Most bi-vocational pastors I know are running on fumes. They work a full-time job, lead a church, try to be present for their family, and somehow find time to prepare a sermon every week. The last thing they need is another technology problem.
But here’s what I’ve learned from spending 25 years in both IT and ministry: the right technology, used well, can give a bi-vocational pastor back hours every week.
The Bi-Vocational Reality
About 70% of American churches have fewer than 100 people in attendance. A large portion are led by bi-vocational pastors, men and women who work a secular job to pay the bills and lead a church because they’re called to it. That’s why I built MinistryPlace.net a free resource hub specifically designed for small and rural churches, with ready-to-use Sunday school lessons, youth ministry guides, volunteer training tools, and church leadership templates.
Technology That Actually Helps
- Church Management Software Even a free tier of Planning Center or Breeze can change how you track attendance and manage volunteers
- Simple website with clear information Service times, location, and a way to contact the pastor. That’s 80% of what a small church website needs.
- Email newsletter Mailchimp’s free tier is more than enough for most small churches
- Facebook Page Still the most effective social platform for reaching rural communities and older demographics
- Online giving Tithe.ly or Pushpay make digital giving easy
The IT Perspective on Church Security
Small churches are increasingly targeted by scammers and hackers. Fake “pastor emergency” email scams to ransomware. The same principles I write about in Near Miss for businesses apply to churches: use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, back up your data, and train your volunteers to recognize phishing attempts.
Resources for Bi-Vocational Pastors
- MinistryPlace.net Free ministry resources built for small and rural churches
- Rural Think Tank Podcast Conversations about rural ministry and practical tools
- Rural Youth Ministry: Expanded Second Edition A guide for youth workers in small churches
- This is NOT DiY A practical guide to church revitalization for small congregations
You’re doing harder work than most people realize. The resources are here to help.
About the Author
Brent Lacy has been in IT since 1997 and ministry since 1998. He serves as Strategic Advisory Manager at Core Managed IT Services, leading a team of vCIOs. He is the founder of RewiredMSP.com, MinistryPlace.net, and the Rural Think Tank Podcast.