The hope of almost every local church is to reach people and watch the congregation grow. As that hope is fulfilled, it is often accompanied with the realization that more people require more ways to connect with them. The boon of growth is that it provides a church with an opportunity to leverage technology in conjunction with beefing up a greeting and hospitality ministry. One such technology that is perfect for accommodating growth: digital kiosks.

Digital kiosks are interactive terminals available for public use and can be used in a variety of ways. Churches routinely use kiosks for event registration, children's check-in, e-giving and as digital information and direction stands, similar to those found in malls. Because the technology is straightforward and runs off of dedicated hardware, churches will not have to worry about hiring a computer expert to run them. All information, both to and from each digital kiosk, is sent over a standard network. This allows content changes to be made from virtually anywhere, including through a password-protected Internet connection.

Ease of use is a top feature of digital kiosks. People can interact with the information on the screen and print out name badges, tickets and event information, all without requiring staff or volunteers to operate the kiosks; however, churches have found that having volunteers nearby is helpful for engaging in conversation once a person has finished using the digital kiosk.

Digital kiosks can be outfitted with electronic card readers as an e-giving solution, or barcode readers for quick-scanning check-in or event registration. It is this kind of flexibility that makes digital kiosks easily adapted to the needs of almost any church.

There are several companies that have taken digital kiosks even further. One of the pioneers in this emerging technology is Pastor Marty Baker, the founder of SecureGive in Georgia. SecureGive specializes in giving kiosks. Baker reports that after Stevens Creek Church, where he is the founder and Senior Pastor, installed giving kiosks in their lobby, they saw their giving double. In fact, almost every church that has installed SecureGive's kiosks has seen an increase in donations; in part, perhaps, because of the anonymity provided by kiosk giving for people uncomfortable making their donations in public. As a bonus, e-giving eliminates the need for a staff members or volunteers to process the donation, which frees them up to do ministry rather than administration.

Other noteworthy companies include Advanced Kiosks, SunPro Kiosks and MinistryGive. One company, Cornerstone Cabinetry, specializes in kiosk cabinetry for meeting unique needs or styles.

With prices starting at about $2,500, these interactive kiosks are not inexpensive; however, given the opportunity for them to provide a host of ways to serve church members and staff, they may soon pay for themselves. In our high tech culture today, leveraging technologies is a mandate for churches passionate about reaching, connecting and engaging with people.