Catholic Tech Talk

My web team at work has been designing a lot of user input form for websites lately.  When creating a Contact Us, Registration, Payment, or really any kind of form, there’s a natural inclination to try and capture as much information as possible.  The user is typing data in, so why not ask them for [...]

As more and more churches look at online giving, the topic of needing a Credit Card Merchant Account invariable comes up.  Of the major online giving solutions you see in Catholic Churches these days, its pretty well evenly split between those that require a credit card merchant account and those who do not.  If you’re [...]

Sure, I know that this a marketing campaign to obtain email addresses of committed Catholics, BUT what a wonderful campaign it is!  It serves a purpose, adds value to the user, and clearly lets you opt in or out of additional emails. Take 2 minutes, light a virtual calendar and submit your prayer. Let’s help [...]

Chances are in every diocese this year, at least one of each diocese’s parishes will suffer from a catastrophic data loss.  I’m sure you’ve heard a similar story:  a hard drive crash, spilled coffee or even theft and the all important PC or MAC with the parish’s Church Management System, QuickBooks files, census data, and/or [...]

I just ran across Church Info, which bills itself as an Open Source Church Management Software.  This would be a huge development in the Church Management System world.  I’d love to talk to a church or two that’s using this product, does anyone know of a church using this software?  If so, please add a [...]

Brad West uncovered this.  Its a great how to guide for using Facebook.  Its geared for all non-profits, but very applicable to Catholic Churches.  Well worth the read. Help tell your story and build a lasting relationship with your parishioners.  

I love Open Source technologies as so do many church website administrators.  Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal can be used to build some very nice church websites and for very low cost. Besides the robustness and easy of use of these CMSs, one of their other key benefits [...]

One of the most common fundraisers you see within a church, particularly if there’s a school associated with the church, is the Scrip table at the back church after Mass.  Scrip is a simple concept that does indeed earn money for your church but can require a lot of volunteer effort.  It also comes with [...]

If you’ve ever had anyone wonder if your parishioners are ready to adopt technology or technology is really needed within your church, show them these pictures below.  Below are two pictures from St. Peter’s square, the first right before the election of Pope Benedict XVI and the second taken last week just prior to the [...]

I’m amazed at how little the annual appeal process has changed in the churches and dioceses I’m familiar with.  Here’s how the typical process works… About this time of year parishioners (sometimes just past donors to save on mailing costs), receive a letter from their church and later a separate letter from their diocese.  The [...]

I’m sure you’ve all heard Bob Dufford’s hymn, “Be Not Afraid”  This should be our theme song for church leaders looking to enter that Digital Continent of technology and social media that is the Internet.  The church’s key challenge within moving to this Digital Continent is not a technology gap, but rather fear and not [...]

Christmas and Easter may be your church’s busy days of the year, but Ash Wednesday is your church websites’s busiest day.  It actually makes sense if you think about it.  Most parishioners know (or should!) when Easter Sunday mass is and Christmas masses tend to follow the typical Saturday and Sunday mass schedule, but not [...]

I received an email from the Austin Diocese the other day wondering if this blog operates on the approval of our diocese.  In writing back, I responded somewhat flippantly with the question, “Which diocese covers the Internet?”  The point I was trying to make was, of course, that there isn’t a diocese that covers this [...]

Marketers care passionately about their brand.  The rightfully view their brand is a reflection on the company and/or product it serves.  Marketers often go to great lengths to standardize on a brand and protect its integrity.  We don’t tend to think of it this way, but the Catholic Church is a brand and each one [...]

I found this summary of a non-denominational study on why parishioner’s go to a church’s website.  You can read the whole article here, but here’s the top reasons they’re looking at your website: 43% – Checking mass times 29% – Checking times of other events (youth groups, bible study, etc.) 28% – Streaming Audio and [...]

Last week, the iPhone 5 was released.  Five million iPhones were per-ordered prior to the release, people were selling their spots in line at the Apple Stores for a few quick bucks, and amazingly economists predict that the iPhone 5 will actually measurably move our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  Yes, a Smart Phone can [...]

As I’ve said before, I love hindsight.  I just don’t get it early enough. I know many of our readers share the belief that the Church is behind the times in its use of technology (although we are indeed getting better!).  Assuming that’s true, we have an opportunity to look outside our world and see [...]

I love the fact that the USCCB is trying to engage Catholics via texting.  The next generation of parishioners is indeed growing up online, but they’re doing in with their mobile phone.  I would of given them an ‘A’ for effort, but they have some of the content trapped within .pdfs that are difficult read [...]