Technology that empowers discipleship

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In our modern digital age, we have more information at our fingertips than we can even fully comprehend. At the same time, we struggle to know which information is truthful. 

Now more than ever people need to know the truth, what it looks like to live it out, and how to love others because of it. And thankfully, as Christians we know the source of truth. Jesus told us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and he also promised us that if we become his disciples and obey his commands “...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

The good news is that your church can actually utilize technology to spread the gospel and offer even more opportunities to raise up new disciples. Let’s take a look at the discipleship process and how your church can use technology to empower that journey.

Making disciples doesn’t have to be complex or difficult. In fact, the process of discipleship consists of three simple elements:

1. Community—Jesus spent three years living in community with his disciples. Likewise, we need to spend time in fellowship with other believers who set a godly example and encourage us to better follow Jesus.
2. Learning—Jesus taught his disciples through storytelling and scripture. Your church’s disciples need to study the Bible to help them learn, believe, and take steps towards change and growth. 
3. Habits—Jesus’ actions spoke louder than words, setting the ultimate example of servant leadership and sacrificial living. Disciples learn to transform their actions and thoughts by creating daily habits that conform them closer to Jesus. 

Each of these elements are essential, and they build upon each other for developing a holistic spiritual formation. When done correctly, they create transformative changes in people’s lives.

We live in an online society where the average person spends over seven hours a day consuming content on their smartphones and TVs. So, how can your church cut through all the noise to help your people focus on Jesus? 

Discipleship in the digital age requires leveraging technology to reach, engage, and teach people how to be more like Jesus. Check out these four simple ways your church can start using technology for good today.

1. Share discipleship content

You can’t have discipleship without engagement. One of the best ways to develop disciples is by regularly sharing discipleship content that engages them where they’re at. If this sounds like a lot of work, don’t worry—you probably already have some good material that you can repurpose to share online. For example, if you record your pastor’s sermons, you can take short snippets and turn them into shareable content. 

Some online tools, like Subsplash Media, allow you to easily add that content to your church’s website, mobile app, media library, and even your social media. The same idea applies to any Bible studies, Bible reading plans, or devotionals that your church is creating. 

To give you an idea of what this looks like in practice, check out the following devotional resources two churches have developed to enhance their discipleship processes.  

• NCC Daily is a devotional recorded by various team members from National Community Church in Washington, D.C. with a goal to help people create a daily rhythm of connecting with God and each other. 
• COTC Daily from Church of the City in Franklin, TN offers daily devotions for their multiple campuses that are perfect for helping people engage with the Bible and participate in prayer every day.

2. Foster meaningful connections 

Discipleship is not a solo sport. Being connected to a community, developing deep relationships, and learning to love others is an integral part of becoming a disciple. That’s why it’s crucial for your church to create as many opportunities for creating connections as possible. 

For many churches, small groups provide an effective way for people to meet and create deep relationships. Yet finding a small group, signing up to join, and communicating with each other often presents challenges for both attendees and their leaders. Fortunately, there are tools to help overcome these challenges. Let’s take a look at how these work. 

Finding & signing up for small groups

Churches that use Subsplash can create small groups that are discoverable on their website and mobile app. Users can search for a small group and join right away, or church admins can select the “request to join” feature to pre-screen new members before they can join. Take a look at the groups page on Interbay Community Church’s website to see this in action. 

Small group communication

Between prayer requests, coordinating plans, and simply chatting, there is a lot of communication that happens in small groups. Some leaders use tools like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate with each other and their members. 

However, having lots of messaging channels on different platforms can be complicated. Subsplash Messaging can provide a dedicated communication channel on your app or website where groups can communicate, share files, and build relationships. With automated content moderation and full admin control, your team can also manage who’s chatting and keep your community safe. 

3. Create healthy spiritual habits

Discipleship changes not only how we think, but also how we live. True life changes come from the habits we develop that become a part of our daily routines. Your church can help encourage healthy habits by regularly providing content such as daily devotionals, Bible reading, and prayer. 

In fact, studies show that people’s lives are dramatically improved when they engage with the Bible at least four times per week. Regular Bible reading reduces negative habits such as drinking, gambling, or viewing pornography by an average of 57%. It also transforms people so that they feel less lonely and are more likely to share their faith and help others along their discipleship journey. 

4. Empower generosity

Mature disciples are gladly generous people who have learned the importance of gratitude, and they appreciate the joy of giving to others through their church. Unfortunately, even faithful donors can sometimes miss giving their tithe if they’re unable to attend in person or can’t find their checkbook. 

In order to encourage generosity, it’s important to make giving as simple, streamlined, and enjoyable as possible. Online donation platforms allow your people to give anytime from anywhere. The best giving tools, like Subsplash Giving, also provide your church with the latest features, such as recurring giving, donor-covered fees, and automatically lowering processing rates, with no monthly fees or hidden costs. 

Is it time to take your church’s discipleship process to the next level? To do this, you need a partner that you can trust to help you not only get started, but to ensure that you’re successful. 

Over 16,000 churches and organizations partner with Subsplash to reach, engage, and disciple millions of people around the world. That’s because Subsplash offers the best digital tools in the industry along with world-class support at a fraction of the cost of trying to do this on your own. Better yet, all of these tools are available on one platform, making it simple to learn and easy to manage.

See for yourself how your church can use technology to make more and better disciples—[.blog-contact-cta]schedule your free demo today! [.blog-contact-cta]