Beyond the Ordinary

Pastors and Technology

By Joelle Kopacz

Technology use is influencing almost every aspect of life.  Just look at this idea for an in-car computer! Even congregations are jumping on the technology bandwagon.  The percent of congregations with a website increased from 43% in 2001 to 77% in 2008 (see Ida Smith-William’s blog post).   

Pastoral leaders can encourage their congregations to incorporate technology into church ministry.  How do key leaders (such as senior pastors or solo pastors) and associate leaders use technology in their own life and ministry?  (Here we look at key leaders and associate leaders who are in full-time paid positions.)

A majority of associate and key leaders use email and the internet daily.  Nine in ten associate leaders (94%) and key leaders (87%) send or receive emails every day.  Also, a majority of associate leaders (92%) and key leaders (84%) use the internet on a daily basis.    

More associate leaders regularly use technology for ministry purposes.  More than half of associate leaders send email to individual worshipers (59%), use the Internet for religious purposes (57%), and receive email from a worshiper (54%) on a daily basis.  Fewer than half of key leaders use technology in these ways each day (38%, 40%, and 40%, respectively). Over two in five associate leaders (44%) use email every day to conduct congregational business, while only 26% of key leaders do.  One in three associate leaders (31%) use email daily to plan congregational events, compared to one in five key leaders (18%).

More associate leaders of all ages use email each day in their ministry.  Typically, younger people are thought to be more technologically adept than older people.  The median[i] age for associate leaders is 45 years old, while the median age is 55 for key leaders.  Do more associate leaders use technology each day in their ministry simply because they are typically younger than key leaders?  No.  We controlled for age by comparing associate leaders’ and key leaders’ responses within two age groups: those who were born in 1965 or later (including the age groups known as “Baby Busters” and “Mosaics”) and those who were born before 1965 (including the age groups known as “Older Seniors,” “Builders,” and “Baby Boomers”).  In both the younger and older age groups, more associate pastors than key leaders daily send email to an individual worshiper, and use email each day to conduct congregational business and plan congregational events.

Pastors can use technology to make their ministry more effective and efficient.  Congregations can also use technology to reach potential members and enhance current ministries.  For tips on how to use technology successfully in your faith community, check out the website Church Marketing Sucks, the Center for Congregations’ Tech News blog entries, and the Congregational Resource Guide’s Widgets and Gadgets.  

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[i] The median is the midpoint of an ordered set of numbers.

 

How much do you know about worshipers in America?

By Deborah Bruce

Think you’re an expert on congregational life?  Here’s your chance to find out how much you know.  Take our short quiz and see how you do.  Start here.  (Or find the quiz button our home page.)

You want prizes?  Sorry.  You’ll have to be satisfied with the sense of pride you get for doing well!  Or invite your friends to take the quiz.  Maybe one of them will congratulate you on your excellent score.

 

 

Who Travels Farther to Worship—New Worshipers or Long-Term Attendees?

By Deborah Bruce

How long are worshipers willing to travel to attend religious services? About half of worshipers (56%) can reach their congregation within 10 minutes, and nine in ten (88%) travel no more than 20 minutes to church.  One in ten travel even farther.

Truth or fiction? Recently I heard that long-term members often travel farther to their church than new people who began attending in the past several years. The “expert” said that long-term members might move to a new home that’s not as close to their church, but continue attending there. New worshipers, on the other hand, seek a church home that’s convenient and easy to get to. What’s the truth?

Truth: In fact this “expert” was wrong. More long-term worshipers than new attendees can get to their church in 10 minutes or less. On average, worshipers who began attending in the past five years travel farther to their church than those attending for more than five years.

What does this mean? There are a couple of implications for congregational leaders:

1. Involvement. It’s easier for worshipers to participate in congregational activities if they can get there quickly. Those who walk to church or travel a short distance can come back for mid-week activities without difficulty. The greater distances that new attendees travel to worship may contribute to their lower levels of involvement in church programs.
2. Outreach and evangelism. If your congregation focuses on inviting primarily the people who live in the neighborhood around the church, expand your vision! Don’t confuse your community service area with your evangelistic outreach area. Many community ministries will seek to serve the needs of people in the vicinity where your church is located. But your evangelistic outreach should be much broader. Current worshipers should feel free to invite all of their friends, neighbors, and other people they know. Personal relationships, not geography, build churches.

 

The Accelerators in High-Percentage-Tithing Presbyterian Churches

By Cynthia Woolever

The percentage of worshipers giving 10% or more of their income to their local Presbyterian church clearly distinguishes one church from another. Yet Presbyterian churches are demographically and behaviorally different from the average conservative Protestant congregation, where high-percentage giving is more common. Are factors like the gender ratio and participation levels associated with high-percentage-tithing in Presbyterian churches as well?

Some features of Presbyterian churches are “accelerators” for 10% giving—Presbyterian churches with these characteristics have higher percentages of tithers.

More conservative worshipers. In Presbyterian churches where more worshipers describe themselves as conservative on theological issues, more worshipers give at the 10% level. A belief in the biblical mandate to tithe is one component of a more conservative theological tradition. This is belief lived out in their actions.

More weekly attendees. In Presbyterian congregations where a larger proportion of worshipers attend weekly or more often, the percentage of tithers is also higher. Previous research shows that individuals who participate more in church services and activities also tend to be regular financial contributors. At the congregational level, increasing the engagement level of worshipers also increases the revenue generated by individual donations. Keep in mind that even when other seemingly important church factors are taken into account, this association remains.

More male worshipers. In Presbyterian churches, the gender ratio is another important factor in giving levels. When the ratio of men to women rises closer to 50/50, percentage giving at the 10% level rises too.

Larger congregations. Despite everything else, size continues to play a role. Larger congregations tend to have higher percentages of worshipers giving at the 10% level. Size is an organizational dynamic related to giving levels that represents a challenge for smaller Presbyterian churches. Larger churches have more resources, bigger agendas, and seem to attract individuals with more resources. All churches—large, small, or mid-size—can focus on the need for the giver to give rather than the needs of the church.

The Bottom Line

What can pastors and church leaders do to encourage worshipers to give generously?

• Emphasize the spiritual dimension and Biblical foundation for giving—rather than the church budget or the need to fund church programs.
• Encourage participation through meaningful worship services and activities that nurture spiritual growth.
• Foster an atmosphere that attracts all members of the family to congregational activities (for example, style of worship, diverse programs).
• Find ways to recognize every gift and every giver as important for the church’s mission.