Pushpay, a payments and engagement solutions provider for faith-based and nonprofit sectors, has released its 2023 State of Church Technology report, an annual study that surfaces digital trends in the church. Insights reveal priorities, concerns and expectations of church leaders.
Digital solutions undoubtedly play a significant role in the church today, with 94 percent indicating technology is important to helping them achieve their mission. Moreso, findings show church leaders are working to refine their technology toolkits and are more informed decision makers when it comes to selecting the right solutions to inspire community and connection, all while streamlining ministry management. In fact, more than half of churches (53%) consider themselves progressive when it comes to technology adoption and usage today.
The research, which was commissioned by Pushpay, was fielded in September and October 2022. It captures insights from nearly 2,200 technology decision makers and influencers from churches across the United States—all varying in size, geographic locations, and denominations. Key trends and findings include:
- Hybrid church is here to stay: 89% of churches indicate they are currently hybrid, offering both in-person and online services. 81% plan to continue doing so in the future. Only 10% reported they currently offer in-person only services.
- Custom streaming tools are the way of the future: 91% of churches currently use social media for livestreaming, yet only 47% plan on using social media for livestreaming in the future. This indicates an increased reliance on customer video players, embeds and specialized technology in the future.
- Church-specific tools are on the rise: 86% of church leaders report they do not want more technology tools. As churches aim to reduce waste, leaders are signaling they want consolidated, integrated and purpose-built solutions. Church management software (ChMS) and donor management software is more in-demand than ever, with adoption increasing significantly this year to 89%. Nearly half (45%) of churches indicate they currently use 5-9 different digital tools, which is steady from last year.
- Increased awareness of digital security: More church leaders than ever are starting to become more conscious and vocal about digital security—10% more churches from last year are communicating information about IT and data privacy to their congregation.
- Eager to explore emerging tech: Only 8% of churches currently offer church in the Metaverse, but 25% said they plan to offer options in the Metaverse a year from now. 48% of respondents also indicated that tools in multiple languages would be strategically important for them in the next two to three years, as well as marketing through geotargeting (47%).
As the church navigates a post-pandemic world and ongoing economic pressures, budget constraints remain the biggest challenge to prioritizing new technology purchases, with the majority of churches (58%) allocating 10 percent or less of their annual budget to technology spend. Other top barriers include staffing, implementation, ease of use, and support.
