Community Christian Church (lovingly referred to as COMMUNITY) has spent decades building systems that allow ministry to scale.

Based in the Chicago suburbs, COMMUNITY operates seven locations across Chicagoland, prison locations called Community Freedom, a growing international microchurch movement, and Community Online. That kind of reach requires strong operational systems behind the scenes.

As the church continued to grow, its leadership team began asking an important question:

How do you create a giving experience that scales with the mission of the church?

For COMMUNITY, the answer came through adopting a modern church giving platform that could support digital giving, stock donations, and in-service engagement tools.

That platform was Overflow.

Scaling Generosity Across a Multi-Site Church

David Girdwood has witnessed nearly every stage of COMMUNITY’s growth.

He joined the church in 1996 when the church had only one campus and multisite churches were rare. Shortly afterward, it launched its second location.

“There were only a dozen churches in the entire United States doing multi-site at that point,” David said. “We were very early on in that concept.”

Today, COMMUNITY operates multiple campuses with attendance ranging from 100 to 1,500 people per weekend.

With that scale came operational complexity.

David oversees the day-to-day business operations of the church, including: finance, HR and payroll, budgets, and IT systems.

As their multisite church expanded, so did the need for better tools to manage giving.

The Challenge: Outgrowing Legacy Giving Systems

Like many churches, COMMUNITY had used several giving tools over the years.

Their previous platform had served them well when mobile giving was still emerging. But over time, the church began to feel the system evolving in a different direction.

As the platform expanded into a broader suite of church technology products, it no longer felt as focused on advancing giving technology specifically. For COMMUNITY, that focus mattered. They wanted a partner that was continually investing in innovation around digital giving.

At the same time, the church was exploring ways to make generosity easier for donors.

One opportunity stood out in particular: stock donations.

Many larger-capacity donors already gave appreciated stock, but the process was not accessible for everyday givers.

“We realized that we didn’t have a pathway for someone who wanted to give a smaller stock gift from their portfolio online,” David explained.

That challenge led the church to Overflow.

Introducing a Modern Church Giving Platform

COMMUNITY first partnered with Overflow to enable digital stock donations for churches.

The goal was to create an easier way for people to give non-cash assets without complicated paperwork or broker involvement.

Soon after, the church expanded its use of Overflow into additional areas:

• Online giving
• Donor-Advised Fund giving
• Tap technology for engaging attenders

The decision was not just about features.

David emphasized that the Overflow team’s openness to feedback and continuous improvement made the relationship feel collaborative rather than transactional.

“The thing that attracts us most to Overflow is their vision and passion for serving the kingdom. They have a unique culture that views our feedback as positive. That openness and willingness to partner with us improves the experience for all donors and churches.”

Replacing QR Codes with Tap Engagement

Before adopting Tap, COMMUNITY relied heavily on QR codes during services.

But QR codes created friction. Announcements would appear briefly on screens, and if someone did not scan the code quickly enough, the moment was gone.

David often saw the frustration from the production booth. “People would pull out their phones, lift them up, and the slide would change. Their body language was saying ‘What do I do now?’”

Tap technology changed that experience.

Instead of relying on temporary screen prompts, Tap to Give technology places an NFC-enabled Tap point directly on the seat in front of each attendee. A simple tap of a smartphone opens a mobile-friendly page with next steps.

COMMUNITY created a centralized landing page connected to Tap providing quick access to:

• Giving
• Upcoming events
• Ministry opportunities
• And more!

This allowed the church to maintain a simple experience for attendees while giving campuses flexibility to update next steps as needed.

Adapting Tap for Real-World Church Environments

Like many new technologies, Tap required some experimentation.

Overflow offers different hardware options for different ministry moments. Tap labels are especially useful for one-off events, temporary activations, or short-term campaigns where flexibility matters most. Tap discs and plates are better suited for long-term installations, recurring use cases, or special environments where added durability is important.

COMMUNITY initially installed Tap labels on chairs, but several factors caused durability issues, including humidity, chair fabric coatings, and outside groups using the building.

In one case, children attending outside events removed dozens of Tap labels.

Rather than abandoning the system, the church worked with Overflow to develop more durable solutions.

Three campuses have now upgraded to Tap 2.0 plates, while another high-traffic location implemented a custom pocket-mounted Tap system that worked better with their seating design.

The result was a long-term solution that preserved the benefits of Tap while adapting to the realities of their spaces.

Strengthening Donor Care and Retention

One area COMMUNITY is especially focused on is donor retention.

David noted that failed gifts often go unnoticed by donors because they receive so many automated emails every day. As a result, recurring donations can quietly lapse.

COMMUNITY addresses this challenge through pastoral care relying on automated notifications from Overflow to make the process more timely and efficient.

Each week, David reviews emails & reports of canceled or failed recurring gifts and forwards them to campus pastors. Pastors then check in with those individuals relationally.

The goal is not to pressure people about giving. The goal is simply to check in.

That approach reflects a core belief shared by both COMMUNITY and Overflow: generosity should always remain relational.

The Results

By implementing Overflow, COMMUNITY gained a giving platform designed for modern ministry.

The church now has:

• A scalable church giving platform built for multi-site operations
• A simpler way to accept stock donations
• Tap technology that increases engagement during services
• A giving partner focused on continuous improvement

Just as importantly, they gained a platform that aligns with their long-term vision of equipping people to live generously.

Looking Ahead

COMMUNITY continues to explore ways to expand generosity across its campuses.

The church is currently experimenting with Generosity University, Overflow’s generosity discipleship resource, as part of its broader effort to build a culture of giving.

For David and the team at COMMUNITY, the goal is not simply to process donations.

The goal is to create a clear, simple path so when God stirs generosity, people can respond right away.

And with the right church giving platform, that vision becomes easier to pursue.

If your church is considering new church giving platforms or exploring ways to simplify generosity for your congregation, Overflow can help.