\n<\/u><\/strong>Behind every Sunday sermon is a full-time operation. Church leaders are utilizing technology to operate more efficiently and to improve communication with their congregants.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 There are more than 200 dedicated church software platforms that help leaders manage and automate tasks from donor tracking to membership management to payroll[2]<\/a> [<\/strong>See Figure 1][3]<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 As a result of this increased efficiency, church leaders can focus on important initiatives like writing sermons and relationship building.\u00a0 For a per month fee of ~$150-$300[4]<\/a>, churches can access a variety of operation-enhancing features such as[5]<\/a>:<\/p>\n
![\"Figure](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/fellowshipone-300x190.png\")
- \n
- Online and social communication tools
\n<\/strong><\/strong>– Website design and social media management
\n– Mass e-mail distributions
\n– Small group facilitation<\/li>\n- Member and donor data analytics
\n<\/strong>– Weekly donor and contribution reports
\n– Attendance history and demographic reports<\/li>\n- Administrative essentials
\n<\/strong>– Automated background checks
\n– Room bookings
\n– Volunteer management<\/li>\n- Financial accounting tools<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Member services
\n<\/strong>– Event registration and management
\n– Digital check-in for child-care services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nDIGITALIZING THE \u201cREVENUE\u201d \/ DONATION PROCESS:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Before the digital age, traditional donation methods consisted of cash envelopes and offering plates during services.\u00a0 As consumer preferences continue to shift away from paper to online and mobile bill pay (42% of people with smartphones paid at least one bill via mobile), churches have had to adapt to match how congregants want to give[6]<\/a>.<\/p>\nTechnology has improved the donation process in several ways:
![\"pic1\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/pic1-3-300x107.png\")
<\/p>\n- \n
- Donor flexibility: <\/strong>Through online, mobile and text options, donors can now choose when and where to give.<\/li>\n
- Donor visibility and retention: <\/strong>Automatic recurring donation options can help smooth out donations spikes typically experienced by non-profits during the holidays[7]<\/a>. This also helps
\nwith both forecasting and donor retention.\u00a0![\"pic2\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/pic2-3-300x203.png\")
EasyTithe, a leading online donation platform, conducted customer surveys that indicated clients have seen a 95% retention rate with monthly recurring donors[8]<\/a>.<\/li>\n- Data for churches: <\/strong>Donor tracking tools and automated contribution reports allow churches to analyze giving patterns and target congregants depending on their giving levels.\u00a0 These reports can help with budget planning for large investme
\nnts like mission trips and new buildings.<\/li>\n- Potential uplift in giving amounts: <\/strong>The monetary benefits of offering digital giving solutions can be seen in other non-profit cases such as when $43 million was collected using text after the January 2010 Haiti earthquake[9]<\/a>. According to Blackbaud, a leading non-profit donation\u00a0platform, organizations that use online tools for fundraising raise six times more than those who use offline tools[10]<\/a>.\u00a0 EasyTithe’s surveys indicated that churches using their platform see a 32% uplift in donation amounts from utilizing online and mobile solutions[11]<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
SPREADING THE MISSION DIGITALLY:
\n<\/span><\/strong>Technology has also enabled churches to engage more worshippers \u2013 and more frequently.
\n<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n- \n
- (i) Engaging the Millennial Worshipper<\/strong>:<\/em> A key challenge for churches is how to engage millennials and youth.\u00a0 Millennials are not only more likely to not belong to a faith, but those who belong to a faith are less likely to attend religious services[12]<\/a>\u00a0[Figure 2].\u00a0 Technology has helped churches relate to and communicate with more tech-savvy millennial worshippers.\u00a0 Congregations that have attracted more young adults tend to use and offer the most technology.[13]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/1-16-300x248.png\")
Figure 2<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n - \n
- (ii) Teaching beyond Sunday services: <\/strong>The digital age has provided new ways for people to worship and learn outside of the church.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Members can now access live service-streaming, video-based curriculum, online scriptures and even Bible phone applications.\u00a0 54% of practicing Christian millennials use online videos to learn and 70% of practicing millennials say they read Scripture on a screen[14]<\/a>.\u00a0 YouVersion, a free Bible phone app, has more than 180 million downloads.[15]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"capture\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Capture-300x130.gif\")
<\/p>\nREALIZING DIGITAL POTENTIAL:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Despite huge technological leaps, churches still lag behind in many ways.\u00a0 Only 42% of churches offer online giving vs. 70% of non-profits[16]<\/a>. \u00a0All churches should make it a priority to invest in quality software programs to help grow and engage their membership bases.\u00a0 Other potential avenues of digitization include:<\/p>\n- \n
- Re-create biblical stories using virtual reality platforms<\/li>\n
- Attend and host technology workshops and conferences such as http:\/\/digitalchurchconference.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n
- Share daily devotionals via wearable technology like smart watches<\/li>\n
- Promote peer-to-peer fundraising through social media posts. Just the act of sharing with your church community that you donated could improve donation rates[17]<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Increase online uploads to reach worshippers in remote areas that may not have access to churches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Technology clearly offers benefits for both churches and its members.\u00a0 But are there downsides to this rapid digital expansion into the world of religion?\u00a0 Is pulling out your phone during services to give a mobile donation appropriate?\u00a0 Are YouTube sermons the same as in-person services?\u00a0 Has technology de-humanized religion \u2013 or is it helping to facilitate stronger religious ties?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nWord Count:<\/strong> 799 excluding citations.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
Citations:
\n<\/strong>[1]<\/a> Ron Sellers, \u201cTechnology and Ministry \u2013 Current Trends,\u201d The Clergy Journal. http:\/\/greymatterresearch.com\/index_files\/Grey_Matter_Article_Ministry_Technology.pdf<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[2]<\/a> \u201cChurch Management Software,\u201d Capterra. http:\/\/www.capterra.com\/church-management-software\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[3]<\/a> \u201cFellowshipOne Go Features,\u201d FellowshipOne, https:\/\/www.fellowshiponego.com\/features\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[4]<\/a> \u201cChurch Management Software Pricing Guide\u201d, Capterra, http:\/\/www.capterra.com\/church-management-software\/pricing-guide<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[5]<\/a> \u201cChurch Management Software Features,\u201d FellowshipOne, https:\/\/www.fellowshipone.com\/church-accounting-software\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[6]<\/a> \u201cEight Annual Billing Household Survey\u201d, Fiserv, https:\/\/www.fiserv.com\/resources\/BillerSolutions_EighthAnnualBillingHouseholdStudy_ThoughtLeadership_0316.pdf<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[7]<\/a>\u00a0Chuck McLean, “The Effect of the Economy on the Non-Profit Sector,” GuideStar,\u00a0http:\/\/www.guidestar.org\/ViewCmsFile.aspx?ContentID=4781<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[8]<\/a>\u00a0EasyTithe,\u00a0https:\/\/www.easytithe.com\/faq<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[9]<\/a> Aaron Smith, \u201cReal Time Charitable Giving\u201d, Pew Research Center,\u00a0https:\/\/www.brandeis.edu\/investigate\/political-social-justice\/docs\/real-time-charitable-giving-berkman.pdf, accessed November 2016.
\n[10]<\/a>\u00a0“Making the Most out of Your Online Fundraising Event,”\u00a0Blackbaud.\u00a0https:\/\/www.blackbaud.com\/files\/resources\/downloads\/WhitePaper_OnlineEventFundraising.pdf, accessed November 2016.
\n[11]<\/a>\u00a0EasyTithe,\u00a0https:\/\/www.easytithe.com\/demo.htm<\/a>, accessed\u00a0November 2016.
\n[12]<\/a> \u201cReligion Among the Millennials,\u201d Pew Research Center, http:\/\/www.pewforum.org\/2010\/02\/17\/religion-among-the-millennials\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[13]<\/a> Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi ,\u201cEngaging Young Adults,\u201d American Congregations 2015, http:\/\/www.faithcommunitiestoday.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Engaging-Young-Adults-Report.pdf<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[14]<\/a> Ibid.
\n[15]<\/a> https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/bible\/id282935706?mt=8
\n<\/a>[16]<\/a> \u201cStudy shows churches lag behind in facilitating online giving,\u201d Dunham & Company.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.dunhamandcompany.com\/2015\/04\/study-shows-churches-lag-behind-in-facilitating-online-giving\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.
\n[17]<\/a> Marco Castillo, \u201cFundraising through online social networks: A field experiment on peer-to-peer solicitation,\u201d Science Direct.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0047272714000036<\/a>, accessed via HOLLIS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Worship podcasts. Text-to-tithe. YouTube sermons. A look at how churches are embracing technology. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2516,"featured_media":15962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[2260,247],"class_list":["post-15604","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-churches","category-payments"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/digitization-challenge-2016\/","yoast_head":"\n
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- (ii) Teaching beyond Sunday services: <\/strong>The digital age has provided new ways for people to worship and learn outside of the church.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Members can now access live service-streaming, video-based curriculum, online scriptures and even Bible phone applications.\u00a0 54% of practicing Christian millennials use online videos to learn and 70% of practicing millennials say they read Scripture on a screen[14]<\/a>.\u00a0 YouVersion, a free Bible phone app, has more than 180 million downloads.[15]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Donor visibility and retention: <\/strong>Automatic recurring donation options can help smooth out donations spikes typically experienced by non-profits during the holidays[7]<\/a>. This also helps
- Member and donor data analytics