Over the last month, most church services stopped being held en masse but have moved to online via various apps and programs. During this time has your church done anything to move its giving to online or direct deposit? A bigger question has to do with the area’s aging population and more baby-boomers becoming snow birds. A result is online giving and online broadcasting of church services and activities the new normal to keep your members engaged.
There are many giving apps and programs available to implement an online church giving program and many church management programs may have one included. Other options such as Zelle can also be used. Even in these difficult times don’t rush into a decision. Gather your data and obtain recommendations from other churches that have similar congregations to learn how the program worked for them. Once a program has been selected the product must be marketed to the congregation so they understand it is safe and easy to use. Getting the word out is key to the success of online giving and it needs to be repeated on a regular basis.
As giving moves online, cyber-security must be a concern of every church. And with some people working remotely during Ohio’s Covid-19 stay-at-home order best practices must be adhered to. If you host your own server and employees are using a VPN (virtual private network) make sure all work is being done through the remote desktop and not via the internet connection at the employee’s home. If you are using the Cloud, make sure that devices including employee’s personal devices have the same malware and virus protection as those at work. Purchase the licenses as needed and have them installed. This will help stop attacks on a personal device.
Ensure your current Cyber/Breach insurance policy provides you adequate coverage for cyber-attacks, ransomware and notifications if personally identifiable information is compromised. If your insurance policy does not provide this coverage, or you would like to review your insurance program, contact your Trusted Choice Insurance Agents at Richey-Barrett.
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