Boring Tech Is Likely The Answer *No App Pitches Please*
I recently attended Tithely’s Modern Church Leader Conference. I hadn’t been to a conference in a while. This was a great conference, but one thing I noticed in the vendor area was all the pitches of some new tech, software service, or something else that would SAVE your church. Now, I love Tithely because Tithely’s service solves a problem. People want to give to your church online, and Tithely provides a simple way to get that job done. The tech isn’t revolutionary but straightforward. My church now uses Tithely, and it's a great experience. But I kept hearing these pitches from other vendors. The pitches weren’t bad, but hearing everyone trying to get new business is funny. I love the free market, but most of the tech in the room isn’t revolutionizing your church or ministry.
The question with adding any new digital component or new tech to your church is how it helps accomplish your objective. You have things to do at your church and new technology should do that job efficiently. For example, I remember when Subsplash first launched. They were the way a church could get a mobile app. I’m not sure if they did this directly or if other churches just said it, but many thought the “APP” would solve all problems at a church. You needed to get an app, or you weren’t relevant at the time. It was hyped because Apple had launched the iPhone and the App Store soon after. Everyone was talking about it, and Subsplash provided a seamless way, at a price, of course, to get your church on the iPhone.
It did solve the problem of how to get on the iPhone, but early on, the service was just a media player. Many churches with small budgets were spending too much for an app that pretty much YouTube could do the same thing. To be clear, my church was one of the first paying customers of Subsplash, but we are a megachurch. Considering our objectives, I don’t think it moved any needle, but we could afford that learning. If you have little resources, then use your resources wisely. Don’t just sign up for something because someone else did. Find out if it helps your church with your specific objectives.
Most digital strategies and new tech are no “Savior” but may be able to enhance an area of your church. You have to ignore the noise, overpromises, pay attention to the price tag, and focus on the job you need to do. Does the INSERT TOOL/PLATFORM help get the job done at a reasonable price? If yes, then sign up. It’s okay not to have an app or whatever thing everyone else has at the moment. Focus on your objectives and the people you are trying to reach. I bet the things you most likely say yes to will be boring, but it will get the job done. You must choose, but choose wisely. Yes, I’m ending this post with an Indiana Jones reference.
Extra Resources
I rank every digital tool and platform for the church in this tier ranking video
Check out my book “Online Chuch Is Not The Answer: Beyond Just Streaming Church to Hybrid Disciple Making.” I have a chapter about Understand the Objective with new digital tools and any technology in my book. I unpack this topic in more detail.
