I remember when new technology in church meant that we used an overhead projector to project the lyrics to worship songs on the wall. We called the guy that flipped the slides our “Minister of Light.” Nowadays, it seems like new technology is developing faster than we can keep up with it. And more of that technology is not only available to the church, much of it is necessary if we are going to remain relevant to emerging generations of believers. Besides being relevant, some of the technology available will just make us better churches. More efficient, safer and leaner. With that in mind, I would like to present (in no particular order) some of the technology that can help your church become better at being the church. I am not affiliated with any of the mentioned technology, nor do I receive any compensation for mentioning them.
- Automated Follow-Up. In a recent Barna poll, Millennials were asked what information they would be willing to give a church when they visit. The poll found that the only piece of information a majority of Millennials is comfortable sharing with a church is their first name (82%). About one in six Millennials would rather not share anything (15%). Among non-Christians, it’s more than one in four (28%).
The way we follow up with guests has to change. Enter Text in Church. Text in Church is an automated follow up system that allows your guests to request information anonymously. By texting the word “welcome” (or any word you choose) to a number, your guests will receive a reply text with information about your church. Then each week, for the next 4-6 weeks, they will receive a short text or email reminding them of your services. This is an innovative way to follow up with your guests while allowing them to remain anonymous.
2. A Church App. According to a 2016 Pew Research poll, 72% of Americans own smartphones. Additionally, 92% of Millenials have them. In the past, developing an app for your church was an expensive and daunting task. But recent developments in technology have made this both affordable and desirable. One of the options that I have personally used is Church Link. For about $30 a month, your church can have a customizable, configurable app. The thing I like best about Church Link is that it is almost maintenance free. That is, once it is set up, your events, sermons and social media all update within the app.
3. Computerized Check In System. For those churches who are in a growing stage, this is something that may help maintain your momentum. A computerized check-in system for your children is mandatory in a mid-sized to larger church. With an emphasis on child safety in the church, computerized check-in will cause your guests who have children to feel safer and more comfortable dropping their children off in a relatively unknown environment. A computerized check-in system prints a random code on both a tag and a receipt. The tag is affixed to the child while the parent keeps the receipt. When picking the child up, the parent must ask for the child by name and present the receipt. When trained and utilized correctly, the chances of someone other than the child’s parent removing the child from the classroom are nearly eliminated. This creates an environment of safety for your children that all parents in your church will appreciate.
4. Social Media. If your church does not have a presence on social media, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity! According to a 2016 poll by Pew Research, nearly 80% of Americans use social media in one form or another. That’s 8 out of 10 people in your congregation. Social media is a great way to keep your members informed of upcoming events. In fact, we replaced our church bulletin with social media several years ago. Posting on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram will not only keep your members informed of events, it will give your church exposure to hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people who have never even heard of your church! And it’s FREE!
5. Presentation Software. While it may seem like a no-brainer for some of us, there are churches who do not use presentation software in their services. Of those that do, a great number use PowerPoint as their software of choice. While PowerPoint is usable as presentation software, there are alternatives that will give you better results visually while also providing more effectiveness in your presentations. First of all, I would like to state what may not be obvious to everyone: We remember more of what we both see and hear. If your congregation is only listening to a sermon, they will remember precious little of it Monday morning at work when they really need it. Presentation software creates the visual aid necessary to help people remember more of your sermon. 
PowerPoint as presentation software for a church is not the best option. PowerPoint presentations have to be created linearly – that is, one slide after another in order of use. There is little flexibility with PowerPoint. For example, if the pastor decides to allude to a scripture that wasn’t in his notes, the scripture can’t be shown using PowerPoint. There are a ton of alternatives out there. My favorite is ProPresenter for a variety of reasons. But Easy Worship, Media Shout, and others are all viable alternatives. For about the same price as MS Office, you could have a full-fledged presentation alternative. These alternatives allow the presentation of various versions of the Bible, projection of song lyrics during worship and even sermon notes that are much more visually appealing than PowerPoint.
This rounds out my list. Of course, there are many more technologies that would be useful. What would you add to this list?
