Church management can be a tricky process. You don’t want the organizational side of things to overrule the church’s ministry, but better management can help you better serve the congregation and community. Thankfully, new technologies make this undertaking easier than ever.
Of course, a lack of new tech will never stand in the way of God’s work. However, good stewardship over these tools can help ensure that managerial concerns don’t distract from the church’s greater purpose. Here’s a look at five new pieces of technology that facilitate church management.
1. Data Analytics
Data analytics is one of the biggest technology trends in the business world right now, and it can help churches, too. People spend 147 minutes on social media every day, leaving behind a lot of data about where they are, what they’re doing and what they like. You can use this information to make more informed decisions about new outreach opportunities or church activities.
Many social media sites like Facebook give you access to these analytics over people on your church’s page. You can also run ads on them as a form of outreach to gain more data. As you collect more information, you can get a better idea of who’s in your community and what they need.
These data-informed processes don’t have to be technically advanced to be effective. You can look at the location data of online visitors to see where to plant a new church. Alternatively, you can look at users’ questions or common issues they post about to see how the church can help them.
2. Online Giving
Another helpful piece of new tech for church management is online giving platforms. Plenty of financial technology (FinTech) apps on the market today let you securely send and receive funds. This presents an excellent opportunity for tithes and offerings in the digital age.
Younger congregation members may not always carry cash but want to give to the ministry. Online donation platforms let them do just that from their phones. Many of these apps also make it easier to see where your money goes, which can help build trust that the church is putting funds towards what it should.
3. E-Signatures
Some technologies have a less direct but still helpful impact on church management. While signing contracts may not be a part of most ministries or weekly church activities, they still come up. Whether you’re hiring construction crews to expand the church property or hiring full-time staff, you’ll need a contract, and e-signatures can make contract management easy.
E-signatures are secure electronic alternatives to signing a piece of paper. They carry the same legal effect as handwritten signatures, but their digital nature offers several advantages.
First, it’s easier to send out and receive electronic contracts, so this technology streamlines the process. Secondly, e-signatures reduce paper costs, helping the church allocate more of its budget towards the ministry.
4. Church Management Software
While most of these technologies come from outside the church, some services target church operations specifically. Church management apps are a relatively new branch of software that offer a suite of tools to provide more visibility and control over church activities.
These programs typically include features like accounting, attendance tracking, membership logs, event schedules and Sunday school check-in. Having electronic tools for each of these processes means spending less time worrying about the administrative side of things. Because this software puts them all in one place, it’s also easier to get an overall picture of what’s going on in the church.
5. Video Conferencing Platforms
A less specific but still beneficial technology is video conferencing. Apps like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts let you connect with people regardless of where they are. In the church, this can help strengthen the congregation and build community despite physical restrictions.
You can use these platforms to hold Bible studies throughout the week, no matter where individual members are. People can even call in from their phones on a lunch break. Alternatively, you could use live-streaming services to let people who can’t physically make it to church worship with you.
These tools are also a great way to interview and hire new staff or volunteers. Roughly 57% of hiring managers have used virtual interviews, and there’s no reason the church can’t either. Going digital means you could reach out to people in other areas if situations make an in-person meeting impossible.
Use These Technologies to Advance Your Ministry
It’s important to remember that new tech should always be a means to an end, not the final goal itself. However, if you keep that in mind and use these tools mindfully, they can be a big help in managing day-to-day church activities. As the administrative side of church management becomes easier, you could focus more on serving the community and expanding the ministry.
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