Book review: Using Technology for Your Church
Are you struggling with technology in your church? Do you want to learn how to use some new outlets for your message? Using Technology for Your Church, by Jeremy G. Woods could be a useful primer for you or your team.
Woods covers matters such as logo, graphics, website, social media, video, blogging, and using technology for sermon preparation and dissemination. He makes a spiritual case for the use of technology which can be helpful if you have leaders who don’t understand the why, let alone the how.
I’ve seen enough 90’s looking websites to know many churches need to update their websites, and an astonishing number of churches don’t even have one. As Woods notes, it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. He recommends a simple and inexpensive service, and the appendix on websites has step-by-step instructions. He also talks about how to get help if you don’t want to do it yourself.
I’ve been dealing with technological resources for years, and I learned some things I didn’t know, such as online service notes through YouVersion and where to get free, legal video clips. I like his focus on legal downloads. Too many churches cut corners here.
I did feel the the book could have used a professional edit and design, although churches looking for technology help may not care about those details. I do, but I still feel the useful content outweighs it.
I particularly liked how brief and easy-to-follow the book is. In addition, eight “How to…” appendices walk you through how to do many of the basic items. The step-by-step instructions are detailed and clear. You could get set up with a Facebook profile or page in minutes by following them (or get a teenager to help you). There are a couple of downloadable bonuses, including a church technology plan.
Wherever you are in your technology journey, Using Technology for Your Church is likely to have something to help you use these tools for ministry.
[Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
Photo source: istock
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