These days, everyone seems to have a cell phone. Most Churches have their own telephone systems, typically land lines through ma bell. But would it make sense to switch the Church over to a VoIP system instead? Or maybe just give every staff member a cell phone (i.e. if they don’t already have one?) Would the cost savings make this worthwhile? What has been your Church’s experience?

VoIP is a telephone system that uses the Internet to carry the communication traffic. It requires that you have an Internet connection and a phone with a network jack. However, the handset looks and operates like a regular telephone. So it is at once familiar – i.e. you just pick up the phone and dial the party you want to talk to – and easy to use. However, sometimes network congestion comes into play, so the quality of the call is not as high as a true dedicated line. But the expense is negligible, since you more than likely already have the Internet connection available. This just adds a little bit more traffic, optimizing the service.

Just as we have One Word – i.e. the Bible as our spiritual source, so the technical ministry needs one source for technology. What makes the most sense to me is a web site that all of the Tech Team can share. Perhaps a blog, or a facebook&tm; page, or an extension to the Church’s existing web site. Either way, it should have the following features:

o Calendar, showing who is working when
o Resources – i.e. technical manuals on equipment used
o Discussions about technical issues – i.e. and how they are resolved

Rather than having one person responsible for the content of this site, let everyone on the Tech Team contribute. Give them all editorial rights to write articles and post them. If someone gets out of line, then step in as administrator and revoke their rights. But be dynamic, and let the website manage itself. Your Tech Team has many creative people on it, and they have great ideas. Let them express those ideas and the whole Church will benefit.

What’s the difference between a CMS and a ChMS? A CMS is a Content Management System. A ChMS is a Church Management System. Most Content Management Systems are designed with the following features:

• Make it easy to manage the content of the web site
• Allow multiple people to contribute to the site without being developers
• Improve overall communication with the community
• Enable specific roles for various types of contributors
• Generate reports on content and how it is being used

In contrast, a ChMS or Church Management System needs to do more than simply manage the content of the web site. That is not to say that it could not also include CMS software, just that it is also designed to provide management. I would suggest that a Church Management System needs the following features:

• Membership Management
• Financial Accounting
• Worship Planning
• Calendar Tracking
• Newsletter Support
• Web site Content Management
• Sermon Repository
• Bible Study Resources
• Small Group Support

What does your Church need? Are you still using multiple software packages for multiple tasks – sometimes with little coordination between them? If so, feel free to comment on your wish list for a Church Management System below.

How can we use the internet for evangelism? Putting up a Church website is certainly a start, but how do you make the web site an effective witness? You can and should add social networking, where people can both witness and minister to others. Sharing a witness in a very public arena like the internet can be a little daunting. You will want to make sure that you do the following:

• Focus on Jesus Christ, not personal glory
• Limit personally identifiable information, such as addresses and phone numbers
• Identify scripture passages used and which translation – e.g. NIV

By bearing witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, you extend the power of evangelism to the web. That doesn’t mean we have to pursue God.tv, but it does mean we use the communication channels available to spread the Gospel.

How do you keep track of equipment that has been loaned out? It can be a challenge to remember who has what and for how long. Technical Ministry requires lots of Audio, Video, and Computer equipment. And various groups in the Church will from time to time need to borrow that equipment. Ideally, it all finds its way back home. But sometimes a piece of equipment gets misplaced before it gets back to the storage area. That can be a problem when some event comes up that requires that piece of equipment. How many times have you heard, “I know it’s here somewhere?”

Informal arrangements can be effective, as long as everyone follows the rules. There are also Asset Management Systems that can be applied. The idea is that a particular piece of equipment would be checked out to the person that has a need. When they are done, the equipment is checked back in. If something gets misplaced, or a critical need comes up, then the Asset Management System identifies where the equipment is and who has it. Instead of frantically searching everywhere, you go straight to the person that has it.

To make these systems work, you will need to conduct an inventory. Every item has to be counted and labeled. A bar code should be assigned that is unique and fully identifies who the equipment belongs to. That way, if it is lost, then it can be found and returned. A bar code reader is required at the check out station to enable the process. Yes, it takes time to check out and in, but a lot less time is spent searching everywhere for something that has gotten misplaced. What kind of Asset Management System does your Church use? Is it formal or informal? And is it effective? Your comments are welcome.

Most Churches have policies and procedures written down so everyone can read them. They may be published in a book that is distributed to all, or they may even be documented online. Everyone has access, so they become the standard operating guide for how to run the Church. However, there are also disadvantages to this exacting practice:

1. Organization of the Book, and that Book is not the Bible.
After a while, the policies and procedures manual begins to look like a legal document. It no longer gets used just as a guide, but rather becomes a stick to hit people over the head with to make them comply. Remember that the policies were put in place to facilitate our common service, not to be a source of harassment.

2. Rigid Policies Generate Conflict
When policies are carried out unequally, people resent it. This becomes a source of conflict within the congregation. Yes, exceptions do occur, but they should be few and far between, not the norm for one particular individual. There should be documentation that supports making the exception which any reasonable person would conclude warrants it. Otherwise, the policies are seen as ineffective and capricious.

3. Legal Situations Do Arise
Churches, like all organizations, can be sued in civil court. Written policy and procedure statements then become legal documents. Under the eyes of the law, these manuals become legal contracts between the Church and its employees. The Church can find itself having to defend a particular policy in legal action using legal terms. It might not be a bad idea to have the Church’s lawyer review the policies and procedures manual from time to time. Just don’t let them rewrite it in legalese that no one else really understands. Although it may then stand up better in court, it will also cease to be useful to the average person.

4. Out of date policies contribute to Inefficiency.
If you expect the policies to be set in stone, then they will eventually get out of date. Others will then perceive them as unnecessary, since you’ll be constantly making exceptions. At this point, the procedures no longer apply, so why keep trying?

The best practice is to never let the policies be set in stone. Keep them supple and flexible. Review them every year, and ask yourself these questions:

• Does the situation that demanded this policy still confront us?
• If not, then what has changed?
• How should we change this policy to be more efficient?
• Is it too rigid for the average person to apply?
• Is the policy well stated, or confusing and ambiguous?

Part of the reason why you write down policies and procedures is to capture Institutional Memory about how things work best. Keep modifying those documents to ensure that they still work the best way possible. Look for ways to improve them. And in so doing, you’ll make the best use of the resources that the Church has been blessed with – both people and technology.

Electronic mail has many advantages for a Church. You can publish a monthly newsletter via eMail without spending a lot on postage. You can also target emails to specific groups – e.g. just the people interested in missions. And you can get the information out quickly – within an hour. These advantages make eMail communication a great communications tool when you want to get the Word out to people.

So why not blast away with every eMail message you can think of? In short, because of SPAM. SPAM is unsolicited bulk messaging sent to people indiscriminately. Everyone with an eMail account has had to deal with this deluge of useless information. This year, projections show that there will be at least 7 trillion SPAM messages generated. Unfortunately, that means 80% of the eMails that land in your inbox are likely to be SPAM. How does the Church’s important message about the change in the meeting time get through all of that chaff? And to make matters worse, people use eMail filters that can mislabel an eMail message as SPAM and throw it away. Here are some tips for getting your eMail Blasts past the filters:

• Ensure that your eMails have original, useful content
• Avoid trigger words in your subject line, e.g. free, trial, money, quote
• Avoid using ALL CAPS – i.e. SHOUTING FOR ATTENTION
• Do use a subject line that matches the eMail – e.g. March Monthly Newsletter
• Avoid the excessive use of punctuation – i.e. “! ! !”

SPAM is a tough problem to deal with. And some people have given up and don’t use eMail as a result. Or they may use Social Network Messaging instead. You should encourage people to let you know if they aren’t getting your eMails. Perhaps you should still print a few paper newsletters and send them through snail mail (USPS). That way, you cover the spectrum and ensure that the Word gets through.

How do you do ministry through your website? Is that even possible? Yes, your Church’s website can and should be doing ministry. There are many approaches to this, but the first step should be an assessment:

• What is the purpose of your website?
• Who are you trying to minister to?
• What are the resources that you need?
• What resources do you have available?

When you first put together a web site, you may have just been getting on the bandwagon. After all, other Churches in your area were developing websites, so why shouldn’t yours do the same. That may have been enough of a purpose to convince the board to fund the site. (Sometimes the costs can be quite a hurdle.) But you should ask yourself now, what is our purpose going forward? Is it to invite newcomers to Church? Is it to keep the congregation informed? Or is it to provide a way for shut-ins to stay connected with their Church? Or maybe you really want to share the great teachings of your staff with as many Christians as you can reach. The web opens the door to a community of faith that exceeds your local boundaries. People that would never be able to visit your Church can find inspiration and growth through your website. The Gospel can and does reach the whole world – via cyberspace. Who are you trying to minister to?

Resources include not just the finances but all of the information sources that you depend upon for content. This will certainly include staff members, who may be intent on promoting an upcoming event or small group. It will include Church members who lead committees and want to share information about what the committee is doing or when the next meeting is. It may even include community leaders – e.g. scouting, civic groups, etc – who need a way to promote events. But it can also include denominational leaders – e.g. a Bishop’s message about a state wide event. Your web ministry will certainly include sermons and teachings by your preaching staff. Do you provide the sermon as a video, audio, and/or text file? How about a followup discussion in an online forum about this week’s sermon. And you probably have a Church calendar of events and meetings, so people can look up the time and place. But how about announcements of inclement weather and/or natural disaster responses. The possibilities are incredible. Just be sure to tap into as many information resources as you can, and organize the website so that people can find it easily.

For more information, check out these online resources:

Top 10 Best Practices for Web Ministry
Website Ministry

Strategic planning for a technical ministry involves looking ahead at needs for carrying out the mission. It should be driven by a thorough understanding of the ministry and where it is headed in the future. Then you should match that understanding up with a grasp of the technology, and where it is heading too. Here are some steps to take in the process:

• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
• Assess the spiritual needs of the Community
• Identify opportunities for ministry
• Explore ways to use the technology to meet those needs
• What else do you need in terms of technology?
• Lay out a plan of action

Don’t get caught up in overcoming your weaknesses – i.e. that is wasted effort. Focus on your strengths, and then be ready to utilize them in new ways. And always identify the spiritual needs of your community. Things have probably changed since you last looked here, and new opportunities will exist. You need to identify them, and then explore ways to use technology in meeting those needs. Once you have these goals in mind, then you’re ready to ask what technology you need to obtain or expand – not before! That way, you are aligning the development of the technology with the development of the ministry.

For example, you could have an interest in Social Networking – a hot topic in technology. The popular thing to do would be to get that technology and then figure out a way to reach your congregation with it. But that’s the wrong approach. First, you identify the needs, then the technology. You may decide that a facebook page will help you meet those needs, but you need a plan. That way, you can tell when you’ve succeeded.

Images have power. They can convey the equivalent of a thousand words. They can convey emotion, as in a picture of a young child looking lost. Then can convey love, as in the mother who has just found that lost child. They have this power because they evoke a response within us. That is perhaps why a great movie can bring us to tears. It can leave us with a powerful image of just about anything, if well crafted. How do we use this power of the image? In the Greek Orthodox tradition, images have 3 dimensions. They aren’t just paintings, but sculptures. They look like real life, and they thus have power. We may be limited to two dimensions – i.e. for the present – but we can still leverage the power of images to convey the Gospel in new ways. That means seeking out new images to show. It means trying different approaches. Some will be effective; others will not. But the Gospel message has always been known for breaking out. Remember the words of Jesus, “even the stones will cry out.”

Ours is a world filled with Technological Power. We see it everywhere, use it in our daily lives, and applaud the latest developments of Tech. However, we need to remember that the source of that power lies not within ourselves; all knowledge comes from God. So we don’t need to worship technology; we worship the living God who has given us all good things – including technology.

When we recognize that technology is another gift that God has given us, we put it in the right perspective. The technology presents us with new challenges, not an absence of God. The Church has encountered those challenges, sometimes with obstinance, sometimes with wisdom. At our best, we should be making use of the technology to spread the Gospel further, to reach more people, and to enhance the message so that more people listen. When we do that, we are using Technological Power to enhance ministry. And that is perhaps the best way to use it after all.

Christians are blessed with knowledge about the Bible. In a sense, we have never known more about the Bible. We live in an unprecedented era of access to great Biblical research. Millions of books have been written about the Bible – which was the first major book printed on the Gutenberg press in 1455. There is more information available about the Bible than any other ancient book. In a sense, Biblical research has peeled back the darkness of the Middle Ages to take us to the earliest sources. We are blessed by this knowledge.

Also, we have remarkable Bible study tools available. Gone are the days when you had to depend on Crudens Concordance for study – useful though it was! Now you can have the Bible on your smart phone – i.e. in your favorite translation. (It works great for a sword drill!) And you can search the Biblical text for any word combination in any set of books that you can think of. It really makes the Bible a “lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

With all of this great Biblical research available to us, you would think that our knowledge of the Bible as individual Christians would be awesome. Yet there are studies that suggest that Biblical literacy is on the decline. Stephen Prothero even has a test for it, and finds most Americans sorely lacking in this day and age. I suspect that this reflects the shift away from talking about religion in the public arena. The Church needs to do a better job of teaching the Bible. How is your Church increasing Bible literacy in your community? Are you using all of the tools, both in print and software? Or are you just sticking with an emphasis on good preaching?

The writer of the Revelation states, “I am making everything new!” REV 21:5 NIV. As this new year begins, I am reminded that God continually makes things new in our lives. He applies grace to bring us renewal.

May your New Year be one of great Joy!

In designing a video clip, you have many objectives. To get a lot of great shots is probably on your mind as you shoot it. To find just the right transition effect is probably on your mind as you edit it. But what about the thinking you expect in your audience as they watch it. There is a tendency to make it as plain and specific as possible. But there are times when you want to leave the congregation thinking about something. In the Bible, there are numerous paradoxes designed for this purpose. How can that rich man enter the eye of a needle? Who is my neighbor? Jesus knew His audience. He didn’t always tell jokes – although we have some evidence that He had a great sense of humor. But He did challenge His audience to think about the implications of what He was telling them.

One occasion where you might use a Video that makes you think is right before the sermon. It will serve as a transition from whatever happened before in the service. And it can leave the congregation asking a particular question. The preacher then goes on to answer the question that’s on everybody’s mind. A well designed video can do that, rather than just getting everybody to laugh. But it will take some coordination between the preacher and the videographer. And the preacher will have to be comfortable letting the video serve to make His first point, which otherwise would be to ask the question that he wants everyone to be thinking about. It can be done, and it can free up the preacher to focus on articulating the answer. The video can leave people thinking, and thus challenge them to engage all the more in the words of the sermon. For here is the answer, the Word of Life!

One of the amazing things about the Bible is the fact that we have so many ancient copies of it. This might be expected, since it was so revered. But the Bible in antiquity survived incredible persecution, as well as the ravages of time. No other ancient text has been so well preserved. The writings of the ancient Greeks have survived, but only just barely. The Bible is available in well preserved copies dating from the 1st century A.D. Indeed, here is a link to a copy of the Psalms dating to 40 A.D.

Psalms

Electronic copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls are available. The question is when would we need to project these, or interact with them in worship. In some Churches, the scriptures are read in their original languages, but usually we worship in the local tongue. This is one of the consequences of the Protestant Reformation. And the scriptures have now been translated into thousands of languages – i.e. thanks to the Wycliffe Bible Translation effort. But you could show the scripture passage in both the original language and in the local language. All it would take would be a well formatted screen. Would that add to the worship experience? Feel free to comment below.

Create Ministry Descriptions

Before people will commit their time to a ministry, they want to know what will be expected of them. Ministry descriptions that are specific and written are important because they give people the information they need to make a commitment.

Why not have a section on the Church’s website where there are ministry descriptions for volunteers. The idea is that this is a job description, but for a volunteer position. By reading through these, a potential volunteer would have a better idea about what is going to be involved. This usually helps people make up their mind to commit to a volunteer task. The Ministry Description could include any or all of the following sections:

• Description of the Volunteer Position
• Amount and Frequency of Time Commitment
• List of the Skills Required
• Ideas on Training (e.g. technical hands-on)
• Benefits to the Community of Faith

In addition, there should be a table showing the number of volunteers that are needed in each area of the Church’s ministry. This could be the overview page showing all of the open positions. Hopefully, this would decrease as people volunteered, until all positions were filled.

God has blessed the community of faith with tremendous gifts and graces. Using Ministry Descriptions will help tap that resource, so that the mission of the Church can be fulfilled with excellence!

Modern megachurches are dependent on technology. Any time you gather more than a hundred people together, you need some sort of technology to enhance worship. At the very least, you need an audio system, so that everyone can hear the sermon. Ideally, you should be able to hear the Word clearly in every seat – i.e. even in the back of the balcony. In addition to that, most megachurches offer video screens. Typically, this shows the lyrics for the songs, so no one needs a hymnal. But it can also show the preacher in a way that everyone can see clearly – i.e. IMAG. For those at the back of the room, this helps them follow the sermon. However, now we have moved into video technology; cameras, switchers, video projectors, and one or more video screens. And with the video, it becomes possible to show video clips as illustrations, announcements, and points of transition in the service. The technology allows the congregation to literally go anywhere; e.g. you could easily show Jerusalem’s wailing wall during a sermon about the Temple. And other types of technology lie on the horizon, awaiting development. The possibilities are limitless.

However, with the technology comes a dependence. What happens if the electricity goes out because of a storm at 3:00 AM on Sunday? If the service is held, the preacher may be preaching by candlelight. There needs to be a fall back position; e.g. a generator to run at least some lights and the sound system. And if you can’t show IMAG, can a battery powered camera at least record the sermon? You could then put the sermon on the Church’s web site for those who couldn’t come because of the storm’s damage. And a satellite congregation may have to resort to listening to an extemporaneous sermon by the local pastor.

We worship a big God, and we are blessed with technology to enhance that worship. But we need to make sure that we think through the issues of our dependence on that technology. That doesn’t mean we reject the technology and go back to smaller congregations. It does mean that we understand our priorities for using the technology should we encounter issues. Sunday worship will go on, but we may have to fall back to a different technical configuration on various occasions. We need to be prepared to do that, rather than panic at the circumstance.

How do you direct visitors on your web site? It seems like an obvious question, but there is a subtle side to it. Sure, you expect Church visitors to check out your web site before they show up at the door. After all, they have all week to look. But how do you direct them to the information that is most critical for them deciding on whether to come or pass your Church by? You have to look at the Church web site from the perspective of a visitor. Make sure to present the following information directly off the home page:

• Worship times and places
• Upcoming Worship Theme or Series
• Information about Sunday School for all ages
• General directions and map
• Layout of the Church buildings
• Phone number to call if they have questions

If you do this, then potential visitors should be able to answer their questions prior to coming. And you can expect that they’ll know this basic information before they walk in the door. (Be sure your greeters are familiar with it, too, just in case a visitor doesn’t have web access.) You can then help them start down the path to joining the Church.

There are lots of Bible study programs available now for smart phones. When smart phones got sufficient memory (i.e. megabytes), Bible study applications started coming out. Here are just a few, along with comments:

QuickVerse PDA

Based on the PC program QuickVerse, this version is designed for the Palm OS. It allows you to have multiple translations, as well as commentaries and dictionaries. You use a hierarchical search tool to find a specific verse, i.e. select the book, chapter, then verse. It allows you to attach personal notes to specific words in specific verses.

For more information, see Quickverse.com.

AcroBible

Available on the iPhone, this Bible study program takes advantage of the finger based user interface. To find a verse, you start with an alphabetical list of the books – i.e. just like the contacts list. You select a book, then you get an outline showing chapter numbers and section titles. You then select a chapter and you go to the beginning of that chapter. You can then easily scroll down through the text to find the verse in question.

Acro Bible takes advantage of the iPhone’s user interface. It actually works quite well, allowing you to keep up with even a preacher citing verses rapid fire. And the text is easy to read even in low light, given the iPhone’s backlit display. But note that if you want to add a personal note, the note is attached to the whole verse, not the individual word.

For more information, see AcroBible.

Why not have a New Members page on your web site, complete with video clips? The idea would be to let each new member record a video clip right after they joined. The topic would be their personal testimony of faith. This is appropriate as a witness to their faith. In most Churches, joining requires that you either profess your faith or reaffirm the vows of membership. The video clip would capture a word of testimony from each person that the community of faith would then be able to see outside of the Sunday morning event. Families could share together or separately. Each clip would be limited to 3 minutes.

The assimilation of new members is an ongoing challenge in many Churches. This idea would give that process a jumpstart. Staff could review the video as it went up on the web site to tailor the assimilation plan for each new member. Other members of the Church could watch the new member’s video and identify like interests. The video clip would make each new member more visible, and open opportunities to get involved with various small groups based on shared life experiences. This would open the door to new members, who might otherwise stay put in the pew. Video clips would stay up for about a month, and then rotate out as others joined.

If you have all of the lyrics for the songs on screen, then why do you still need a bulletin? Many Churches have decided to drop the paper bulletin, since all of the information was a duplicate of what appears on the video screens anyway. However, there are still some advantages to having a paper bulletin:

• People can take home the paper bulletin.
• A printed page can be written on; for example, you can have a sermon outline.
• People still like to have something to read before and after the service.
• You can put stuff in the paper bulletin that you don’t have time to announce.

Does your Church still publish a paper bulletin each Sunday? If so, what do you put in it that is different from the information content of the worship presentation? And how do people in the congregation like it?

How do you respond to others when they insult you? Do the words of Jesus to “turn the other cheek,” Mat 5:39, come to mind? Or do you start plotting your revenge, even for what others would call a minor insult? Jesus was well aware that we have enemies. Long before He was flogged, He had no doubt felt the barbarity of Roman soldiers. If a Roman soldier was marching through your town, he could order you to carry his pack for a mile. It didn’t matter that you were on your way home after a long and tiring day. It didn’t matter if the interruption affected your time critical business deal. You still had to do it – i.e. just because the soldier ordered you to. If you refused, he could kill you; that was Roman law. Sometimes you don’t seem to have a choice; you have to endure the insults of others.

Jesus suggested a different response – i.e. out of grace. Let grace cover the insult. Let grace enable you to respond in a way other than what your instinct tells you. Jesus knew that there is spiritual power in responding out of grace to those who hurt you. He proved it on the cross. In doing so, you will experience grace anew and you will find joy.

So the next time the boss orders you to do something that feels like an insult, respond in grace. You will then find that the task will be a joy. And rather than doing the minimum to satisfy the demand, and that sloppily, do your best. In so doing, you will prove your excellence and professionalism. And the boss will take note of that.

With the emphasis these days on web 2.0, there are new opportunities for the Church. What if we used the web to create dialogue groups following worship? The congregation could join these groups and participate in a dialogue during the week after the worship service. These groups would focus on the sermon, discussing it together. A moderator would be needed to help keep the group on track. The preacher could participate if so inclined. The purpose of the group would be to reflect on and let the sermon sink in. It would not be an opportunity to put down the preacher or reject his message. The opportunity for people to deepen their faith is great. Would this work in your Church?

The technology for this already exists. It could be implemented as a blog or web log, whereby members could sign in and write their comments on each sermon. The main posting could be a summary of the sermon. By limiting comments to existing members and moderating the discussion, the spammers would be limited. It would also be helpful to come up with rules of etiquette for these discussion groups. The moderator could be a staff member if appropriate. The time frame for the comments would be the week after the sermon was preached. That would put a time box on the discussion, since a new sermon will come along after a week. The preacher could read these comments and gather feedback on the sermon that would take a 100 phone calls to elicit. So this becomes a win-win situation.

One recent development in worship lyrics uses a moving background. This departs from the previous technique, where you used a static image as the background for your worship slides. Now you can have a dynamic background for the song lyrics. You can even use live shots, but more often you want something that is simply a moving background. The movement helps keep the congregation’s attention.

So how do you pick a moving background? First of all, you should ensure that you maintain good contrast between the words and every frame of the moving background. Otherwise, people will have trouble reading the words while singing. For example, you should show white text on a dark color; or you could show dark text on a light color. Secondly, the moving background should be designed so that the words dominate. If someone glances briefly at the screen, the words should stand out in their mind’s eye. Thirdly, you should choose a moving background that matches the lyrics. For example, a song about creation could show a moving background that was a scene from nature, e.g. a babbling brook. A song about the God of the universe could show shots of the stars. By following these principles, you increase the interest of the congregation in watching the screens.

How does your church use moving backgrounds? Feel free to comment below.

In most megachurches today, you will find video cameras. The cameras are there to record the service, so that it can be distributed via DVD, CD, CATV, or over the Internet. Along with the cameras, you will usually find stage lighting. These are sophisticated, computer controlled lighting systems that can light up the stage like daytime. You can easily have so much light shining that the preacher might well observe that he has been “blinded by the light”. This is not a reference to Paul’s dramatic conversion on the way to Damascus (i.e. Acts 22:6), but rather an observation that the light is overwhelming. It makes it hard for the preacher to see the reaction of the audience. This affects the pacing of the sermon, e.g. making it difficult to pause for people to laugh at a joke. The dilemma is that to get good video footage, you have to have a lot of light on the subject. How do we ensure that we have excellent lighting on the stage without disconnecting the preacher from the congregation?

The first step is to make sure that the lighting is well designed. It should be even all the way across the stage, so that the far left is as well lit as the center. The stage should have appropriate back lighting, so that people look three dimensional and not flat. And it should be well diffused, not glaring and bleak. When we pay attention to these issues, we will make sure that we do not walk in darkness, for we have the light of life – John 8:12. And people will get more out of the sermon.