When my son was about to enter middle school, I remember checking my email and finding a message from his school. The subject line hinted at exciting news, and as I opened the email, I was struck by the warm, welcoming tone. The school staff expressed their eagerness to meet my child, describing the transformative journey that middle school would bring—how my son's mind, emotions, and body would all continue to grow and change. They acknowledged how overwhelming it could be for parents and assured me that they were ready to offer support and guidance whenever needed.

The email moved me deeply. It came from a public school, and their genuine care for my son and thoughtful outreach resonated with me as a parent. As I reflected on the email, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Why didn’t we offer this same level of support to the parents at our church? Despite having the same information as the school, we somehow missed the opportunity to provide such thoughtful care to the families we served.

The Problem

Our church management system contained the names and ages of the kids, as well as the contact details for their parents. Yet, something crucial was missing. My focus remained locked on the weekend services, with all my energy and attention poured into making Sunday flawless. Once Sunday was over, my mind immediately shifted to planning for the next weekend.

While focus is a valuable asset, it can lead us astray if placed in the wrong direction. My weekends were becoming increasingly polished, but this narrow focus overlooked the vital spiritual growth happening from Monday to Friday. Excellence in weekend services is important, but in my pursuit of perfect Sundays, I missed the critical work of nurturing daily discipleship. I found myself aiming for short-term wins, sacrificing long-term relationships and the deep, ongoing growth of our community.

The Solution

We couldn't afford to be weekend warriors anymore; we needed to be everyday discipleship champions. This meant rethinking our approach, recalibrating our metrics, and realigning our priorities to encompass the full scope of spiritual growth. Daily discipleship isn't just a program or a series of events; it's a way of life. It's about creating spaces for genuine connections to flourish, providing resources for spiritual nourishment throughout the week, and journeying alongside families in their walk of faith. It's about living out our beliefs in the everyday moments, not just on designated church days.

Here’s how we need to think about it:

Becoming Christlike requires more than attending a weekly service. It necessitates spending time in the Word of God, building the right spiritual practices, and doing life with others daily… and technology can help with that. 

By shifting our focus from building a plan centered around a physical building to constructing a plan around our people, we can truly change the game.

Here are three examples of how constraints can shift when we take this approach:

1. Location: Traditionally, our focus has been on drawing people to our church buildings. While this is still important, technology now allows us to meet people where they are. We can extend our reach beyond the church walls and engage with our congregation in their homes, workplaces, and daily lives.
2. Content: Normally, we concentrate on creating engaging sermons and supporting content for the one-hour weekend service. However, with technology, we can extend this content to create a daily rhythm and pattern, enabling people to put what they learn into practice throughout the week. 
3. Giving: Instead of waiting for the offering bucket to be passed, technology allows us to offer easier, more flexible ways to give. This encourages people to prioritize their giving and commit to consistent support. 

This shift doesn't end there—it extends to other areas such as volunteers, prayer, outreach, testimonies, follow-ups, and more. By integrating technology and embracing daily discipleship, we can create more meaningful and impactful experiences for our congregation and beyond.

Where do you start? 

Here’s how I typically approach this when I work with churches:

Clarify your vision.

Begin by understanding the heart and soul of your congregation. This goes beyond tracking attendance numbers or social media metrics. Take the time to listen to your community, learn their stories, and understand their challenges and triumphs. Such deeper engagement reveals how they interact with your church and how you can best support them.

Build a deep understanding of your people. 

This is way more than how many people come every week. A church I worked with was sharing some stats with me once in a similar conversation and they shared the number of views their most recent YouTube sermon got. It was in the millions. Great. So what do I do with that number now? Don’t hear me wrong - these numbers are good to know but we often stop there. As Pastors and church leaders, don’t ignore the questions that naturally come to you.

• Who are my people?
• Where do they come from?
• How often do they show up?
• What are the different areas they are engaged with?
• Where do I lose engagement?

Rather than blaming a lack of engagement on your people, consider whether or not you have led them to where you want them to be. It also helps to have someone with an outside perspective work with you cause often, we are too close to our data that it’s hard to see a different perspective. Quit making hypothetical statements that are not rooted in reality and work towards understanding your audience. 

Redefine your goals.

Take this opportunity to redefine what a win looks like for your church. Don’t just limit yourself to attendance and giving. Those are important but if you value daily discipleship, let your goals reflect what you value. Every ministry has the opportunity to rethink its approach and integrate technology effectively. Imagine if your children's ministry, small groups, and missions teams all focused on meeting people where they are rather than waiting for them to come into your buildings. This shift in perspective can be a game-changer for your team.

Transitioning from a weekend-centric mindset to an everyday discipleship approach is no small task, but the potential for growth and transformation is immense. By shifting our focus to meet people where they are and integrating technology to foster daily connections, we can cultivate a stronger, more engaged faith community. Remember, our goal is not just to fill the church building but to empower individuals and families to live out their faith each day. As we journey together toward this new paradigm, let's embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, knowing that our efforts will have a lasting impact on the spiritual lives of those we serve.