In 2 Corinthians 11:28, Paul writes, "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
Pastors these days know exactly what Paul is referring to. They've felt the uncertainty of cancelling worship services for the first time in their church's history. They hear the conflicting counsel about re-opening. They feel the angst of political polarization. They care for out-of-work friends and family. They sincerely pray for the critically ill.
When we first introduced the digital connection card, 18 months ago, it was one of several ideas that focused on helping churches think about ways to use our new, at the time, workflows feature.
Since then, many churches have started using them and sharing their experience with us and each other. The Pandemic of 2020 has accelerated this experimentation. We still have a lot to learn, but the next three blogs are dedicated to sharing what we've seen so far.
Pastors need a Digital Connection Card, because ...
- People watching online need to easily connect. Many churches had online services before Covid-19. But almost every church now has learned to live-stream services at least through Zoom, Youtube, or Facebook Live. That was a big hurdle. But the next one is how to connect these people. The solution is a digital connection card that allows people to respond just by clicking a link or sending a text.
People who are present want a digital option. Social distancing has created a concern for many about touching each other or being close enough to hand out things like bulletins. Others have gotten so used to paperless living that the idea of handling a bulletin feels uncomfortable reminding them of unwanted mail or needless landfills. Texting a keyword to respond to an appeal is easier and more natural for digital natives. - People should connect the same way on every platform. Having one connection strategy for online ministry and another one for live ministry creates inconsistency and confusion in the organization. Pastors know that clarity is essential for learning and adoption. They know that a consistent process for engagement and disciple-making are foundational to ministry success. It all starts with the connection card.
- People should be contacted every time. There's nothing more disappointing to a pastor than hearing from someone that they filled out a card and no one responded. Something in the system broke down and not even an email or text was sent to acknowledge their request. Their information might have been mis-read or mis-typed. Their card request might have been over-looked or under-prioritized. There are many places in the human communication chain that problems could have occurred. With digital connection cards in Churchteams, people enter the data themselves and then automated workflows make sure emails, texts, and personal notifications are sent ... every time.
Pastors carry with them the concern of the people in the churches God has called them to lead. Yes, they take these concerns to the Lord and He gives peace and perspective. But, some of the concerns these days can be addressed and turned into areas of quiet confidence. A digital connection card can help.
If you're a client, here's the Knowledge Base Article to set one up.
If you're not, start a free trial, select your Text-to-Church number, follow the instructions in the link above and you can try it for free!
