7 Tech Tools Every Ministry Leader Needs (And How to Get Them Cheap)
Made in Canva
I've been in ministry for many years, and one thing is certain: technology has changed a lot. I'm not old enough to have used a mimeograph, but I know what one is.
What I've noticed over the length of my ministry is that I keep coming back to the same hardware and software to get the job done. A lot of ministry leaders aren't tech people, so I put this guide together to give you a starting point. The best tool is the one you'll actually use, so if something here works for you, great. If not, there are plenty of other guides out there.
One thing I won't cover here is how I use AI in ministry. That deserves its own post, which I'll write soon. Also, any Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for the support.
1. TechSoup and GoodStack
These aren't hardware or software, but they're the first place I'd send any ministry leader before buying anything else.
If you set up an account with your church’s 501(c)(3), both platforms make you eligible for significant discounts on refurbished hardware from Apple, Dell, Cisco, and HP, as well as steep savings on software like Microsoft Office, Canva, Creative Cloud, and QuickBooks. When you're running a church on a tight budget, these sites get you professional tools at below-consumer prices. I've saved my church hundreds of dollars in a single year. The approval process takes a little effort, but it's absolutely worth it.
Find TechSoup here and GoodStack here.
2. Logitech Presentation Remote
In kidmin, I can't always count on someone to advance my slides for me. So early in my ministry I bought a remote that connects via USB and moves slides forward and back. I eventually landed on the Logitech R400 and haven't looked back.
It works up to 50 feet, lets me move forward or back with ease, and has other features like screen blackout and a laser pointer that I honestly never use. If you have a larger room, the R800 has a 100-foot range and a built-in timer and works just as well.
Even now that I'm no longer in day-to-day kidmin, I still use it when I preach. It gives me full control of the screen I’m preaching with and takes pressure off the tech booth since they're not managing two slideshows at once. At around $30, it's a steal.
3. Microsoft Office
I was going to list Word, Excel, and PowerPoint separately, but once I factored in Outlook and OneNote, it made more sense to put them all together. Neither of us wants this post to hit 3,000 words. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Google's suite is solid, and I'll get to that in a moment, but Office is where I live. I'm writing this post in Word. All my sermons are here. Both of my books were written here. Every time I've tried to switch to another word processor I've gotten frustrated and come back. It may be familiarity, but it works for me.
The same goes for Excel and PowerPoint. ProPresenter is a great tool, but most of the time I just need some words or an image on a screen. PowerPoint handles that without a fight, and I'm not troubleshooting display issues every time an update rolls out. If you've used ProPresenter, you know exactly what I mean.
Office can run $99 a year for a personal subscription. However, through TechSoup I’m using Office Standard at $3 a month per license, and each license covers up to five computers. You can get similar deals through GoodStack. Managed well, you could put Office on every computer in your ministry for less than a family dinner out.
4. Google Calendar, Gmail, and Drive
As much as I prefer Office for documents, Google wins on collaboration and communication. I've used Gmail since the beginning. There are privacy tradeoffs, but it gets the job done, and that matters most to me.
Google Calendar and Drive make sharing and working with others significantly easier than the Microsoft equivalents. I can import both Gmail and Google Calendar into Outlook so everything lives in one place across all my devices. I wish Google and Microsoft played together more smoothly, but the workaround works well enough.
Through GoodStack you can apply for Google for Nonprofits, which gives you the full Google Workspace, including business email and expanded Drive storage, for free. If you need more capacity, upgrades are inexpensive. It's worth setting up.
5. Dell Laptop
You've probably gathered by now that I'm not a Mac person. I've never made the switch. I know they're excellent machines that last a long time, but Microsoft is my native language. I can speak Apple, but it doesn't come naturally.
A question I see often from non-techy ministry leaders is what kind of computer to buy. Unlike buying a car, you can't go by looks alone. You need specs that match what you actually plan to do. So before you shop, ask yourself:
Am I mostly doing word processing and web browsing?
Am I creating graphics or video?
Am I using this to present in my ministry space?
Those answers will narrow things down significantly. For most people, here are the three specs that matter most.
Hard drive space is how much your computer can store. Think of it like a bookcase. If you're not working with large video or graphics files, you don't need a massive one. Buy mid-range and you'll have more than enough. Buy the smallest option and you'll hit a wall quickly. Buy too large and you’re wasting your money. You can always add an external drive later if needed.
RAM is your computer's working memory. If the hard drive is the bookcase, then RAM is the reading table where it holds everything currently in use. The more programs you run at once, the more RAM you need. If your computer runs slowly, a full RAM is usually the culprit. If you're just doing word processing, the base option is fine. If you're presenting or creating graphics, spend the extra $50 to $100 for more. You'll be glad you did.
Screen size matters more than people think. A 15-inch laptop gives you a full keyboard, a touchpad, and enough room to work comfortably. Going larger, like 17 or 19 inches, makes it harder to find a bag and awkward to travel with. A smaller 13-inch screen saves money upfront but usually means weaker specs and a cramped typing experience. If you want a bigger display, buy a separate monitor instead of a larger laptop.
I recommend Dell because you can customize your build and their customer service has been consistently excellent in my experience. Also, go with the personal over the business computer. The biggest difference I saw when I bought my last laptop was extra security features that most of us in ministry don’t need.
6. Adobe Creative Cloud
These are professional creative tools including Photoshop, Premiere, and Lightroom. They are the industry standard for a reason. When I was starting out, I used the Photoshop and Premiere Elements versions, which are stripped-down, more beginner-friendly editions that walk you through the basics. A few years ago I moved to the full Creative Cloud suite and haven't looked back.
It isn't cheap. At the time of writing, the full suite runs around $70 a month after the first year. Through TechSoup, I pay $39 a month and can install it on two computers. For professional-grade creative tools, that's a great deal.
7. Canva
Canva is the newer player trying to do everything Adobe does, and for many ministry tasks it gets remarkably close. It’s amazing all the things this web-based program does especially for people who don’t know how to design.
I like Canva because sometimes the blank page is daunting. Their templates give you a starting point that you can customize as much or as little as you want. Most of the graphics I create for this blog start in Canva. The free version covers the majority of what most ministry leaders need.
You can apply for Canva for Nonprofits, which gives you their full Teams version at no cost. The verification runs through GoodStack, so if you've already set up your 501(c)(3) through that platform the process is easier. It took me two attempts to get approved, but it was worth every minute. If you need to put something together quickly and want it to look like a human made it, Canva is the answer.
Technology is always evolving, and it's easy to get lost chasing the latest thing. But after nearly 20 years in ministry, I've come back to these same tools again and again because they work. You don't want to be fighting your technology week after week. The right tools should accelerate what you're already doing and stay out of your way. Leaving you to be able to focus on reaching people for Jesus.
What tools do you use? Let me know in the comments!
I've been in ministry for many years, and one thing is certain: technology has changed a lot. I'm not old enough to have used a mimeograph, but I know what one is.
What I've noticed over the length of my ministry is that I keep coming back to the same hardware and software to get the job done.