Ministry tech glossary

A shared system a church or ministry uses to remember people and follow up with them well: who they are, how you met, what they need prayer for, who on the team is caring for them, and what their next step is.

Software centred on running a church's membership and administration — directories, attendance, check-in, groups and giving records. It overlaps with a church CRM, which centres on relationships and follow-up.

A CRM built for outreach: remembering people met on the street, at events or through friends who are not yet in a church, and following up with them faithfully.

A short card or online form a visitor fills in to share their contact details, prayer requests or interest in a next step. The starting point of most visitor follow-up.

The personal contact a church or ministry makes after meeting someone — a thank-you, a check-in, an invitation to a next step. Good follow-up is quick, personal and owned by one named person.

One clear, specific invitation offered to someone after a first contact — coffee with a pastor, a newcomers' gathering, a small group or a way to serve. One next step works better than a list of options.

Church shorthand for the process of helping a first-time visitor become a connected, belonging part of the church family — usually through follow-up, next steps and relationships.

The schedule of who serves in which role and when. A healthy rota rotates people so few serve every week, is published well in advance, and makes swaps easy.

A one-page summary of a volunteer role: its purpose, the tasks, when and how often, who the volunteer reports to, any training or checks required, and the length of the commitment.

Jesus' instruction to His followers in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them. The mission behind evangelism and church planting.

Sharing the good news of Jesus with people who don't yet follow Him, in words and in practical love — from conversations with neighbours to organised outreach.

The ongoing process of following Jesus and helping others do the same — learning His teaching, obeying it, and growing in faith within a community of believers.

A ministry pattern where disciples make disciples who make disciples, so growth doesn't depend on one leader. Often drawn from 2 Timothy 2:2.

A Greek word for household, used in evangelism for the relationships God has already placed around you — family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

A season of renewed spiritual life in the church and widespread turning to God, often preceded by prayer and repentance — the hope behind 2 Chronicles 7:14.

A business run by believers as part of their calling — serving customers well, treating people justly and using its resources and reach to advance God's Kingdom.

Permission someone gives you to contact them. In Canada, commercial email and text messages are governed by anti-spam law (CASL), so record how and when each person agreed to hear from you.

A sign-up process where the person confirms their email address by clicking a link before they are added to a list. It keeps lists clean and proves consent.

A series of emails sent automatically on a schedule after someone signs up — for example a welcome, a story, then an invitation — so every new person gets the same thoughtful journey.

A standard (RFC 8058) that lets people leave a mailing list from their email app's own unsubscribe button without visiting a website. Major email providers now expect it from bulk senders.

Every piece of software an organisation uses to operate. For a ministry that usually covers people, communication, events, website, money, tasks and discipleship.

Information trapped in one tool that other tools and people can't see — like a visitor who exists in the event app but not in the follow-up list.

One login that gives access to several connected apps, so people don't juggle a separate account and password for every tool.

A single web page built for one purpose, such as registering for an event or signing up for updates, with one clear call to action.

A planned sequence of pages and messages that guides someone from first contact to a clear next step — for example an event page, a registration, then a follow-up email.

A personal system for organising your life — habits, goals, health and spiritual disciplines — in one place.

Someone who joins Kingdom Hub's waitlist before launch. Founding members get first access and the lowest membership price offered, kept for as long as they stay subscribed.