COVID-19 has increased the rate at which churches have had to adopt new technologies and make major changes. Changes that would have taken a church two-years to put into place are now happening in two-months. The adoption of new technologies and processes are likely to stick around even as churches reopen since most pastors don’t see online engagement going away anytime soon. I sat down with Troy Pollock, Chief Ambassador of Pushpay, one of our strategic partners, to discuss the technology changes churches are making and the effect they are having on how ministry leaders operate.
What New Technologies Have Churches Adopted During COVID-19?
At the beginning of the pandemic, churches not only had to figure out how to stream services online but also how to create genuine connections with members and provide an online giving platform. In light of these new needs, many churches turned to Pushpay to help.
Pushpay provides churches with the online platforms they need to engage with their congregation through online giving platforms, customized church apps, church management software, donor development dashboards, and more. These technologies have made it easier for smaller and mid-sized churches, who might not have had these technologies before the pandemic, to engage with their congregations in new ways.
What Has Been the Effect of These New Technologies on Churches?
In March, we saw many churches receive large donations from donors to help ease financial burdens during the pandemic. Now, as these large donations have slowed down, churches are still reporting higher levels of giving. In fact, Troy Pollock explained that, “the bigger churches that have a strong digital strategy in place are seeing a 10, 15, or even 20% increase during this time because they’re attracting brand new members through their online services.”
However, the implementation of new church technologies has allowed members to set up recurring payments that have increased giving in many churches since you no longer have to be in person with a donation plate to give. As Troy says, people can not set and forget their weekly giving, rather than relying on having cash or check each week.
What Does the Future of Church Technology Look Like?
As churches make plans to reopen they will continue to use technology in new ways, and the growth of technology use will increase exponentially. While online engagement technologies will continue to be used, churches will also implement church management systems to help track in-person services. Church management systems allow churches to track giving, attendance, and engagement all in one place. Having access to this information allows churches to visualize progress as church attendees move from visitors to leaders over time.
We are excited to be able to share the ways God is working in our churches to produce innovation amidst chaos. If your church is looking to create new systems for online engagement and church management, we encourage you to reach out to Pushpay.
This conversation is part one in a 5-part podcast series we released called The State Of The Church, where our CEO & Founder, William Vanderbloemen spoke with pastors and ministry leaders from around the country about how COVID-19 has impacted their Kingdom efforts and what they project the lasting impacts will be. Check out the other encouraging conversations in this series here.
Executive Search
