This Article is printed in the September 2009 edition of the Adventist Messenger.
When I was 12 years old, my dad bought us an awesome computer. It was the fastest computer Costco sold. The Compaq 386 ran at a speed of 16MHz and had a 40Mb hard drive.
The sales person at Costco told my dad that he would never be able to fill such a huge drive. I will never forget that day because it was so exciting to be going home with a new computer. Maybe not so much for my dad since it cost him $3,500.00.
This was the beginning of computers and technology for me. And now today, almost 20 years later, many things have changed in the computer and technology world. We’ve gone from megabytes to gigabytes to tetra bytes over night.
And every year at Christmas, watching the hustle and bustle of crazy shoppers, I can’t help but think about that Compaq 386 and how on Christmas morning many people will unwrap their presents. Oh the excitement of it all, but eventually the novelty will wear off.
The present that was once so precious will end up techno trash or handed off to someone else. A newer version of your latest gadget will arrive that has more mega pixels, or is smaller, or faster, or has better battery life. In time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be forgotten, but technology is not going away any time soon.
Primary Task
The primary task of the Church is to preach the Word of God to the whole world.
Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
In this aspect, technology can be a great tool. As we move forward and farther into the 21 century, more and more sophisticated technology and media communication has created a global community in which almost anyone, anywhere, at any time can communicate with one another.
This technological age has opened the door way to lead many more people to Jesus in ways and places that missionaries, bible workers, pastors or teachers are not able to go or reach.
I believe God is leading us world wide to use the unique opportunities and technologies we have before us to lead people to Jesus.
For example, with over 240 million people in North America using the Internet daily, we have a mega evangelistic tool at our fingertips. The truth is, many people are willing to watch or listen to video and audio over the Internet from the comfort of their own home, who might not be open to an evangelistic crusade or even going to church.
And, with the huge cost reduction over the years in video and media equipment, we are now able to operate a video production operation for a fraction of past costs.
I have been involved in many discussions and programs/projects that include media/technology in the church. While worship is the central aspect of the church, the focus about how technology can be used to enhance the ministries and mission of the church needs to go beyond the sanctuary.
Here are 2 important ways to utilize the internet as an evangelistic outreach tool for your church.
1. An informational church website
As mentioned above, we live in the internet age. People use the internet for pretty much everything these days: I found a survey (dated April 2008) by Gartner.com with the top 6 reasons people use the internet.
- Gather information
- Online banking
- Sharing photos, videos, and files
- Geographic navigation services
- Shopping online
The top second reason people use the internet is to gather information including information about churches in their area. If you don’t have a church website, to the person searching on the internet you don’t exist.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or win the web site of the year award to successfully setup a church website. A clean and simple design that reflects your church and lets people know when and where to meet is a good place to begin.
Did you know that The North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is providing a FREE website to every church in Bermuda, Canada, and the United States? For more information visit the Adventist Church Connect website.
2. Develop and maintain a current email list
From the survey above, email is the number 1 reason people use the internet. People everywhere rely on email to keep in touch with family, friends, and colleagues. Of all the ways you can implement technology in the church, email is the fastest and least expensive. People want to stay connected, an email from the pastor to his/her congregation is a great way for the church and friends of the church to stay informed and up to date.
Keep your e-mails brief. Nobody has time (or will take the time) to read more than a few paragraphs.
I work hard on keeping a current email list of my congregation/friends of the church and send out a quick email about once a week highlighting upcoming events or reminders.
Many times I will share with my congregation the next Sabbath’s church information including the sermon title and topic, special guests scheduled for music, mission presentation, sermon, testimony, etc…along with some encouraging words.
Technology is definitely cool. It makes so many things easier. But don’t get hung up on the technology. Get hung up on the people! That’s how technology can help your church. No technological advancement will ever be able to replace the need for the touch or presence of another human being.
About Troy McQueen