25 Years of Ministry Tech

What does it take to build technology for the church that lasts a quarter-century in an industry defined by rapid turnover? In Episode 530 of the Church Solutions Podcast, co-hosts Phil Thompson and Steve Lacy celebrate a monumental 25-year milestone for JSL Solutions.

From the dawn of cloud software and early online directories to live streaming and the modern AI era, Phil interviews Steve as he shares the fascinating journey behind building tools designed not to chase venture capital exits, but to faithfully serve ministries.

The Genesis of Church Tech: Before Facebook and Cloud Hype

Back in August 2001, Steve Lacy was working as a degreed aerospace engineer when he recognized a quiet disconnect happening inside churches every week. Congregants sat side by side on Sunday mornings, yet knew very little about one another’s lives during the rest of the week.

That realization sparked the creation of MyFlock.com—an online community platform launched years before MySpace or Facebook. Complete with custom profiles and a signature “Top 10 Most Like Me” matching engine, it helped church members connect over shared music interests, hobbies, or life experiences.

“Had I been in it to launch a great big product and get venture capital and do all these things, it’d be done… But I wasn’t driving down that path. I was kind of going wanting to serve the church.” — Steve Lacy

Building MyFlock meant embracing the cloud during an era when internet security fears were high. Steve recalls attending a Christian Computing conference in Atlanta where a representative from a dominant PC-based church software powerhouse dismissed their web-based architecture as a “flash in the pan.” History, of course, proved otherwise as the industry eventually caught up to the cloud.

From Live Streaming to Mobile Engagements

As mobile technology matured, JSL Solutions expanded its ecosystem with StreamingChurch.tv and later to Church App Live, giving congregations customized apps featuring live polling, member directories, and mobile giving tools that proved vital for struggling church budgets. Around the same time, early video experiments—ranging from wallet-sized multimedia greeting CDs to recording services on a tripod in a rented school—paved the way for Streamingchurch.tv in 2009.

  • 2009: Streamingchurch.tv founded, years before mainstream industry adoption.

Long before the 2020 pandemic forced an industry-wide rush to digital platforms, Streamingchurch.tv prioritized interactivity. Steve notes that doing church online requires more than just a video broadcast—it demands digital greeters, private prayer rooms, and real-time community engagement that mirrors an in-person gathering.

Why Dedicated Platforms Beat Free Social Media

Many churches ask why they should pay for a dedicated streaming platform when YouTube and Facebook offer free streaming. Steve highlights three critical pitfalls of relying solely on free social platforms:

  1. Automated Copyright Strikes: Algorithms frequently flag and take down live worship music mid-stream, leaving ministries with rigid automated barriers and no human to appeal to.
  2. Algorithmic Distractions: Social platforms actively serve competing content and notifications to keep users engaged, pulling attention away from the message.
  3. Vanity Metrics: Inflated views from casual scrollers obscure true engagement data, whereas dedicated platforms provide accurate tracking on how long viewers actually stay connected.

Entering the AI Era with Daily Dive 365

As technology transitions into the AI era, Steve’s  latest innovation—Daily Dive 365—addresses a longstanding pastoral desire: staying connected with congregations during the other 167 hours of the week. The platform takes a recorded weekend sermon, uses optional pastoral voice cloning, and automatically generates daily weekday devotions delivered via smart speakers, podcasts, or mobile devices, keeping the message grounded firmly in the church’s unique theological voice.

Explore the Tools Mentioned in This Episode:

Listen to Episode 530 of the Church Solutions Podcast to hear the full conversation and reflections on 25 years of ministry technology. You can always reach out to Steve Lacy and Phil Thompson by going to StreamingChurch.tv.

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