In before the lock...

Sometimes when I am on certain forums and posting there are threads that get created by certain users or "guests" that are inapropriate, but havent' been seen by a moderator yet. The inappropriateness is determined by the moderator and then the thread will be locked, so no further posting can take place, or it will be removed/deleted.

In teh case of it getting locked, it is still available for lurking/reading, but you cannot reply to it. In the case of this blog, I am making a post before a full month transpires from teh last update - so, "in before the lock" referrs to be posting this blog before the next month.

useless information, hungh?

Okay, so here's the meat of the post. Because I am so active on several forums, I sometimes forget to actually blog (as I have mentioned before). So I have been trying to get something in here at least once a month or so, so I can express my most rescent thoughts and ideas and stuff and things.

Here is a letter I wrote to the Pastors and media ministries directors for the churches in our organization, in our local region:


From: Brent and Mary Hoefling
Midwest Region Director, Media and Technology – COGOP

Dear Pastors, ministers and local media and technology workers;

When Mary and I were appointed as co-directors for the region in technology and media, we began with a goal. A vision, if you will. A vision that each and every church in the Midwest region will have its own website. I believe this goal is attainable and realistic. It does, however, require some assistance on your part.

A Web-presence, may not seem to be something that is necessarily a priority in the local church, especially if there isn’t someone local that can boost it. I do believe that once it gets started, that its popularity will grow. The statistics are staggering:

• According to an article in Newsweek, August 1, 2005; "As of December (2004), more than half of U.S. homes were wired with the high-speed pipeline to the Net. Online audiences are surging."
• In an article, also found in Newsweek, April 11, 2005; "75 percent of Americans use the Internet and spend an average three hours a day online."
• And another article from Newsweek as well, from back in October 11, 2004 says much about the attitude; "...Three quarters of all Americans have access to the Internet, spending an average of twelve-and-a-half hours a week online...for those between 12 and 18, usage approaches 100 percent. Though e-mail is still the No. 1 activity, the study concludes that the Net has profoundly changed the way we spend money, keep in touch with our friends and get information (Internet users use the medium as their No. 1 source of news, despite worries about credibility)."

I could go on and on, I hope we can see that there is a very large audience out there and that though we may not see the Internet and the World Wide Web as a “ministry”, it might be wise to change how we view the Internet. I realize that you all understand that the Internet is a tool and that as with any tool, it can be misused, and abused. I hope, though that we also understand that if the tool is used correctly we can see some benefits in our churches and the Kingdom of God.

The two main focal points that we should be able to see are 1) a potential growth of the sense of community and family within the local churches, as these sites can contain personalized information and local activity schedules. And 2) an outward sense of mission and ministry. This second part can show what the church is doing, tell about your local vision and display examples of your ministry and meeting needs in the community.

The Internet is only one way of using technology in your local church. Most, if not all of us have some kind of technology or another already involved in your church services. I would like to encourage you to take a step back and look at that technology and see if it is being effective.
One of the points in Media ministries that I maintain, is that just because technology is widely available and there are many tools that can be used; we don’t necessarily want or need to use them. On the flipside is that technology is available and getting less expensive all the time and if we aren’t using the tools that are available to us, we may not be as effective as we could be.

There should be a balance in technology conservatism and a liberal use of the tools available. What is used and what can be used is different for each local church and there is no one “best way” to use technology in a church service. This balance is what we should be looking for, and if it means that we need to look at using more technology, then that should be pursued. If it means we are overusing technology, then it is quite possible that people will be overly distracted in a service.

When I was researching the use of technology in church services for my Master’s thesis in Media Ministries, I had discovered that the most effective use of technology, was less about the technology itself. Rather, the impetus should be placed on the people that participate in that technology.

A general “rule of thumb” is that the use of media and technology should be as transparent to the congregants as possible. For example, most churches have a Public Address system. This PA’s main purpose is to allow the church-goers to be able to hear and understand the service components as clearly as possible. This includes any music and speaking. The folks that are listening, shouldn’t have to think about there even being a PA there. It is transparent to them.

Some technologies are never going to be as transparent. The digital projector is an example. It displays information on a screen or wall for people to look at. The issue here is to continue to keep the rule of thumb in mind when using the technology. While some may disagree, it is my opinion that the words on the screen should be very readable and that any other motion and animations on the screen, especially during the Praise and Worship component of the service, should not be used, or at least kept to a minimum.

If you have any questions or concerns about using technology and media in your ministry and church, please feel free to send me an email and we can discuss your questions and comments. Mary and I can also be available to come to your church and visit and consult about using technology and media, if you would like. Please email me and we will work out a schedule.
Thank you for your time,
Brent and Mary Hoefling
Directors, Midwest Region, COGOP, Technology and Media