The server is one of your church or organization’s most crucial technology devices. Although, very likely, servers are a vital part of your daily ministry operations, you might not even know they exist. A server is a device that accepts and responds to requests made over a network. For example, imagine you want to print ten copies of a volunteer sign-up sheet. Your computer tells the printer to execute this job, but the server connects your computer to the printer. In the daily flow of a busy ministry, you want this connection to be quick, precise, and done without any interruptions. While traditionally, it has been common to have servers located on-site, it is becoming increasingly popular to host the server either off-site (for a nominal fee) or, even better, going completely serverless. In fundamental terms, “going serverless” means that the ministry uses its core applications in a “software as a service” (SaaS) model. 

Examples include such applications as Microsoft 365, various Church Management software platforms, accounting software in the Cloud, etc. In this model, the church does not buy and host the software itself; instead, it consumes the application from the vendor on a licensed basis. The vendor hosts the software on server platforms that are invisible to the church users. Going serverless has numerous benefits, such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, increased productivity, security, and reliability.

1. A serverless environment allows you to automatically scale your applications without being concerned with management or capacity planning. 
2. When using a serverless environment, you are strictly paying for the usage of your application instead of paying for other servers or maintaining idle hours. A serverless environment can result in significant cost savings.
3. Serverless computing eliminates the need for server management or a dedicated operations team that worries about managing infrastructure, patching, and maintenance.
4. A serverless environment lets you rely on the Cloud’s built-in features and characteristics. These features ensure that your application is reliably available and can operate successfully without interruptions. 
5. Eliminating servers reduces large capital expenses every 5-6 years to replace aging hardware and software used on those servers.
6. Reducing or eliminating the server in your environment improves your cybersecurity posture as there are fewer potential areas of vulnerability. Minimizing potential vulnerabilities is also known as “reducing your attack surface.”

Some key benefits of moving to a serverless environment are scalability, reduced costs, increased productivity, and better reliability. If you want to learn more about moving to a serverless environment, contact us at info@enable.email