You are resourceful, but you’re faced with a chaotic mix of tools and unclear decisions. Many mission-driven teams rely on makeshift solutions. The system isn’t broken; it’s just misaligned, and this misalignment can be more costly than you think. 1. Scrappy Isn’t Sustainable You built it fast. But now no one knows how it works. […]
The Real Cost of DIY Systems in Mission-Driven Work Read Post »
Ministry teams work hard to create excellent content—sermons, studies, events—but often feel discipleship is stuck. The problem isn’t effort; it’s the pathway. Without clear steps, even excellent content can get lost. This article explores how UX and systems thinking can help ministry leaders design effective spiritual pathways that actively move people forward. You’ve built the
Spiritual Formation Needs Better Pathways, Not Just Better Content Read Post »
My church needed to expand. We’d outgrown our building, and adding another Sunday service wasn’t sustainable. So we decided to build. I didn’t start by leading the project. The church leadership asked me to lead the design and marketing team for the initial initiative. We weren’t raising funds yet—our job was to shape the message
What I Learned Managing Two Church Building Projects Read Post »
No formal training. Still better at spotting bad design than most teams I’ve worked with. I have two wonderful kids – a 15-year-old and an 8-year-old. They have grown up in the digital age and are proficient in using technology. My daughter discovered she could add her friends as emergency contacts and send them texts
What My Kids Taught Me About Usability Read Post »
Hospitality Doesn’t Stop at Your Front Door Churches welcome people in person, but often neglect the online experience. Many visitors check your website or social media pages before attending church, registering for an event, or joining a group. Unfortunately, their experience can feel cold, confusing, or off-putting. This isn’t due to a lack of passion;
What Digital Hospitality Looks Like in Ministry Digital clarity is spiritual care. Read Post »
We measure clicks.We track conversions.We optimize user flows. But in all the dashboards and decision meetings, we often forget to ask the one question that changes everything: “What would this feel like if I were the user?” Not “Does it work?”Not “Can people find it?”But: How does it feel to walk through this experience as
The Most Important UX Question No One Ever Asks Read Post »
This article is part of my series, “Listening as a Ministry Discipline.” The Gap Between Intentions and Experience Most ministries have a clear mission: But intention doesn’t always align with reality. People quietly drift away, unsure how to take the next step. Confusing systems and unclear pathways create friction. Programs and events are full, but
Aligning Ministry with Mission: Lessons from UX Research Read Post »
This article is part of my series, “Listening as a Ministry Discipline.” Listening Is the Starting Point In ministry, we often think of stewardship in terms of money, time, or volunteer energy. But stewardship is also about caring for what God has entrusted to us: the people we serve, the systems we build, and the
UX Research as Stewardship: The Researcher’s Role in Ministry Work Read Post »
This article is part of my series, “Listening as a Ministry Discipline.” We Track What’s Easy to Count Most churches are good at tracking the obvious: These metrics matter. They reveal who is attending, who is giving, and who is participating. But they only tell part of the story. They don’t tell us how people
The Data We’re Not Collecting: Why Churches Need New Discipleship Metrics Read Post »
This article is part of my series, “Listening as a Ministry Discipline.” The People Behind the Numbers Most ministries segment people by age, life stage, or attendance patterns. We track: These categories are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story of where people truly stand spiritually. Two people in the same small group can
