At ChurchDesk we often promote the collection and use of data, and encourage our users to incorporate it into all aspects of their church. But we sometimes hear that churches feel this is not necessary - merely a nicety if they find the time, or even a distraction from the core mission of the church. Some even feel this is an invasion of their congregation’s privacy. We believe this is a misunderstanding of the function data plays. So what really is “data”, and why should your church care about it?