Bridging the Gap Between Tech and the Church with Jordan Page
There’s a fear amongst many churches that technology makes things less personal for their congregation. But the truth is, technology can help churches reach a larger audience and engage their members. For those wary of the change or unsure of where to start regarding technology in the church, this episode with Jordan Page, IT director at Higher Dimension Church in Houston, can offer clarity as he shares ways to bridge the gap between technology and the Church.
High Tech and High Touch
At Higher Dimension Church in Houston, TX, their ministry focuses on being high-tech and high-touch. Jordan notes “we touch our congregation and members more intentionally. We like to be high tech, but we also like to be high touch as well.”
Every Sunday, Higher Dimension has their congregation check in on iPads. Why? “Data is king,” Jordan says. “For us to monitor our data, we have our congregation check in at iPads or in the mobile app with precheck. The check-in allows us to track who’s coming to service, and connect with them differently. It allows our care team to go back and check on people.” One specific way the Higher Dimension team can use attendance data is with volunteers, who are encouraged to sit a service and then serve a service. Jordan recalls a volunteer who hadn’t shown up in a few weeks. “We reached out after not seeing her check-in, and she had COVID, and was recovering. The data we’re getting from the check-in feature allows us to formulate a care plan.”
Another resource Jordan uses to help the church be both high-tech and high-touch is QR codes. At Higher Dimension, Jordan mentions that they “had people sign up their children for children’s church. The QR code was posted on the website and app for online members.” When members scanned the QR code, Jordan says, “it sent them to a quick form to volunteer or register their children.” But there are endless ways to use QR codes in your ministry. Jordan lists other uses, including “a QR code with a link to take them to the giving page, a landing page for a new sermon series, or linking to your YouTube channel for messages.”
And we can’t talk about tech without talking about church apps. For Jordan, the Higher Dimension church app made “an impactful change and saw that it made a difference in people’s lives. The app made it easier for people to sign up for connect groups, and get connected to their specific [campus]. When you sign up on mobile, you sign up for your campus and your giving goes towards your campus.” The app and its features help Jordan and the Higher Dimension team “cultivate relationship and family feel” within their church.
The Future Of The Church
Leading a church that fully embraces technology, Jordan shares that it’s nothing to be afraid of. Instead, it’s something to be embraced. Jordan says, “the world is ever-changing and right now tech is at the forefront of that. But there was a time when the Church was at the forefront. My desire is for it to return there.” Jordan quotes Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” That verse motivated him to embrace technology and help other churches do the same.
Jordan says his purpose is “to know God, love God, make Him known specifically through tech. Using tech to take people from not knowing and understanding to a place of fully knowing and understanding Christ is truly the wind in my sails.”
By embracing tech, the Church can also reach and embrace the next generation. For example, Jordan notes, “the younger generations don’t carry as much cash or write checks. They’ll search a church online before they ever visit it in person.” Those are just two opportunities the church has to reach and engage the next generation. Jordan warns that “leaders forsake the next generation of believers because [they’re] not willing to take advantage of a tool, a gift, that God placed on the Earth. There are so many free ways to increase engagement [with the next generation].”
Encouragement For Leaders
Jordan encourages pastors and church leaders that they’re not alone in their tech journey. Although pastors may not feel like they know enough about technology, he says, “God places people on this earth to provide for our needs.” He continues, “Moses had Joshua, Paul had Timothy.” Jordan says, “If you don’t have someone in your congregation to fill that need [for help with technology], ask for help outside your church. There are so many ministries giving away free content for you to pull from and use.” And ultimately, as you go through the process and start embracing more technology and tools, Jordan advises, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t let the lack of knowledge destroy you or your ministry.”
Technology is here to stay. It’s up to the Church to use it for God’s glory. There are so many different ways that technology can help your church to advance God’s Kingdom. Listen to this episode of our Moving Mountains Podcast to hear all of Jordan’s practical tips and easy ideas to bridge the gap between technology and the Church.
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