Technology Churches Need in 2018: Online Directory

1. Easy Access

When you have an online directory, all your church members have the latest church member data at all times. Which results in benefits like:

• Your directory immediately reflecting changes to addresses, phone numbers, and household members without waiting years for a reprint.
• Your members being able to reach each other because they have the right information.
• Your members carrying the directory in their pocket (on their smart phone).
• Your office receiving fewer calls and requests for phone numbers and addresses.

2. Self-Management.

With an online directory, members can update their own information and profiles.

More Control. Members have more control over their information. They can sign in to their profile and add a new picture, change their information, or even choose to make some of their information unlisted. This no longer requires them to remember to call the church office.

Cleaner Databse. When members update their secure online profile, it not only updates your directory, but also updates your church’s database. As a result, communications and efforts to reach your members will also be more effective, and your database will be more clean.

Fresh Faces. Say good-bye to the stereotypical outdated directory photos that are five to ten years old. Members can add their own pictures to the directory. You can still offer professional picture services and upload those images. But for new people, people who missed picture day, or maybe members who don’t have the budget for professional photos, they (or you) can upload a photo taken on a cell phone or saved on their computer.

3. Online Statements.

Today, anyone who is giving to a non-profit expects to be able to see a history of their giving at any time. It’s an expectation in a world where people can get online or access an app to see their credit card statements, bank accounts, online shopping history, and more. Your church members will appreciate being able to access their tithe and offering history online as well. Being able to access and print contribution statements online helps your members in a couple practical ways.

Convenient Self-Service.

• First of all, they can print their statement at any time. This means, they don’t need to wait for your office to mail them a physical statement at tax time.
• They can even select to not receive a paper statement at all, saving them from having personal giving information going through the mail, and saving you a stamp.
• If in the flurry of tax-time preparations they misplace their statement, they can easily reprint one.

Giving History. Additionally, your members will be able to view past giving history to better plan for increases in giving, both throughout the year, and at the end of the year.

4. Online Event Sign Up.

You no longer have to rely on your members to remember to call someone, or find a physical sign up sheet in your church to register for events. You can add events to your online member profiles, and allow members to sign themselves, or their kids up for retreats, Sunday school classes, youth events and anything else you have going on.

This means, if sign-ups for a particular event are low, or you know of several members who wanted to sign up, but didn’t fill out the form, you can quickly email them a reminder and a link to the directory. From there, they can log into their member profile, and sign up just by checking a box. It’s that simple.

5. More traffic to your church website.

Your website is a valuable asset, and communication tool. Having members frequent your site helps to keep them informed, and more engaged. It’s a central place where you can post all public information so that nobody feels uninformed.

Adding a valuable tool like an online directory to your website will help keep your members going to your church there. The directory will also be a tool to help them to take action on what they see on your website.

For example:

• Members can see upcoming events online, and sign up in their online profiles.
• They can see announcements about volunteer help that is needed, and access the volunteer coordinator’s email address from the online directory to reach out and get involved.
• Remind your members via a note on your website about the passing of a brother or sister in Christ, and they can find the family’s info to send a condolence, or show up with meal.
• Members can view their giving history, and then (if you have online giving set up) choose to give directly from an online member profile.

A Note on Ease of Use

A well-designed directory will be even simpler to use than Facebook. Search and sorting features will allow anyone who can access the internet to be able to easily navigate an online directory. And for those who don’t have a computer, online directories can be quickly printed out in an easy-to-read, book-like format.

A Note on Security

As alluded to throughout this article, it’s quite simple for churches to secure their online directories and online member profile. The church can easily set a directory password, and allow members to set their own passwords for their member profiles. Members can also fine tune their personal security by deciding what information they want to be made available or public on the directory.