Church and Technology: How Technology Helps The Mission Of The Church

Church and Technology

Technology has become a major part of our lives in the last decade. Smartphones, laptops, and tablets – are all a part of our daily routines. And while it’s not always easy to keep up with what is happening in the world, some benefits come from being plugged in. Churches have been adapting to this new way of life and taking advantage of the many tools technology provides for ministry purposes. 

A Note To Church Leaders

Church leaders and ministers are in a difficult position regarding technology. On the one hand, we want our congregants to be able to use technology in their everyday lives–it can make things much more efficient and productive for them.

On the other hand, we don’t want our congregants to become addicted or distracted by their devices and social media platforms when they should be focusing on God.

How do you reconcile these two desires?  

This blog post will address this question from different perspectives: what is the best way for leaders and ministers to approach using tech in worship services; what are some ways that churches have successfully integrated new technologies into their ministries, and what technological tools should church be using to reach the younger generations?

Ministering At Church With Technology

“To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”   Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says it all. The church has many different seasons, all of which require specific approaches. It makes sense for our younger generation to have a different approach from the older generation. But sometimes, these two generations clash due to conflicting views of technology.

Most leaders tend to lean toward “old school” approaches to ministry, which often means that ministers and other church professionals are averse to technological advancement. This is a mistake–we need to look at modern-day issues with a fresh perspective.

One of the ways we can do this is by opening our minds and hearts to change. People have been going to church for thousands of years, but that doesn’t mean there is no place to improve ministry roles. Most churches are inefficient–many are using outdated computer systems, which can lead to problems with registration and membership records. This is all due to a lack of technological knowledge at the ministry level.

Church leaders need to recognize their weaknesses so that they can hire qualified professionals with more experience with current-day technologies–apps, computers, etc.–and who can help leaders take advantage of all that technology offers. The money spent on hiring someone knowledgeable about using technology will pay off in the long run.

How can your local church use technology to grow?

Determine what the church’s vision and mission statement for your ministry is.

As leaders and ministers, we must identify our church’s mission statement. For example, let’s say your church’s mission statement is “to be a welcoming church where all people are invited to experience God.” Your church wants to use technology to help accomplish this goal. You can then take that vision and mission statement and use it to help you determine what kinds of technology to use and how you can integrate it into the church.

Here are some example questions leaders could ask themselves when considering the church’s vision and mission statement:

• What is our church trying to accomplish? How does technology help us reach that goal?
• Can we streamline church processes with better technology?
• Do church members have smartphones that leaders can use as a ministry tool to reach people who may not regularly come to church?
• Are members willing and eager to learn new technologies to help leaders achieve church goals?

Considering these questions should help leaders look at how technology can help their church’s mission and vision.

How can technology be used to reach out to more people in different areas?

When leaders consider how to reach people with technology, it’s important to be clear about what they want to accomplish. For instance, if the goal is only to reach more people in your congregation, something like live-streaming might be a great tool for you. But if your goal is also to attract young people, then social media might be a better option.

Technology should not replace traditional outreach methods but can serve as an additional outreach opportunity that wouldn’t have been available otherwise. For example, there are some communities where people do not have the means to travel long distances to attend church, but they might be able to watch a live-streamed service of your church online.

With that said, it’s important to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all tech solution for growing churches. So think about what your church can do with technology, and take advantage of opportunities you might not have had before. Then keep growing.

What are some ways that churches use technology today?

In churches, mobile phones allow people to live-stream church services or show live-streamed sermons online. Some churches even have apps that give churchgoers special access to sermons, live events, scriptures, and more.

Today, there are lots of ways that churches use technology to reach more people and fulfill their mission and vision.

Here is a brief list of ways churches are using church technology

• Livestreaming
• Social Media
• Church projection
• Sermon slides and notes
• Sound systems
• Paging systems
• Text messaging
• Cell phone apps to use mobile technology
• Church management software
• Offering free resources your church offers
• Church websites

These are just a few ways churches use technology to grow their church.

Ways a church can grow through using technology.

There are many ways church technology can help leaders grow their churches.

• Provide useful technology tools for church members.
• Grow church attendance by using new outreach opportunities, like live-streaming services.
• Use church technology to grow church attendance through social media or apps that provide exclusive content or church updates.
• Explore church technology solutions that encourage church members to participate in church functions and events as a function of church growth.
• Explore church technology solutions that provide leaders with useful tools like church management software.
• Connect parents with nursery or children’s church workers through paging systems.

The benefits of using technology in your local church 

• There are many benefits to using technology in your church. Here are just a few:
• Technology can strengthen the connection between leaders and congregants.
• Churches that utilize technology to enable ministry outreach see it as a great way to grow their attendance.
• Technology can help you keep up with trends over time so you do not get left behind when your technology does not meet your congregation’s needs.
• Technology helps churches find ways to serve members and attendees better than ever before.
• A church’s technology services can make it accessible for those who cannot travel great distances or are shut-ins.
• Many churches have seen an increase in financial support due to technology making the ministry accessible to those who cannot attend.

The challenges of using new technologies in churches

Many churches are hesitant to use technology in their ministry because they do not want to alienate anyone. But there are ways you can ease your congregation into using new technologies without it being too difficult.

Older church members may be the last to use technology, so ensure they are not left behind when using new tech tools.

It can be difficult for churches with lower budgets to find the funds to invest in new technologies. As a small church pastor myself, I understand this concern. That is why we have balanced quality with cost in our church technology products.

If your church is older, you might have a hard time getting people used to new tech solutions because they are not familiar with or experienced using them.

If your church is younger, you may face the opposite problem of having too many tech-savvy members who want to use new tech products that are not yet cost-effective for the church.

When is technology harmful to churches?

Technology can be a distraction to church members.

Leaders who use technology to grow their attendance numbers without helping the congregation can harm your church.

It is possible for churches to become obsessed with using new technologies, such as sending too many texts or emails that they forget the other important things when you started your ministry or church in the first place, like the human interaction of simply gathering.

Technology can create unhealthy relationships with other people

Technology can cause people to become obsessed with their phones, social media, etc. This can lead them to disconnect from other people.

Technology can hurt relationships because the use of technology in a relationship is more important than the relationship itself. (For example, when you choose to be on your phone or computer rather than spend time with someone.)

Technology can be used for the wrong things, such as pornography and gambling.

Although a spiritual leader or pastor would not use these things for church ministry, technology can lead weaker people to engage in these behaviors.

The Future Of Church Technology Is Here.

Why invest in technology for your church?

• Technology enables churches to keep up with the demands of growing congregations.
• Technology can help your church find new ways to serve its community, regardless of location.
• Technology has opened up more opportunities for ministry outreach than ever before.

The future of Church Technology and what it could look like in the next 10 years

The most effective Churches will know how to reach people online.

The most influential churches will meet people where they are and find ways to use tech tools to connect with them.

A church with a lot of members may be able to hire someone who is not a pastor but has tech skills and knowledge, so they can lead the church in using technology to connect with people.

A church might also create a more blended ministry where some members minister through the internet but still meet weekly for worship, and other events in churches, just like some churches do today.

Technology will continue to enable more and different artistic expressions in our churches and ministries than ever before.

Technology will continue to be used in our churches for personal goal-setting and accountability.

I believe technology can help churches more effectively serve unreached or underserved people, such as refugees or homeless people.

I hope everyone can use technology to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and love others, but it often takes money and education.

What would you like to see in the future of Church technology?

I hope every local church can access an affordable way of using technology tools without having to pay thousands of dollars for someone else to manage the system. I also want it to be easy to use and not require a lot of training or staff.

Thank you for reading our article on Church and Technology!

Sources:

• https://churchtechtoday.com