Tech fear and church
We can use tech to bridge the gap with those who can't/won't use tech. Really.
I’d like to introduce you to Carol.
She’s 84 years old. She doesn’t have email. She does have a cell phone, but it doesn’t take pictures, or text. You can’t send her a code to help her log into the new church app.
She belongs to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury, NC, where I serve as Free Range Priest. The entire membership of St. Paul’s is 31. I know the exact number because I’m helping them use a church membership software called Planning Center, which I love because among other things, it has a sliding fee scale, so it’s ideal for small churches.
When the congregation started using Church Center - the app that goes with Planning Center - Carol could not download it. She also doesn’t have a computer where she can access the new church software through the website.
‘I know nothing of all this tech!’, she says, rather proudly.
Still, she’s in the online directory, and has a profile.
How? Well, we sat down with her - myself and other parishioners eager to guide her - and helped her fill it all out on my laptop. We used one of my many email addresses to create a login for her. She clicked the buttons for which information about herself she’d like to share in the directory (I assured her that her birth year would not be shared - but she’s pretty proud of her age).
When we finished, Carol was a full-fledged member of our digital community.
Will she ever log in again without our help? Nope. Will she join the group chat? She could, but I doubt she will.
Still, she’s part of our burgeoning digital community, and pleased as punch about it.
Since the time we helped her sign up, Carol is no longer able to worship with us regularly.
But when I visit her, I open the app, and she sees her own face among her beloved church friends. It makes her feel connected.
I often hear clergy and congregations worry aloud about members who will not use the kind of technology that can make life - and ministry - a lot easier for churches.
It’s true - lots of folks are not going to use apps or social media!
And … I don’t think this should stop us from moving forward with technology.
Partially because it actually opens pastoral pathways to connect with those who won’t be using it!
There are about 5 people - a significant portion of St. Paul’s congregation - who will always need old-fashioned phone calls or things printed out for them. Or they just prefer these things. That’s ok. This creates a pastoral opportunity for other members to check in and make sure they’ve got what they need. And it reminds all of us to make sure they are kept in the loop.
Honestly, we may not have ever known that those without tech were receiving what they needed - or need a little extra reaching out - except for the fact that most of the church is using digital communication and is reminded to go the extra mile for those who aren’t.
Using new technology helps bring us closer in community - even when we’re not using it!
Plus - every time I whip out my own church app and show Carol her own photo in the directory, she is delighted. It makes her feel tech-savvy - and she is, in her own way.
Most importantly, she knows she is loved.
Hi Cathie! Great info. How do you determine when online is appropriate for members, and when you plan an old fashioned visit? I’m thinking case by case…