Bringing Your Church Into The Modern Age.
December 7, 2016 by Staff
Filed under Money/Business, Religion, Tech/Internet, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) So, you’re the organizer of a weekly religious gathering, which you love and enjoy. But, the building you’re preaching in is frightfully old and rundown. A lot of people may argue that a church doesn’t need to look or feel nice. Instead, it’s simply a place for worship. But, with older members of society in your congregation and the want to gain new members, the comfort of your church is important.
Different churches have different furniture, but a lot of them have pews. In the past, pews were a great way to create a large amount of seating with very few materials. But, pews are uncomfortable and take up a lot of space, compared to their modern day equivalents. Specialized church chairs aren’t hard to come by. And, a lot of the companies that make them will give churches a discount. By 
replacing the pews or benches in your church, you free up a lot of space that can be used for other things, too. It’s just a matter of stacking some chairs and putting them out of the way!
Some of the members of your church are likely to struggle with their hearing. For shy people, who want to sit at the back, this can be a real problem. Obviously, you want everyone in the church to be able to hear what you’re saying. Of course, you could just shout. But, this creates problems when you’re too tired or ill to do it. Instead, a lot of modern churches use basic PA systems , to get themselves heard. Nowadays, examples of these systems can be found at very affordable prices. You may need some weekly help getting this setup, but there’s always someone willing to help in a good church. This will also give you the opportunity to record your weekly services so that people who missed them can catch up. It also gives you a chance to reach out to a wider audience; some people are too far away from a church to go every week.
Likewise, some of your audience may have trouble seeing you. To rectify this problem, a lot of churches incorporate TVs with cameras, so that people don’t have to see across the room. Of course, this sort of setup won’t be cheap. But, when it comes to serving the masses, a little bit of investment isn’t always a bad thing. This also gives you the opportunity to show your church some relevant videos or films. It also opens the doors to having other events, in the church.
Although it doesn’t really change the comfort of your church, having a website can be a great idea. A lot of your congregation are likely to have access to the Internet. So, giving them a chance to find out about your church online will fit in with their lives. It also gives you a chance to plan events and services, without people having to use paper to find out.
Making your church more accessible will automatically increase your numbers. Which, ultimately, is the goal of most churches. When investing in technology, it’s always worth doing plenty of research before purchasing anything at all.
Staff Writer; Greg Jones