Tech Trends that Matter for Ministry

Tips for advancing kingdom mission through technology

Technology is constantly evolving, and leaders of all organizations should desire to keep up with the latest technology tools to improve effectiveness. For nonprofit organizations, especially Christian ones, the effectiveness gained by technology can mean the difference between ministry success or irrelevance.

Technology Tips

Here are some of the latest technology trends that can help your ministry further the kingdom.

1. Embrace AI

AI is here to stay, but it is often misused.

AI is here to stay, but it is often misused. Embracing AI means learning about it to know how to benefit from it. While powerful, the pitfalls can be great for both ministries and their volunteers. The power of AI requires responsible use, but an AI free-for-all can lead to ministry chaos. It is important to understand the AI platform you decide to use. Who owns the data you put in? Who owns the data that comes out? Is your data being used to train the model? AI policies for staff, boards, and volunteers are vital to ensuring AI helps your ministry and not hinders it. AI’s power is undeniable, but so is the risk, which must be understood.

2. Enforce Security Policies

While this one may seem obvious, the amount of time I spend helping organizations recover money and data lost due to poor security policies implies it is still needed. Basic security policies like complex passwords, requiring two-factor or multi-factor authentication, and software updates are lacking. Implementing and enforcing suggested security policy is vital. For instance, are you still running Windows 10? Keeping software current is a full-time job. However, so is recovering from breaches due to unpatched software.

3. Be Strategic

It is easy for IT staff, and ministries in general to fall into break/fix mode. While things work and get resolved there is no strategy, so the same issue may have to be fixed repeatedly. Strategy looks for ways to improve and not just repair. Strategy also helps you respond as new technologies emerge because they fit into your goals as opposed to requiring your goals to be rethought. This isn’t about running to the latest tech fad. It is about having a strategy that constantly evaluates new technology and proactively evaluates ways to improve ministry effectiveness through ministry efficiency.

4. Use a Technology Partner

One way to make nonprofit dollars go further is to find a technology partner. Trying to go it alone in the technology field can lead to your team being a mile wide and an inch deep. Hire your persistent needs but then find a technology partner that is deep in the things you only use quarterly or annually. A partner can also help with continuance of operations as staff changes at all levels.

Many times, a lack of a technology partner leads to nonprofit IT staff being a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. A fractional CIO or CTO could help you lead IT as sometimes that in and of itself is a challenge. This should not be threatening to any existing technology staff but should encourage them as you seek to resource them. A trusted ministry partner can also help you with all these tips.

Leadership is Required

Technology still requires leaders to lead.

Technology still requires leaders to lead. Leaders must set policies regarding AI and security and should be leading all teams, not just IT, to be strategic. Leaders also shouldn’t be afraid of partnering with those who have depth in areas needed.

Many times, the reason these tips are not applied is because of a lack of leadership.

• “Security is inconvenient.”
• “AI is wonderful, why should we try to manage the data?”
• “Strategy costs money.”
• “We can’t trust partners.”

I’ve heard all these reasons before, but I implore leaders not to ignore these trends. How many millions do you need to lose before you take this seriously? How many lawsuits do you want to settle? I’m not trying to scare you. I’m very pro-technology and want to encourage you to learn what you need to learn to use technology for the greatest impact.

The outcome of applying these tips, from the top down, will be a ministry that proactively uses technology for the greatest ministry effectiveness. This will remove the burden of always reacting to whatever is next.

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Jonathan Smith is the President of MBS and the Director of Technology at Faith Ministries in Lafayette, IN. He is an author and frequent conference speaker. You can reach Jonathan at jonathans@mbsinc.com and follow him on X @JonathanESmith.