Technology in the church isn’t a new concept. For centuries, churches have adopted new tools to connect with their communities, from the printing press to the organ to microphones. Today, the internet offers us a whole new set of tools—websites, social media, streaming video and now AI.
But how do we use these tools well? We can start by clearing up some common myths about technology in the church.
Myth #1: “If You Build It, They Will Come.”
Just by doing streaming video us not enough. You need to consider who you are trying to reach. Is it people within your own church or maybe new people in your community or perhaps globally? Once you establish that, you can create online content that meets their needs. People won’t automatically find your content. They choose what to pay attention to based on a few key things:
- Relevance: Does it apply to their lives?
- Value: Does it offer something that helps them?
- Trust: Do they know and respect you or someone who recommended your content?
To learn more about this go to Graeme Spencer’s website, he has some great material on this. Your online presence needs to be shared often, both online and through traditional word-of-mouth. The best advertising comes from your own congregation. Encourage them to share your live streaming and recorded videos with their friends.
Myth #2: “It Doesn’t Cost Anything.”
While many online tools are free, using technology still comes with costs. You invest energy to create fresh content and time to engage with your online community. There’s also the cost of confusion if a tool doesn’t fit your church and ends up confusing your audience. Free streaming services can be good but most cannot be put on your own church website and if they can be, it’s a hassle to always have to get new embed code for each new Sunday. We commend always using something that can be on your own website or at least point people back to your website, where people can see your church and the things you offer. See below for a new product coming out to help you do just this.
Myth #3: “Only the Younger Generation Uses Social Media.”
This simply isn’t true anymore. Today, people of all ages are online. A significant portion of Facebook, Instagram and X users are over 35, and a large number of adults over 65 are using the internet. To be effective, you need to meet people where they already are online and provide training to help everyone in your community use these tools. Streaming video can reach people of all ages and especially those that are shut-ins or work during the weekend and cannot attend services in person.
Myth #4: “Technology Could Replace Real-Life Relationships.”
Technology shouldn’t replace in-person relationships; it should enrich them. Think of it as a way to stay connected between your in-person gatherings.
Online tools can do two powerful things: expose and enable. They can reveal a person’s tendencies, like isolation, but they can also enable people to communicate in new ways, connecting with more people without being limited by time or distance.
We recommend several technology tools that can help your people connect and grow.
DailyDive365.com is a service and app designed to help churches extend the impact of their weekly sermons. The platform uses AI to transform sermon audio into a variety of content for church members throughout the week.
Key features and functions include:
- Daily Devotionals: It creates bite-sized, daily devotionals based on the previous weekend’s sermon, which members can access via a mobile app.
- Sermon Re-purposing: It helps churches automatically generate daily podcasts, social media clips, and other materials from their sermon content.
- Interactive Community: The app offers features like a prayer board, a member directory, and tools for polls and teaching challenges.
- Integration: It is developed by JSL Solutions, which is also associated with StreamingChurch.tv, a live-streaming service for churches.
The main purpose of DailyDive365 is to provide churches with a tool to keep their congregation engaged and connected between weekly services.
Introducing Our New Social Embed Product
On a tight budget? Our new Social Embed product, part of our StreamingChurch.tv video plans, might be exactly what you need.
It allows you to stream to platforms like YouTube or Facebook while still using the StreamingChurch.tv video and chat platform directly on your own website. The best part? You only have to embed the platform once—no more getting new code from other services every week.
With our tech team ready to help you every week, this plan is available for just $19 per month, and it comes with a 30-day free trial.