3 Ways Technology Can Help Your Church Make Disciples

Discipleship isn’t a choice.

As a Christian, discipleship comes with the territory. It’s a call every single person receives who places his or her faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18–20).

But making disciples isn’t easy.

It involves teaching, modeling our faith in Christ, and helping others to live and love like Jesus. It takes time, patience, and the mutual trust a relationship builds.

When it comes to making disciples, it can feel like technology makes things more difficult. With 24/7 access to everyone and everything in the world, it’s like the technology that makes this access possibly is creating a wedge in our relationships.

Even though this is the case, technology can be used to empower your church to make disciples.

After you review Bible verses about technology and reflect upon the church’s use of tech throughout history, you will see that the church has used the available technology to advance the Kingdom of God. From writing letters, printing Bibles, and using radio, television, and the Internet, the church has found a way to leverage technology.

So, as a church, how can improve your ability to make disciples with technology?

In this post, I’m going to share three ways technology can support your church’s discipleship efforts.

#1. Technology continues the conversation

Thanks to mobile technology, it has become much easier to communicate with people and stay connected to your church throughout the week.

My church has an app where we can listen to or watch sermons during the week and follow along while taking interactive sermon notes and connect with my church community for prayer.  

Other ways a church can use technology to enable connection is by posting on social media, creating a regular blog on the church’s website, or having a calendar or service reminders sent from your church management software.

People from your church can connect from anywhere, so be intentional and use these channels. But when using technology to communicate with your members, remember to:

• Use empathy when engaging with your social media and your website
• Be intentional, and respond  
• Don’t forget the human factor
• Meet needs by utilizing tools like resources, videos, study guides, podcasts, and sermon notes

#2. Technology helps shepherd spiritual gifts

Ephesians 4 talks about equipping the saints for works of service.

Provide your church members with the opportunities they need to move from observing to serving. This builds community and gives people fulfillment, joy, belonging, and purpose.

By leveraging the data you gather through your church volunteer management software, such as understanding people ’s interests, talents, and passions, it will allow you to leverage this information by helping your church members share their gifts to help build the church.

Profiling, when done with the right intentions, can be a healthy way of finding out what makes people tick. Capturing the right data can help your church empower your members to follow Christ and find his or her purpose and plans within the church community.

#3. Technology helps ensure no ones missed

Technology enables leaders to find ways to measure what’s working and what isn’t.

You have a better idea of how “healthy” your members are by checking the numbers.

With the help of church technology, track:

• Attendance
• Visitors
• Small group growth
• Giving

Technology bridges the gap between intuition and information.

Measuring and tracking data is essential, and although only God can see the condition of someone's heart, metrics can be used to gauge the health of your ministry and identify where there are areas that need more focus.

Over to You.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” – Matthew 28:19.

As a ministry, discipleship is all about people, relationships, and community.

A significant challenge we face, as the Church today, is knowing how to leverage and utilize technology to reach people. With the help of a church management software and a few creative ideas, technology can be leveraged to really make an impact on getting the good news to your people and your community.

Editor's Note: This post was written by Sarah Schelbach. Sarah helps out with customer success at Tithe.ly. Her goal is to help you pause, smile, and equip you succeed (in that order).