What Can Cloud Computing Do for Your Church?

Cloud computing—using an application from the Internet rather than your computer’s hard drive (think Gmail or Yahoo email apps)—has hit pay dirt for a number of churches. Yet many churches fear the virtual nature of how it’s delivered. So why should you consider cloud computing?

1. It’s cheaper. No server to back up. Updates automatically. Plus it softens the workload for your system.

2. You can get access from any device with Internet—laptop, iPad, smartphone, etc.

3. You can use it anywhere. Want to access your church membership software at the beach? Done.

4. Better security than most churches would implement.

5. Multisite churches can connect to the same system.

Cloud services—also called Software as a Service, or SaaS—are increasing rapidly with the success of Google Apps, one of the first and most feature-rich. Don’t plan to use a single provider, however. You’re likely to find helps such as email, calendars and document storage in one location, and more specific data services (such as ChurchOfficeOnline.com, SalesForce.com, SugarCRM.com) at another.

Find more technology outreach ideas »

Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazinehttp://outreachmagazine.com

Outreach magazine publishes ideas, innovations, resources and stories to help church leaders reach their communities and change the world. Founded in January 2003 by church communications company Outreach Inc., Outreach is an award-winning, bimonthly periodical for church leadership and is available by subscription and on Amazon.com. Find out more at outreachmagazine.com

Truly Local: Church as the ‘Soul’ of the City

Belonging means different things to different people. My personal homecoming is bustling into a bar, keyboard under my arm, for a jazz gig with local musicians.

14 Revelatory Questions to Ask a Prospective Church Leader

Getting to the heart of the matter

Mark Glanville

Jazz by its nature as a traditioned, improvised, nuanced, intelligent, conversational art form, is an evocative metaphor for the church in post-Christendom.