34 - Tech Savvy Churches (w/ Dave Lyons)

In this episode, we are joined by special guest Dave Lyons, the Texas Baptists’ director of support services and information technology. Dave shares his wisdom with us about ways for churches to be more secure and mindful in their use of technology. He also gives advice on how to care for and show appreciation to our church volunteers who help with using tech.

TIMESTAMPS:

2:44 - Dave shares how God called him to serve in IT at Texas Baptists.

5:30 - Ever fallen for a phishing email or scam?

10:25 - What types of cybersecurity threats do churches face the most?

12:04 - What are some basic first steps churches can take to improve IT security?

18:19 - Why are churches so vulnerable to various cyberattacks?

20:25 - How are churches using new technologies well and how can they improve?

24:25 - How should churches think differently about the use of technology than a business?

28:27 - How can churches better support our tech teams and tech volunteers?

34:50 - What are easy steps for our smaller TXB churches to improve their use of IT?

40:15 - Why to avoid having financial/giving information on your church computer, but kept offsite.

42:48 - What else should churches prioritize?

47:03 - What advice do you have for churches to be cautious when upgrading technology?

51:51 - What is Good?

58:20 - Outtakes

 

Suggested Resources via Dave Lyons:

• https://www.cisa.gov/audiences/faith-based-community
• https://enableministry.com/resources/
• https://www.guidestone.org/-/media/Landing-Pages/Property-and-Casualty/Cybersecurity-White-Paper.ashx

For more information on the Christian Life Commission visit our webpage (texasclc.org), and follow us on Facebook (@TexasCLC) and Instagram (@txclc).