4 Processes Your Church Should Re-evaluate This Summer
By Olivia Massimiano
For churches, summer is the perfect time to reflect on key processes within your operations and evaluate their effectiveness. This slightly slower time of year can help you get everything squared away before the back-to-school season ramps up in the fall.
In between holidays and vacations, take some time to note which of your digital tools and processes are working for your team — and which ones are fostering deeper connections within your congregation and the wider community.
Let’s explore four church processes that could benefit from a summer tune-up.
1. Event Registration
Managing and promoting events — whether free or paid — should be a straightforward process. The right event registration tool can significantly reduce the administrative burden on your staff while providing a seamless experience for attendees as well.
A good system integrates smoothly with your existing church software — allowing for seamless management, promotion, payment processing, and more.
Streamline your tools and workflow by using a single platform that allows for the customization of registration forms, automated confirmations and reminders, discount codes, and data exports.
2. Check-in
A secure and efficient check-in process, from Sunday school to special conferences, is vital for any church event.
Ideally, your check-in system should cater to all ages, ensuring that both adults and children feel safe and accounted for. The process should be quick and easy — minimizing wait times and alleviating congestion.
Integration with your event registration tool makes check-ins even more seamless, particularly for recurring events such as small groups or prayer meetings.
Once an individual has registered for an event, their information will be readily accessible for check-in, saving time by cutting down on redundant data entry. Furthermore, modern check-in systems offer analytics and trends, providing valuable insights into attendance patterns and helping to identify potential areas your team can improve or celebrate.
3. Groups & Messaging
Many churches use a combo of communication channels such as GroupMe, WhatsApp, Facebook Groups, Slack, and text messages. While these platforms can be alluring for their wide use and price point, managing multiple channels can lead to miscommunication, disorganization, onboarding troubles, and even missed opportunities to share the gospel.
Consolidating your communication into a single platform can enhance clarity and engagement within your team and community by:
- Communicating within your own church app & website — no additional apps needed
- Getting people plugged into community — one place to search for ministries, small groups, and volunteer opportunities
- Keeping your community and data safe — more control with privacy & security features built with churches in mind
By having just one primary communication channel, both your team and congregation can stay connected more efficiently, fostering a stronger sense of community and ensuring important messages are received by all.
4. Live Streaming
Multiple ways to tune in
In 2024, live streaming is a major part of many churches’ ministry. That means it’s even more important to ensure that your online experience is high-quality and accessible for everyone tuning in.
Being able to simultaneously stream to all of your channels — website, mobile & TV apps, and social media — is a great way to reach your audience and combat restrictive big tech policies.
For example, Meta recently updated its Facebook Live policy — meaning churches with Facebook accounts that are less than 60 days old and have fewer than 100 followers are now unable to stream Sunday services and any other events.
Media management
Effective media management is crucial to avoid creating extra work for your team.
Choose a church live streaming platform that simplifies the scheduling, trimming, and publishing process with one easy-to-use dashboard. And with a feature like “instant on-demand,” your team can save hours every week (no more re-uploading!) as your recorded content automatically publishes to your media library.
Engagement opportunities
Consider incorporating more opportunities for those tuning in to build community by interacting with each other and your church.
A real-time chat feature is a great way for people to say good morning, share a Bible verse, and so much more. Your audience may also feel inspired to partner with your mission. Including a pop-up message, QR code, or text-to-give code are a few simple ways to encourage generosity during online services.
Prepare your ministry for the seasons ahead
Re-evaluating these four key church processes — event registration, check-in, live streaming, and groups & messaging — can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, communication, and engagement. Take the time this summer to assess and upgrade your church processes, and watch how the right digital tools can transform your ministry this fall & beyond.
Want to learn how to better reach and connect with your community anytime, anywhere on the Subsplash Platform? Schedule a free demo with a ministry consultant today, and equip your church with tools built intentionally to further your mission!
Olivia Massimiano lives in Seattle, WA and is a proud dog owner and movie enthusiast. Inspired by her experience as a church volunteer and member, she is passionate about equipping churches with compelling and useful content.
