For a while now I’ve wanted to create my own Vacuum-based offering machine… ever since I saw them pop up on CMConnect.org. The only thing that kept me from making my own was the doubt that I could find the right materials and be able to cobble them together in a way that would be air tight and still look presentable.
The idea is that you can increase your kids ministry offering by having the kids trade their coins for rubber bounce balls. Then at offering time they come forward and the offering machine sucks up the balls. The machine has a clear tank so the kids see their offering go inside. Fun right? Yes!
Here are some examples of what I’ve seen out there in the CM wild:
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We’ll I’m thrilled to say that I have finally made my own. They look great and they were dead simple. Plus, I got everything I needed at the local Lowe’s store.
They have these new shop vacs that mount to the top of a 5 gallon bucket.
The only problem is that 5 gallon buckets aren’t clear. They’re typically white. But today I found these.
They come in various colors and are the closest thing to clear you’re going to get. They’re located right next to the regular buckets in the paint section at Lowe’s. I bought a blue and a green one.
Then you just unpack the vac and stick it on the bucket… you’re done!
The bucket is pretty clear on it’s own… but I think I’m going to add a little LED light to the bottom of the vac that will turn on with the power switch. That will totally make this thing look amazing and transparent. I may decide to spray paint the vac to match the bucket. They have spray paint that will stick to plastic. I’ve had a lot of luck with the “Hammered Finish” spray paints.
I decided not to go with the solid rubber bouncy balls. They’re a pain when kids drop them and they’re heavy in bulk. I chose small “koosh” style “hedge balls” from USToy.com (the small ones).
So there you go! Super simple offering machines. The vacs run $20 each and the buckets were like $4-6 bucks each. You can’t buy a regular shop vac for less than $40! So this solution is simple and cheap.
I’ll be sure to post pictures when I get the lights installed and have them in use.
What do you think?
UPDATE 9/18/2010:
I went ahead and added a light to each offering machine. The result is incredible!
How did I do it? It’s going to be a bit tough to explain. I’m NOT an electrician and I can’t promise this thing won’t burn up or melt down… so I’m not going to give a step-by-step on this one… just find someone who knows what they’re doing and they’ll know how I did it.
What did I do? I’ll answer that. I went back to Lowe’s and picked up a couple of under-cabinet lights. They were around 10 bucks each.
I drilled a hole for the chord and mounted the light to the bottom of the motor casing. I had to remove some of the plastic reinforcement to get the lamp to sit snug against the bottom of the case.
The hole led up through the top close to where the vac’s power chord entered the motor casing. I didn’t go up through the motor itself so I couldn’t mess up the suction or get moving parts mixed with wires. I removed a bit more plastic next to the power chord to allow my wire to fit once I screwed everything back together. All you can see now is just a tiny bit of the chord.
I opened the motor casing on the vac and wired the lamp to the vac motor chords after they left the main switch. This way the light comes on when I use the unit… no separate switch for the light. The following picture just shows the wires… not my modification. I just split one red wire at a time and put them together with one of the wires from the lamp with a wire nut. Then did the next.
Then I put everything back together and tried it out. It works!
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What do we think now? I’m thrilled!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
LOVE IT!!!!! I so wish we could have had this when you were in KC… BUT I am putting this in my brain for when I am a kid’s pastor!!!!
Thanks for sharing. Tammy we don’t need to wait for anything let’s just build it.
Sweet! Share some pics!!
I love the idea! I saw this and thought it would be cool to have clear tubes running along the walls to the collection center. I also had another thought instead of the porcupine balls, why not use pom pom balls. You can get about 100 of them for $1.00.
My only concern is my pastor would probably say something like. Is this taking away from giving the money to God, and making it seem like they are buying the toys to have fun with? Sort of like a bubble gum machine.
Thinking that I thought of another use for it. Behavior Balls. During the service kids get the balls for being on their best behavior. And at the end of the service they get to watch them be sucked into the machine. If you don’t behave, you don’t get the fun.
“Is this taking away from giving the money to God”
To be sure that doesn’t happen, I make sure I explain that offering time is at the very beginning… and this just makes the giving even more fun.
Heck, adults get to have all kinds of events and banquets to raise money for ministry… let the kids have some fun too!
I really like the idea. Quick question though. How much do you value each koosh ball at?
You get two for a dollar. We urge the kids to bring at least a dollar a week.
I love the ideas – very creative and fun!
But let me make sure I understand… the kids come in, give the teacher their coins for offering and then the teacher gives them balls (is this before or after you do the mini teaching on offering? and do they literally get a ball for every coin? What if they bring pennies?)…then at offering time they put out their hand with the balls and the usher sucks it up in a machine… So the kids don’t keep the balls and you just reuse the balls every week…is that right?
the kids check in, enter the room and are greeted with the offering table… by service time they have made the trade. the mini lesson is more of a reminder given once in a while.
we give one ball for every fifty cents. or you could do one for each quarter… your call.
and yes, balls are reused each week.
Interesting idea! And, yes, I like the behavior idea in the comment, as well. I was wondering too, whether the offering idea would take away from the knowledge that you are giving money because we should give money (not saying that’s exactly how I think..just was wondering what I thought about it…was contemplating it). On the other hand, I don’t think it’s any different than doing a competition for who can bring in the most offering. But, either way, I like the flashy idea!
Thanks for the comments. Of course, if there is any worry for your kids not getting the connection… I would suggest you stay away.
However, in the case of my children, they are just trading the money… and so the balls now have the same “value” it’s just a little more fun. Years from now they will look back at offering time and remember that giving was fun. I can guarantee that no one will look back and wonder if they truly gave.
I would love to see some video of this in action. After several months, are kids still into it?
Yes they are! Offering is a hot thing. Totals went up and have stayed up.
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