“Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” -Dwight L. Moody
If you are a pastor or you are in charge of a church, the most important thing you should be thinking about is how to grow your church. To make a church grow you need to be able to track where you have been and where you are going next. These days we are seeing a declining attendance and financial problems, in big religious congregations, such as the Church of England and the Methodist Church. So it is not a surprise that increasing numbers is one of the main concerns among religious leaders.
But pastors should keep in mind that churches are not just places to get together. A church is a place where people grow in faith and share the love and happiness of their religious vocation with others. It is not easy to know who is already in your church community, and it is even harder to track accurately people’s involvement.
But thank God it is 2020, and technology is at our fingertips with smartphones, tablets, and computers. It is time to adopt technological solutions to your church problems. The truth is that just last year 38% of people increased their Bible readings thanks to a Bible app, more than 20 million people visit their church website every month and more than 40% of churches have an online presence.
So if you are wondering about simple ways to make connections, build relationships and increase your church attendees keep reading.
1. Church Website
Building a website is the first step you need to take if you want to engage more with your congregation. Here are a few simple steps to start with: Choose a host and domain. Make sure to choose a host that is beginner-friendly.
Pick a theme. Many existing themes are designed to provide all the elements your church required. Choose your plugins. Even though you don’t need any plugins for your site to function, they offer helpful features. Some of them are the Sermon Manager, Give, and Events Calendar.
Customize your site. Don’t forget to plan out your website to determine what content needs to be written. Launch your site. Once your website is built-out and your content uploaded the final step is to launch it.
2. Use Social Media
To engage with more people it is a good idea to use social media. Churches need to get online and be present as more and more people engage with organizations via smartphones, tablets, or computers. Just because they are not in the building doesn’t mean you can be part of people’s lives. The best social media platforms for your church to include Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Whatsapp.
3. Track members
Now it is easier to track church members, regular attendees, and first-time guests thanks to an integrated and updated database. Put someone in charge to get all the personal information of each person who enters your church. To capture the information you can use your website, church app, or you can send a text message.
Remember, tracking down all this information is vital for your church growth. For example, ChurchDesk is a great program to maintain church members and event attendees.
4. Digital Children Check-In
It is important to implement a digital check-in for kids and preschoolers. This way parents can be sure that the church will provide a safe place for their children. Some of the best children’s ministry check-in systems are Kidcheck, Church Community Builder, and Fellowship One.
5. Use Email
The best way to share prayer bulletins, events calendar and to get people involved in the community is by sending emails. Remember, emails can be the perfect way to bring joy, happiness, and strength to all the members.
6. Produce Videos To Engage With More People
A great way to reach more people is by producing videos. You should place them on your website, and don’t forget to share them with your members via Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Whatsapp. Videos are the perfect platform to establish your church as a significant organization.
These are just some of the tools you can use to bring your church and your pastor’s voice to a wide audience. Thanks to technology churches can reach more people, making it easier to spread God’s message more effectively.