Do information systems make a difference in the life of a church? In the past 20 years, has the rapid-changing world of technology really made a difference to the life of the church? After all, the church existed nearly 2,000 years before the first computer was installed in a church office.

The church is a group made up of people who feel called by God to be a community of God. The mission of any one church may differ from another, but they all share the same challenge. How does a church know when its ministry, the acts of its life together, truly fulfills its understanding of mission? It is at this point that I believe technology, and specifically a good information system, does make a difference.

Today, as with every generation, people are looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. People do not become involved in a community of faith just because they grew up there. People have many choices available; the church must be a community of integrity where its ministry really does connect with its mission. It is in such an environment that people encounter the community of God. To that end, the right use of technology can make a difference not for the church, but rather for the people that it is called to serve.

How does a good information system make a difference? First, it should be about the people of its community. The people of a church are not simply its greatest asset—they are the church. Who are they, where do they live, what are their interests, skills and resources, what is their involvement in the life of the church, and who is not involved? When someone has a personal need, how does the church respond? When someone misses worship, is that noticed and acted upon? Who is involved in the various ministries of the church and who is not? When visitors come through its doors, how does the church know they are there and how are they followed up on? A well-maintained information system helps answer these questions and touch the lives of people.

Secondly, a good information system should help the people of a church be good stewards of its financial resources. This is not about raising more money. This is challenging and encouraging people to be involved in the church’s ministry with its dollars. Proper tracking of people’s gifts to the church and analysis of that giving fosters trust and empowers the community of faith to help all of its members grow in their service to God. If you want to know about the health of a church, look at its giving patterns over the past five years. If you want to understand the future of a church, look at who is giving. A well-maintained information system is a window into the soul of a church.

Finally, a good information system needs to help the church be accountable with the financial resources it has received. If a church states that it is mission-oriented but spends very little for missions, is its ministry connecting with its mission? As in any organization, budgets are always strained. A lot of time and energy is spent in committees and board meetings complaining about the lack of money rather than understanding how the use of its funds shapes its ministry. A well-maintained information system gives timely and accurate information so that the community of faith is a good steward of its gifts from God.

Randy S. Clay, a minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is founder and resident of Suran Systems, Inc., providers of CDM+ Church Management Software since 1986.