The Engagement Journey: Know your flock

We recently hosted our Customer Connect event, where I had the opportunity to share our heart for the church, unveil new product features, and cast a vision about where our technology is headed. The event itself was born from our deepest passions—the local church, and a love for technology—and was shaped by the invaluable feedback we’ve received from pastors and leaders like you. 

You asked us how we’re innovating. How we’re addressing your most pressing needs, and how our technology is equipping you to know your flock better. You want to know who’s showing up each week, who’s engaged, who’s giving, and who needs support or is falling through the cracks.

You told us these are the questions that are keeping you up at night—and that you believe technology can change the face of your ministry. 

Please never doubt that your trust in our team is an honor and privilege we take seriously, and that your needs are directing our product vision for the future. 

At the heart of this vision is something we call the Engagement Journey. It’s a path every church leader guides their community through every single day, whether you know it or not. As we discussed at the Customer Connect event, this journey is about nurturing sparks of interest into a flame of engagement within your community. Our goal is to provide technology that helps you “know your flock better” and foster those relationships at every stage. 

Understanding the Engagement Journey

The Engagement Journey can be broken down into a series of distinct phases, each presenting a unique opportunity for connection. On one side of the journey are the seekers—individuals who may not yet realize they’re on a spiritual path. This phase is often digital, with nearly 80% of first-time visitors engaging with your church website, long before they ever set foot inside your building.

The next step is curiosity, when someone might be watching your livestream sermons, or getting a feel for your community and its values. Statistics reveal that new attendees watch your online sermons up to six times before coming into your physical building.

As individuals move through the early stages of this journey, they become more engaged by consuming your social media content and listening to your sermons. Then they transition from a digital connection to becoming a first-time visitor in your physical church. This is often the most critical stage, as personal interaction with a pastor or a timely follow-up doubles the likelihood that they’ll visit a second time (from 15% to 30%). This moment of personal connection, driven by technology, truly amplifies the impact of ministry leaders.

But the journey doesn’t end there. The final stages of this journey move someone from a regular attendee to a fully engaged member of your community. They might start volunteering, join a small group, or become a recurring giver. Each step represents a deeper commitment to your ministry. The challenge for leaders, however, is that this journey often happens across a fragmented collection of digital platforms, making it difficult to grasp a holistic view of each person’s progress.

Using technology to connect your ministry

From the moment someone discovers your church online to the moment they become a fully engaged, committed member of your community, Pushpay’s goal is to empower you with the tools to guide them every step of the way.

This is where our new product innovations shine. We’re creating a cohesive platform that brings all your critical data points together, from a visitor’s first click on your website to their attendance at a small group meeting. Our industry-first AI Search tool is designed to help you easily discover trends and act on your data. For example, instead of manually searching through spreadsheets, you can use your natural language to type questions like, “Show me our new givers over 18 who are also members.” This allows you to gain insights and take action in seconds, not hours.

While we’re not using AI to replace the powerful work and personal connections you and your staff conduct daily, we strongly believe AI can provide key insights that help you connect and take action on the moments that matter most. These tools will preserve your time and talent, so you can focus on what you were born to do: ministry.

When I think about the coming years of the Church, I envision a fresh swell of stewardship and faith, fueled by in-person ministry and data-driven insights, giving you a comprehensive view of your community. This is what we’re building at Pushpay: technology for a vibrant church that your kids and the next generation of churchgoers will want to embrace.

The future of the Church

We grow and innovate at Pushpay, but our heart remains the same: To serve you, the Church, and to help you better know your flock. We’re humbled to play a small part of the monumental impact you’re having in your community. We invite you to explore our new innovation webpage and product release hub to learn more about what’s coming.