Christians have taken collections for the poor since the days of Paul (I Corinthians 16:1-4). However, only in the 19th century did it become customary to raise money for church expenses by passing plates during worship. This gradually replaced such practices as paying the preacher in kind, subscription sheets and pew rentals.

     Offering envelopes came into use after the Civil War. The United States was industrializing, and money was growing ever more important. A growing money supply produced extremes of wealth and poverty, and who was giving how much was seen as "private business." Also, churches often had cash flow problems and gave out envelopes marked for every Sunday to encourage steady weekly giving. In the 1880s duplex envelopes appeared, letting donors designate gifts for specific purposes such as current expenses or missions. Soon churches began speaking of the "offering" rather than the "collection" and interpreting it as an act of worship signifying our stewardship of all that God had entrusted to us.