For every technological advancement in ministry—giving online, referring to a Bible app, watching a streaming service, receiving text updates from your church—there are seeming pros and cons, champions and nay-sayers, benefits and costs. It can be difficult to navigate what congregants need, what your ministry’s strengths and resources are and what strong discipleship requires.

It’s important to ask questions about these developments—and Barna has been busy doing just that, often in partnership with Gloo.

The social distancing era of the pandemic only accelerated an already emerging trend of digital transformation within faith communities. Today, Christians recognize the importance of leveraging digital tools for ministry, and many feel churches could benefit from embracing tech in more advanced ways.

Ongoing Barna research conducted in partnership with Gloo reveals a strong majority of Christians say churches could benefit from tools like online giving (75%) and a digital resource hub (74%), as well as better social media outreach (70%) and digital communication strategies (68%).