I recently had the privilege of addressing the Redeemed Christian Church of God administrators’ conference in Stevenage. RCCG are one of the fastest growing denominations in the UK and asked UCAN to speak about ‘Technology in the Church’. They are keen to equip their administrators to use technology wisely to be efficient in their ministry and effective in reaching the younger generations.
I was able to share with them that technology is everywhere within our world and whereas it used to be a ‘nice’ added extra it has become a necessity. My eldest son Bertie is 4yrs old and is au-fait with Skype (for speaking with Grandparents), Netflix for Paw Patrol and if he doesn’t like the music that we’re listening to he simply says ‘Alexa, please stop!’.
With an emerging generation of ‘digital natives’ joining our churches (or not joining as the case may be), we need to respond with a wise and appropriate use of technology to enhance our communication and administration. Otherwise we may become the only aspect of someone’s life where a professional and easy-to-use digital interface isn’t available. I was pondering on this the other day as I ran on the treadmill at my gym, following a video course around the New Zealand city of Auckland! See what I mean.
With this in mind, I encourage you to review your administrative processes and communication tools to see where technology could enhance the mission you’re called to.
As I shared with the RCCG administrators, use of technological solutions need to be: (a) aligned with your church’s vision and aims, (b) introduced well and (c) as simple to use as they can be. Perhaps this could be a useful discussion at a forthcoming staff or leadership meeting.
To whet your appetite, please find attached a resource sheet outlining some of the peer-to-peer recommendations from the UCAN network. These technological tools cover basic administrative function, databases, communication, finance, worship planning and design. Enjoy! If there are any missing that you find particularly helpful, please let us know.
Andrew Bagwell, UCAN Executive Director