Whether it’s a new app, a weekday discipleship tool, or a revamped website, implementing new church technology can be overwhelming. It’s easy to feel stuck in a blur of logins, launches, and long meetings. 

Endless settings and unusual features aren’t what make or break a digital initiative, though. It’s the willingness of your team to see a project through.

Before you integrate a new technology into your church, you need to clarify its purpose. Make sure your team is on the same page and that everyone feels aligned with the mission and one another.

At Apollos, we’ve walked alongside church implementation teams navigating these transitions. It doesn’t take much to see that they’re not just building tools. They’re building new systems that are mission-critical in helping their churches move toward their goals. 

Do you see what’s at stake here? Church technology isn’t a housekeeping item. It’s a core element that helps you maintain mission and vision through systems, operations, and connection. 

That’s why you need to lead each church technology initiative well and maintain heart and vision throughout each rollout. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Start and Stay Centered on Your Why

Before you choose a platform or plan content, rally your team around the mission.

Make it clear that you aren’t doing this because your people don’t need another app.

They need daily discipleship, and church technology (used right) makes it possible to keep that spiritual momentum going throughout their Monday-through-Saturday lives.

Think about this. Even perfect Sunday attendance only reaches 1/7 of a disciple’s week. Perfect attendance means you see people 52 times each year. (In reality, it’s more like 18 times a year on average.) 

That stat might sting, but it’s also an opportunity. Make sure everyone involved in your next technology initiative understands that a digital tool like the Apollos app helps close that gap. You’re working on something that is rooted in your church’s vision, not just a product launch.

2. Go Beyond Project Planning to Consider the Emotional Journey

Church technology rollouts impact more than church systems. They impact people.

When we had the privilege to work with Seacoast Church, our work together was about more than designing a better website. We were collaborating with their team to understand their mission, vision, and needs. We wanted to hear their hopes and help them carry out the project with clarity and care. 

The result? “Universally positive feedback” from staff and leaders alike.

We helped them identify who to involve in the decision-making team and built on that trusted group.

At the same time, we kept everyone in the loop. Their staff not only loved the final product. They felt seen and supported along the way.

Take the time to plan well. Then go further to consider the emotional impact. What kind of journey will implementing new technology into your church ecosystem create? 

3. Build With Intentionality In Mind

We can’t overemphasize the need for intentionality. You’re not a business. You’re a church, and you operate with a missional mindset, even with your technology.

Every piece of hardware and software should have a purpose in helping you turn vision into reality. Remember, in a church setting, technology tools are only as good as the discipleship opportunities they help you create.

If your team is rushing to fill a content calendar, get social-worthy pictures, or any other manic technology-driven “need,” pause and recalibrate. 

Is your content helping people take next steps in their faith? Is your online platform building intentional moments of reflection, community, and encounters with Scripture?

This doesn’t mean you have to be predictable. There’s plenty of room for intentional innovation in church communication. In a recent episode of the Church 3.0 podcast, Ben Snyder, senior pastor of Cedar Creek Church, encouraged using “crazy strategies” to help introduce people to Jesus and even listed some wild examples.

You can see that part of the short but impactful interview here:

Don’t be formulaic. Be intentional. Let your mission guide your technology, not the other way around.

4. Repurpose and Amplify What You Already Have

This one is as simple as it is critical. Use your church technology initiatives to amplify what you’re already doing well.

One of the biggest encouragements we offer churches is this: You already have most of what you need. You have:

• Your sermons.

• Your studies.

• Your teaching moments.

The problem comes when you let them flame out on Sunday. These are more than one-time messages. Church technology platforms like Apollos can turn them into rich resources that you can transform into daily discipleship content. 

This takes what people already like about your church and uses digital platforms to turn it into a daily experience. It isn’t about doing more. It’s about multiplying what you’re already doing for greater impact.

Use Church Mission to Maintain Your Technology Strategy

Most failed digital tools initiatives in the church don’t fail because of bad technology. They fail because of a lack of alignment and purpose. That’s why you need clear vision and heart behind each rollout. 

There are some people who will spend more time on Facebook this week than they will in your church building this year. If your church technology helps position your ministry to reach people online and engage in digital discipleship around the clock, that is a goal that will resonate with your team and keep your church technology efforts moving forward.

If you haven’t guessed by now, Apollos can be a key part of that mission-driven digital strategy. We can help you build church technology tools that last, not because they’re shiny and new, but because they’re grounded in and built on the mission God gave your church. 

We’re already helping tens of thousands of churchgoers engage in hundreds of thousands of faith-based interactions online throughout the week. Your church needs to be in on this digital discipleship revolution, too. 

Are you ready to align your digital tools with your ministry vision? Let’s talk. Get a demo to see how our platform can support your vision.