church technology

Stewarding church funds well is no simple task. Chairs and communion cups are straightforward purchases, but there is no easy strategy for making technology decisions. By watching those who have gone before and seeking wisdom in planning, spending, and utilizing technology to glorify God, churches can avoid pitfalls and make the right purchases for their ministries.

Perhaps you're planning to redesign your church's website this year. You've heard that WordPress is a good solution for churches and now you're ready to look for the right theme. How can you determine which themes are best for you to use? There's more to the equation than just design quality and cost. After all, you know what looks good right away and most WordPress themes are within a reasonable price range.

A little after the New Year celebrations ended, I attended the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). This was my third time attending this annual trade show and exhibition, this time as an exhibitor with the Dutch company IamProgrez. Even though I was acting in a different role, I still came away with refreshing insights into the future several areas of consumer electronics. While there were no churches represented in any of the products or services I saw at the show, I did come away with some takeaways for those in the church tech space who deal with church and community technologies.

We are less than five years from the next decade and everything that could be posed for technology's influence on the 2020s is fair game to be pitched. From driver-less automobiles, to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as school teachers, we tend to dream a lot bigger than what actually happens - while also underestimating what impacts smaller ripples might incur (this is similar to a Bill Gates quote).

Churches and church tech companies alike have been surprised by the fast-paced change and consolidation of church technology industry over the past three years. In 2012, private equity-backed Ministry Brands came on the scene with easyTithe, SimpleGive and SiteOrganic and quietly began acquiring additional church technology firms.

A common calculation in the business world is return on investment, or ROI. Finding the ROI of your social media marketing, however, can be difficult. The normal factors may not be as obvious as in other ROI calculations. For churches, looking at social media ROI can be trickier. Ministry isn't always trackable in the same way sales are.

It has been just about a month, and the fervor of Pokemon Go seems to have not slowed down any. And it is pretty easy to see why: nostalgia, marketing, mobiles, and a healthy dose of a summertime. A captive audience has made this the app of the season. As with most trends, churches have found themselves in the crosshairs. However, churches are finding Pokemon Go opening former discussions about using tools and behaviors in the Christian space which had been designed for secular perspectives. Is there a perspective where Pokemon Go passes the muster as church-aiding technology?

Building (or even keeping) a media ministry team in the church is a challenge. For 11 years, I wore many hats in my small church in Kentucky. I was the youth minister for seven years and lead pastor for four. I changed light bulbs, and cleaned bathrooms and floors, all while leading, counseling, and planning. Been there? I know I'm not alone. I was in a paid ministry role at the church. Many of you aren’t. You’re full-time teachers, factory workers, doctors, accountants, parents, and grandparents. You're a volunteer doing everything you can to balance work and home life while serving your local church.