You don’t need normal. The Church is called to be “the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” in Matthew 5:14. The first blog in this series, A “normal” technology partner won’t work, emphasized that you got into ministry because you wanted to make a difference in the world, meet physical and spiritual needs, and build community. You wanted to make an impact. Friend, that’s not normal. You’re set apart for a purpose.
As your ministry partner, we want to accelerate the impact you’re making and show you how our Personalized Ministry Environment versus a normal ChMS expands your ministry effectiveness as expressed in the recently released resource, Not Normal. Here are three more ways to purposefully impact your environment:
1. Facilitates congregational interaction.
“For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.” – Colossians 2:19b
Problem: The bigger your church gets, the easier it is for people to slip through the cracks. Sure, people may still show up for worship services each week, but most of the time you have no meaningful way to stay involved in their lives outside of the normal Sunday gatherings.
Solution: ACS Technologies empowers your congregation to connect with one another and engage with your church family throughout the week. With the digital ministry technology tools we provide to every person in your church, your congregation can share prayer requests and praise reports throughout the week–and stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the lives of people in the groups they care about. It’s as simple as a single tap on their smart device or click of the mouse.
Bonus: Because your church staff can see this engagement, you’ll have a better idea of how your congregation is interacting with one another throughout the week so you can better serve them. That leads to seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day discipleship opportunities.
2. Clarifies next steps.
“The church isn’t just a particular building or congregation but the spiritual fellowship of all who belong to Jesus Christ. If we belong to Christ, we also belong to each other.” – Billy Graham
Problem: Your church staff is bottlenecked and people are falling through the cracks which is stifling growth for the individuals and your congregation. You want to know everything from their first visit and how they heard about your church to receiving contact information for connection to then know best how to encourage church volunteers to reach out, etc.
Solution: You want to help people get in a small group, join your church, and get involved in religious education. You want to assimilate new visitors into the life of your church by encouraging them to make a return visit and get involved. That’s why our tools help you create custom pathways for next steps so people can self-manage their spiritual growth.
Bonus: Because most of the people on our ACS Technologies team have served on a church staff, we understand that next steps are at the heart of what you want to do in your ministry. That’s why we continue to cultivate a Personalized Ministry Environment – so we can all be equipped to minister well!
3. Supports church growth.
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10
Problem: You’re struggling to reach your actual community rather than the one your leadership team dreamed up. This is also stagnating future church growth with new ministries and church plants.
Solution: There are plenty of outreach ideas for churches. Healthy church growth happens when you understand your community’s needs and learn to meet those needs. With MissionInsite, we’ll help you do a deep dive with a cross-analyzation into the people you’re trying to reach—both around your current congregation and in potential locations.
Bonus: Who wouldn’t seize the opportunity to be armed with fresh insights about the makeup of your community? We help you break out of what’s normal in order to really know and love them.
Appreciate what makes your church unique.
Jeanie and George are active members in their respective churches. One is a Saturday night parking lot mission church at a busy intersection and the other is a traditional Sunday services church in a neighborhood. Their needs look different, because they are. Their services and all they entail look different, because they are. Their outreach efforts in their communities look different, because they are. These can appear as drastic differences between two churches presenting the Gospel Message, for illustration’s sake; but truthfully, each and every church is different from the next. Normal partners with normal church management software systems just won’t cut it in today’s world. Grasp onto the idea of your church’s unique calling, and let’s move your personalized ministry environment forward.
You’re the expert on how to minister in your context and to your community. You’re the expert on your congregation. Your tech needs are unique. This Not Normal Guide lays out the ways that ACS Technologies can help you develop a Personalized Ministry Experience to help meet those needs and expand your ministry opportunities within your congregation and throughout your community. And, to make it even easier and so you don’t miss any of our Church Growth Resources, you can also receive our ministry blog posts straight to your inbox!
DON’T SETTLE FOR NORMAL TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
Your church’s mission is anything but normal. You’ve been called to reach the lost, feed the hungry, and make disciples. You can’t leave that to just any tech partner.
At ACST, we’ve kicked normal to the curb. We’re passionate about helping churches like you do what God has called you to do.
In our new ministry guide we’ll break down exactly how ACST does this–and what makes us unique.
As the Vice President of Marketing for ACS Technologies, John is responsible for Marketing’s overall corporate strategy and direction. Storyteller, promoter, problem solver to churches of all sizes and shapes. John has traveled the world working with prominent non-profit ministries. He also serves on the board of directors for Dayspring International.
