Investing in digital technology is no longer the preserve of big businesses and large organisations. It’s also helping SMEs, charities and churches to transform the way they operate.
However, many churches still haven’t embraced the full potential of technology, either because they think they can’t afford to, or they don’t know how, or sometimes both.
But with the proper support, expertise and guidance, even churches with limited funds or knowledge can make technology work for them, not only for the benefit of their staff and volunteers but for their members or parishioners, too.
Here, we take a closer look at the benefits technology can bring to churches and how yours can take advantage.
What do churches need from their ICT?
The ICT requirements of a large public sector organisation – such as an NHS Trust or local authority – or corporate will undoubtedly look very different to those of a small charity or group of churches.
A larger organisation may require significant investment in new hardware, software and training to meet their technology needs, while a church will probably have more modest requirements.
Many larger organisations also have legacy systems that are expensive to maintain or to replace, while churches probably have very little, making it easier to build a solution from scratch.
However, the principles behind investing in technology remain the same across the board.
It’s all about leveraging solutions that make it easier to operate, deliver services, and stay connected with users, which includes both internal teams and external stakeholders like customers, suppliers, and other partners.
When it comes specifically to churches, their ICT requirements tend to be derived from their activities. These might typically cover Sunday or midweek services or prayer meetings, youth or community outreach, church leaders’ meetings, staff working in the office or from home, communications and safeguarding.
Most churches will not have the in-house expertise or knowledge to understand their technology requirements and what they need to do to get a solution that meets their needs.
In general, they’re looking for impartial expertise, advice and technical support at a reasonable price to help them make the right decisions around technology. They’re also looking for solutions that don’t cost the earth, are cost-effective, and help them become more efficient while keeping their systems, data and users safe and secure.
The latter point is vital.
Cybersecurity is something that many church leaders probably won’t consider when it comes to investing in ICT. However, cybercriminals don’t discriminate and are constantly looking for ‘low hanging fruit’. Without robust protections in place, churches can become an easier target than they realise, especially as many churches partner with aid organisations or foreign churches.
When it comes to choosing the right ICT to support their needs, church leaders will be looking for solutions that help them achieve outcomes including:
- Ensuring Sunday services run smoothly – most churches now use a PC and projector in church and offer online services via platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams
- Maintaining a secure website, which helps churches to promote their work, services and activities
- Enabling efficient communication, particularly across social media channels like Facebook, which many churches use to stay engaged with their members
- Providing quick and secure access to church resources for staff and volunteers who are office-based, home-based or working remotely
- Managing safeguarding effectively, especially how safeguarding information is stored and shared
- Protecting confidential information and data
- Preventing cybersecurity breaches, including viruses or malware
Improving financial management – churches, while usually solvent, often don’t have bags of cash to splash around, so keeping a tight rein on their finances is essential.
What are the benefits of technology for churches?
Based on the priorities listed above, investment in technology can unlock many benefits for individual churches, local groups of churches and denominations.
For example, churches can no longer rely on word of mouth and adverts in the local newspaper to raise awareness of what they’re doing. They must embrace the same technologies their members use to engage and connect with more people. Technology enables church leaders to create and maintain websites, manage social media channels and share important information via email and other digital means.
A small investment in Microsoft 365, plus the hardware and devices required to support it, can also enable church teams to stay connected across several locations, using tools like Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive.
Technology also enables church leaders to deliver services, prayer and worship to their congregations in new and exciting ways. Laptops, digital projectors and multimedia
equipment and software can make sermons and ceremonies far more engaging and interactive. At the same time, cloud communication platforms mean they can be streamed to any device with an internet connection, meaning worshippers who can’t be there can tune in from wherever they are in the world. Sermons can also be captured in high-definition and shared online, via Youtube or social media.
When it comes to administration, Microsoft 365, which has free or low-cost options for churches and charitable organisations, can provide industry-standard workplace applications to make taking care of church business a breeze.
Internal teams can stay connected by instant messaging and share and collaborate on documents in real-time using tools like Teams and OneDrive.
And when it comes to keeping important information, data, and users safe, Microsoft 365 also comes with enhanced cybersecurity features built-in to protect systems, devices, and data and ensure compliance with all the relevant data protection regulations and cybersecurity standards.
How AMDH can help churches get the most from technology
AMDH has provided advice, support and guidance to several church leaders to help them get the most from their investment in technology.
A recent project saw us create a bespoke solution, based on the latest Microsoft 365 for non-profits platform, for the Benefice of Stanton by Dale, Risley and Dale Abbey, a group of three churches in Derbyshire, to help improve and futureproof their ICT provision.
We designed, implemented and manage the churches’ Microsoft 365 platform and have put in place a robust system for protecting, sharing and backing up documents, something which was missing prior to us being appointed.
We also provide and manage the benefice email system, virus protection and cybersecurity, and technical support for four workstation devices, including the rector’s laptop, along with providing training to help users get to grips with the new system and software, and ongoing ad-hoc support so they can quickly report and resolve any issues.
You can find out more about the work we did and its impact by checking out our SDR Churches case study.
If you’re a church leader and the issues we’ve talked about here sound familiar, we’d be happy to show you how we can help your church get the most out of its technology and do ICT better.
To find out more, give us a call on 01332 322 588 or drop us a line at info@amdhservicesltd.com.
