Technology and the Church

Is your church on the cutting edge of technology or does your church put the "NO" in tech"NO"logy? Church technology used to be a basic sound board or a sign out front that you had to change the letters on yourself. These days church technology can be anything from songs on a screen to graphics and flashing lights. There are online giving platforms so you can give your offering, even when you miss church. You can even set it to come out automatically so you never forget about it. Church membership used to be kept in books now it is all online.

Don’t Be Afraid of Technology:

As it seems most of this blog leans towards church leaders this point is for everyone. When the time comes for your church to make some technological advances do not be the voice of dissent. I saw a quote the other day; churches that put the method before the mission will fade”. Don’t be that voice that holds on to an outdated method when the church tries to reach out to a new generation. We do not have to fear change; it is inevitable and it is okay so long as we do not change the Message of the Gospel and our Call to Ministry. (This was originally my last paragraph but I decided to move it to the front)

Some churches have gone to the extremes of technology offering services that are completely online while others have a “Just Say No to Technology” approach. I am a firm believer that you have to be who you are as a church body. If you are not authentic then your visitors will see it immediately. Authenticity is one of the biggest keys to capturing new members; if you are authentic about who you are they are more likely to feel like you care. So no matter where you go with technology just be authentic in your presentation.

In the ever changing world young adults want things quicker and quicker. Online shopping is getting quicker and quicker; Amazon has 2 hour delivery in some areas. We live in a truly amazing time. In a world where we can get things at a touch of a button religion is no different. If your church has any type of Social Media presence then it is more than likely that the first impression a potential visitor will have with your church will be online. Before anyone visits a new church these days, they will google and see what churches are around or if they are invited to your church they will look you up and see if they think they will like your service.

One of the first things we have to ask when trying to figure out how to use technology to our advantage is what are they looking for? You don’t have to have the best website or the most up to date graphics because all of that is just a backdrop for the material on your page. Do you present yourself as a church that cares? Do you have a place where they can see who you are? Are your service times readily available? Is the information on your page current and not outdated? Can a potential visitor listen or watch some of your services online? These are just a few of the things you do to make sure you are making the most of your technological presence.

Just to highlight a couple of those here:

Do you present yourself as a church that cares?

This one is very important. When a young adult comes to your page they are looking for engagement. This generation wants more than a church to attend on Sunday. What ministries do you have during the week? Are you engaged in the community? Where can they get plugged in with others? Remember, just because you might be a small church that does not mean you cannot use technology to your advantage and that you cannot be engaged in your community. (I will post later this week my thoughts on engagement) Remember, a church that cares responds. If you have a contact section on your page where people can email you; respond in a timely fashion.

Is the information on your page current and not outdated?

Nothing is worse than getting a phone call from a visitor who showed up to last night’s 5 o’clock service that is on your web page but you stopped having six months ago. It is also important to note that there are other websites that list church services so google your church name and see what is out there and make sure the information is correct. In a previous role I was an office manager for a church and I spent an entire day browsing google and contacting different folks to update our information that someone else had posted on the web. To a visitor if your website is not up to date it gives the impression that you don’t care and if you don’t care then they won’t care. Too many churches build a website and never update it. Times change and so do the people in your church. If the last pictures on your site are from the 1993 Christmas play it is time to update your page.

Here are a few things not to do:

Don’t Rush into Technology:

This is extremely important because so many churches feel like they have to keep up with the Jones’ and rush into using technology prematurely or before they are equipped to do so. Don’t spend all the money on a new sound system if you do not have someone who can run it correctly. All those buttons don’t mean anything if they cannot be used the right way. Don’t throw out the hymnals as soon as technology hits. If your congregation is used to having the hymnals and you decide to move to slides then do it slowly and gradually.

Don’t Get The Wrong Equipment:

If you are going to push your way into the technological world then make sure you have the right equipment. If you are going to try to live stream a service then make sure you have a great quality camera that can pick up great audio and make sure you have dedicated bandwidth on your internet that will support this. If you are going to use a projector then make sure you have one that is equipped for the space that you are using. If not, then your slides will look fuzzy and distorted.

Don’t Misuse Social Media:

Post regularly but do not over post. This one is tricky because if you don’t post enough then no one sees it when you do but if you post to much then people stop following because they get tired of seeing it. Start small and just make a post the day before any church services reminding folks about the service and let it grow from there.

Don’t Let Technology Become a Distraction:

If you are using technology then it is very important to not let it distract folks from why they are there. After all, the most important thing is that they hear the Gospel. If your slides are too full of information then people will pay more attention to them than you. If you are posting on Facebook, double check for typos as people can be critical of those things. (I say that and there are probably 1,000 typos in this blog). When using technology problems will happen and microphones will die and speakers will pop and projectors will burn out. It happens, but some things can be prevented by doing a dry run before you close shop for the week.

Always remember, that not every church needs a praise band and not every church needs to be on the cutting edge of technology. The most important thing is being true to yourself and when the time comes for technology do it the right way. Be authentic.

That Just Happened:

As I typed this I saw a Facebook post from a local church that is meeting in a coffee house and is looking to grow within the community and they have posted all the songs they sing on Spotify (a popular music listening app) so that anyone coming to church on Sunday can be familiar with their music. This is a great way for them to use the technology they have and it fits who they are perfectly.