Old Church, New Tech: Why Even Senior Church Members Want Digital Solutions

We hear it all the time: “Our church is too old for online giving. They won’t use a church app.”

According to the latest data from Pew Research Center, 79 percent of adults between 50 and 64 years old own a smartphone. And more than half of all seniors have one.

But older Americans don’t just own smartphones. They use them. In 2019, Pew Research Center found that 73 percent of seniors use the internet, and about 40 percent use social media. Among those who use the internet, 75 percent said they use it daily, 51 percent use it several times a day, and 8 percent say they use it constantly. As of 2019, Americans over 60 spent an average of four hours and 16 minutes per day in front of a screen.

You don’t have to teach older church members how to use the internet. You don’t have to tell them what an app is. They’ve already gone digital.

In Old Church, New Tech, we’ll walk you through:

• How older congregants use and respond to technology right now
• Why digital solutions become crucial during crises
• How technology specifically benefits older church members
• Why “going digital” is key to passing on your congregation’s values

By the time you finish reading, you may even find that your senior members are the people who could benefit from tech the most.