How should the church use technology to be more effective?

There are churches that have embraced technology. This churches are actively using technology to connect with its church members, reaching out to its immediate environment and the extended world and serving all people; both its members and the interested people.

In a world that is now mobile, urbanized, multi-cultural, globalized, fragmented, and awash in powerful technology, there are other churches that have refused to embrace the mode of communication offered by technology.

Question: How is the church strategically positioning itself to connect with a population that has shifted from the analog way of communication to the tech enhanced mode of communication?

When churches  fail not to prepare for change, they become ineffective, irrelevant and non influential.

Technology is the new front-line of evangelism, based on Christ’s method to mingle with people where they are, sympathize with them, meet their needs, and invite them to follow Jesus.

As a Church Leader in 21st  Century, do you know that much of things start online before going ofline?

Here are few insights to ponder about.

• Things begin ONLINE before they become OFFLINE
• People search online then buy locally.  The decision of what to buy (including church) is made on the Internet
• People search for a church, bible college, Christian concert online before actually attending – the process begins online. A good example is when I toured Mombasa. In the morning of the Sunday, I started searching for a church which I was to attend. I then used Google map to locate it. If they had no information online about themselves, I wont have joined them for worship
• Recruitment happens via Facebook and social networks
• Doctrinal questions & answers to personal problems are now investigated online FIRST  before asking the pastor.
• The Internet is no longer a tool which is used to increase offline “brick and mortar” ministries, instead it is the ocean in which all ministry (both online and offline) must either sink or swim.