Can a Church Use Google Classroom?

For many churches, to call the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a “challenge” would be an understatement. Seemingly overnight, many families’ Sunday mornings became a little less routine. And suddenly, even the most devoted parishioners had to think twice about piling into the pews. 

This has caused churches to start seeking out new ways to connect with and serve their members and communities. The trend of churches going semi-digital was already occurring, with churches starting to produce livestreams of weekly services, for example. And then the pandemic sped things up considerably. 

Another area in which churches are going more digital is in how they communicate and share resources with congregation members. For organizations—like churches—who qualify, Google for Nonprofits presents a popular and affordable option. It provides access to productivity tools like email, word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, and more. Google Classrooms is another application that some tech-forward churches have been experimenting with to make activities like Sunday school or Bible studies more accessible.

The good news is that these budget-friendly tools are not only available to nonprofits, they’re pretty intuitive to learn to use. In other words, these aren’t the types of programs that require a tech expert or nonprofit technology helpdesk. In this post, we’re going to answer some of the most common questions about the features of Google for Nonprofits churches can use to keep their congregations connected.

What Is Google for Nonprofits?

Google (and its ever-growing list of applications) has become synonymous with productivity. All over the world, businesses and other organizations of all sizes make use of the search giant’s sophisticated technologies for communication, collaboration, productivity, and more. 

Not all organizations with a need for technological tools has to spring for the full suite of products, though—and it would be especially inadvisable for a nonprofit to devote such a large portion of their budget to such tools. To make fundamental Google products available at reduced rates for organizations like schools and churches, Google has introduced Google for Education and Google for Nonprofits, respectively. Learn more about the reduced rates for nonprofits here.

Can Churches Use Google for Nonprofits?

Yes! To verify your church as an eligible nonprofit, you’ll just need to follow the steps below.

Make Sure You’re Eligible

Google for Nonprofits accounts are available for churches, as long as they are:

• Registered as a charitable organization
• Not a governmental entity or organization
• Not a hospital or healthcare organization
• Not a school, academic institution, or university

You can read the full eligibility requirements here.

Apply for an Account and Wait for Verification

Once you’re sure you’re eligible, applying for an account is easy. Just go google.com/nonprofits/ and click the blue Get Started button. After applying, your organization will need to be verified. This is done through a third party, TechSoup. Read about how this process works.

Activate the Product(s)

After verification is complete, the various applications that comprise Google for Nonprofits can be activated. Generally, each product you want to use requires its own activation. Google Workspace (which includes Classroom) is an exception of sorts, in that it’s a bundle of products (described in the next section). Here are the directions for activating Google Workspace.

Educate Yourself

Google has made many resources available to help get churches and organizations up and running with their products. The Google Workspace Learning Center is a great starting point. For more specific how-to’s, there are a number of how-to guides and video tutorials online.

What Applications Are Included?

Google Workspace (formerly known as G-Suite) for Nonprofits, includes a number of popular productivity tools. Among them are the following:

• Gmail, an email platform
• Drive, for cloud-based file storage
• Meet, for secure videoconferencing
• Calendar, to configure virtual meetings
• Chat, for simple web-based communication in real time
• Docs, for collaboration and document creation and sharing
• Sheets, an Excel-type database application
• Slides, a presentation tool similar to Powerpoint

…What About Google Classroom?

While Google Classroom is not a standard inclusion in the Google for Nonprofits application set (that’s why it doesn’t appear in the list above), that doesn’t mean you can’t make use of it. According to Google’s Classroom FAQ, you don’t have to be a teacher or school administrator to sign up for the service. Google Classroom is, in fact, available to any organization that meets the Google Workspace for Nonprofits eligibility requirements. 

Google Classroom is a learning management system or LMS. An LMS serves a digital classroom environment, a concept becoming much more mainstream throughout public education. Among other things, an LMS enables interactive learning opportunities for either wholly virtual/online or hybrid classroom experiences. 

How Can Churches Use Google Classroom?

With its educational focus, the obvious use case of Google Classroom for churches would be the facilitation of virtual Sunday school or Bible study groups. By incorporating the virtual tools of Google Classroom, churches can greatly expand the reach of their programs, while also making them more accessible for those who cannot regularly attend in person.

Courses built inside Google Classroom can include a wide range of content and media, including videos and documents. Members can engage with the content at their own pace, whenever and from wherever.

Thinking beyond the obvious use case of Sunday schools or Bible studies going digital, courses could also be built to reinforce or review weekly messages or provide deep dives into special interest topics. Google Classroom could also be used for missionary or volunteer training and orientation. 

Learn more about the basics of using Google Classroom and how to get started building your first class.

Get Up and Running with CIM

At Computers in Ministry, we have over 25 years of experience helping nonprofits address their technology needs. Our mission is partnering with churches and other nonprofits, empowering them to fulfill their own missions. 

Depending on your specific needs, we offer tailored consultation packages to get you up and running stress-free. At this time, we’re offering three tiers of service. This way, whether you self-identify as a tech novice or an experienced pro, you’ll get the answers, resources, and support you need. Learn about our packaged solutions, or get in touch today! We can’t wait to work with you.