Many of us remember the days of printed church directories. The Sundays when every family stayed after the service, dressed in their best outfits to have their photos taken. The checking and double-checking and triple-checking that each phone number and address is correct.
Then, the inevitable moment later on is when you realize something is wrong, either because an error was missed in proofing or because the information has changed since it was printed. Or you have a new family join your church, and they aren’t included at all.
Out comes the Wite-Out, the black pen, the blank address stickers, etc., to update the church’s copy of the directory. Every other copy is still incorrect and will continue to become more outdated as time goes on until you get around to updating the entire directory again.
This sounds like an old-school practice, but many churches still utilize printed directories (or spreadsheets or Rolodexes) as their primary method of managing contact information, even years into the digital age.
You need to know how to get in touch with your congregants in case of an emergency and effectively do ministry in the life of your church. But without reliable, accessible information, you’ll end up navigating challenge after challenge to stay connected to your members.
But with the rise of technology, it’s possible to eliminate the barriers to connection, save your staff time and effort managing data, and streamline your communication processes all at once.
Regardless of the size of your congregation, there are three major reasons every church needs a digital directory.
Reason #1: Your Physical Directory is Outdated
Picture this.
Your church has relied on a printed directory of all its members for decades. However, the person who usually managed the updates moved away a few years ago, so no one has verified the information in a while.
Most of the phone numbers and addresses are still correct. But there are a few you know are outdated. New people have joined your congregation and were never added to the directory at all.
Outdated information makes connecting with your members unnecessarily difficult. You can’t just send a quick message or start a meal train for a family without having to go back each time to make sure phone numbers and addresses are correct.
No matter how hard you try to keep everything up to date, eventually, something will get missed, and you’ll be working with incorrect data.
Reason #2: Your Physical Directory is at Risk
If you only have your church members’ information in a physical copy or digital format that isn’t backed to the Cloud, you risk losing your directory completely.
A fire, flood, or other natural disaster can easily destroy your records and require significant effort to recover, on top of the other challenges your ministry would face.
If you do have a digital directory but it’s only saved locally, all it takes is one corrupt file or a crashed computer to wipe out all of your contact information.
Any situation that could damage or destroy your directory would cause numerous other issues. Salvaging your contact list is one problem that can be avoided completely, ensuring you can still connect with your members even in the face of disaster.
Reason #3: Your Physical Directory is Inaccessible
Now, let’s imagine that your church doesn’t use a printed directory but instead depends on your pastor or a staff member to keep up with everyone’s contact information.
If the person who manages the contact list is hospitalized unexpectedly or leaves your church suddenly, what do you do? They were the only ones with a comprehensive directory of every member.
In addition to the challenges those situations would bring, your directory is inaccessible to your congregation under normal circumstances.
If someone is sick and the members of their small group want to send them get-well cards, they’re reaching out to you asking for that information, taking time away from the other tasks on your to-do list.
You’re also responsible for keeping track of which members don’t want others to have access to their contact information. Just because someone was willing to give you their phone number doesn’t automatically mean they’re comfortable with you sharing it with anyone else.
Even if it is your job to manage your church’s directory, if you aren’t utilizing a digital, accessible directory, you’re spending time, effort, and resources on a task that could easily manage itself with the right tools.
So, what do you do?
Investing in the right tools is the best way to ensure that your church’s contact information is up to date, invulnerable to physical loss or damage, and accessible to your congregation.
Solutions like Realm allow you to access your directory from any device with internet connectivity.
Your members can update their information, eliminating the need for your staff to verify the accuracy of your data. And they can decide what is available to whom, allowing staff only, their groups, or the entire congregation to view their information.
With a Cloud-based system, you’re eliminating the risk of losing your directory and ensuring you don’t have to spend time recovering your records. Everything is backed up continually, which also guarantees you’re seeing the most up-to-date information every time.
A church directory is essential to the success of your ministry as you work to connect with the people in your pews. But it’s one element that can easily be simplified and made manageable rather than viewing it as a tedious task no one wants to tackle.
So, take some time during these slower summer months to upgrade your directory, streamline your communication efforts, and increase connectivity within your church.
ACS Technologies
ACS Technologies sets a new standard in church technology, offering a holistic suite of solutions that streamline administrative tasks and empower your staff to excel in their roles and your church to excel in your community.
In the ever-evolving landscape of church engagement and management, ACS Technologies rises above the rest. Our comprehensive church solutions, bespoke digital offerings, streamlined communication tools, comprehensive ministry consulting, and training make us the trusted choice for over fifty thousand churches. Experience the ACS Technologies advantage and elevate your church’s online presence, connectivity, and generosity today. Join us in redefining church technology for the digital age, where your ministry’s success becomes our shared mission.
