their homes as a visible reminder of blessings received. Women would add coins to those boxes almost daily as particular blessings were noted. From their use came the idea of an annual church service to celebrate their collection, and so the women of the congregation would come together for a Thankoffering service. From their first service in 1889, $6,100 was collected (that’s a LOT of pennies to count!). Today, Women of the ELCA collects more than $1 million in Thankofferings annually for the ministries and mission of the women’s organization.

 

Thankofferings show gratitude for God’s blessings and give us an important and tangible way to express that gratitude. It is a tradition grounded in our celebration of community, of meeting together to joyfully give thanks for what God has given us. Thankofferings have always been, and still are, our opportunity to say thank you to God in both significant and ordinary moments.

This stewardship is not just about providing assistance to others. It is also about provoking others to recognize their power to implement change through their offerings. It was this hope of change that motivated the ‘women’s cent society's 200 years ago, and it is the same today. Inspired by our spiritu- al foremothers, we continue to see our witness to the gospel, our capacity to serve and our community of women grow through our offerings.