Technology can be a great way to expand your ministry and stay connected to your congregation—ensure you’re making the most of it.
Through the Rural Connect Program, rural church leaders have learned a few key things about technology: namely, that it can do whatever you can think of (almost). But first, you must consider the people you are ministering to and serving with. Here are some important questions to ask before using new tech to connect with your community.
1. What are you hoping to accomplish by introducing the technology?
Sometimes we assume we need technology to be current. It is important that you consider what you are actually hoping to achieve through a technology upgrade. Are you trying to:
- improve the church experience for members?
- reach those that can no longer attend church?
- attract people who have never been to church before?
2. Have you spoken to the people who will be using the technology?
Once you understand who you are hoping to serve through the technology, you want to be sure you really understand the needs, desires, and expectations of those people.
- Congregation members: How will the technology enhance their worship experience? What other things might enhance their sense of community or being a disciple? What must the technology do to achieve these things?
- People adjacent to the church or unable to attend in person: Do they want to view the whole service? Are they most interested in the sermon and the anthem? Would they prefer a phone call or a Zoom prayer service?
- Those that have never attended before: Would they be more responsive to a five-minute video of the minister explaining a piece of theology or church history? Would they prefer a coffee chat with someone from the community? What helps develop a disciple?
- Do people mind being recorded? What are we doing with the recordings we have? How are they shared and with whom? What is the purpose of these recordings?
3. What are other ways that you intend to build out the ministry?
Consider the whole ministry picture. How else will you include, welcome, and serve those that you are hoping technology will help you reach?
- For instance, collect prayer requests, engage in faith formation, send cards, emails, or texts to stay in touch regularly, visit with communion, host Zoom communion, create small group ministry in various formats, etc.
4. How will you get feedback on the technology?
Get feedback—and have feedback be part of the plan right from the start. We are all experimenting with how technology can enhance our ministries. None of us are going to get it right the first time.
- You want to know if what you’re doing is working, what is working best, and what people could do without. Don’t continue to do something that nobody appreciates!
- This is a chance to improve your ministry with suggestions from the people actually receiving it. They might have excellent ideas—ways to enhance or tweak what is being offered that could make it more accessible to others.
- How will you collect feedback? For example, through online surveys, talk-back conversations, tracking engagement, regular check-ins, a box or email inbox for people to voice their suggestions, etc.
5. How will you communicate about and share the new technology?
Technology is intimidating. You will need to over-communicate and over-explain so that people feel comfortable and cared for when new technology is introduced.
- Explain what is going to happen, explain what is happening, then explain what just happened. Give people lots of warning that change is coming! And celebrate when it goes successfully.
- Have an alternative method or backup plan if things don’t work the way they are supposed to:
- Be prepared to preach without PowerPoint, have phone numbers for people if they are gathering on Zoom, share contact information of someone able to answer questions, etc.
- If you are collecting people’s information, be clear about what you are going to do with it.
- Email will be used to share updates, email will or will not be shared with others, survey will be anonymous, etc.
6. What are you able or willing to invest in this technology?
You must consider the resources you currently have and what you’re willing to invest in this. Technology costs money, but it also takes many hours of people’s time to develop, maintain, and enhance the technology. Think about the following:
- Who will be creating content? Running cameras? Hosting digital spaces? Following up? Troubleshooting? Updating equipment? Experimenting with new options?
- This cannot be done by one minister or one volunteer. As with any ministry, one person will only be able to sustain a technology initiative for so long. They will eventually burn out.
- There must be a team of people willing to learn, engage, and lead.
- What is the minimum amount of equipment and software you can buy to get started?
- Knowing that you are experimenting and that you will learn as you go, try not to invest in equipment that you might not need! Start by using a smartphone or laptop, a free Zoom or YouTube account, and see what works.
- What do the experts say? People have to be able to hear and understand what is being said. Invest in a good microphone before a high-resolution camera.
Have more questions? Check out the Church Tech Best Practices group on CHURCHx.ca.
The Rev. Bronwyn Corlett is Rural Ministry Coordinator with the General Council Office Growth Department. She has worked with the Rural Connect Program and the Church Tech Best Practices Network for over a year, helping congregations introduce various forms of technology to their communities to help support and grow their ministries.
The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.