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.”

Some might ask, “Why do we need IT in the Church?” Isn’t the Church about people, not information technology? Yes, the focus of the Church is on the salvation of people’s souls. But in order to believe, they have to first hear the Gospel message (ROM 10:14). In the Apostle Paul’s day, the Pax Romana sped the Gospel message around the world. In the 21st Century, it is the Internet that is speeding the Gospel message around the world. The Church needs to take advantage of every resource that it has available, especially technology, in communicating the Gospel.

Some might respond that IT is all well and good, but it is just too expensive. You can quickly spend a lot on IT equipment – money that could be better spent feeding the poor. By the same reasoning, you could argue that instead of a building program, the Church should spend the capitol campaign funds on helping the homeless. Jesus noted that “the poor you will always have with you” MAT 26:11. It is the Church building that enables ministry in a community. So it is with the technology; it enables the Church to communicate the Gospel message clearly in a world of lost souls. And the challenge has never been greater. The Church has to find ways to communicate that rise above the background noise of the culture, so that the Gospel is heard and disseminated. And just as a large Church needs a budget for taking care of its buildings, so it needs a budget for spending money on IT. As John Brandon of Christianity Today put it:

For most churches, Information Technology (IT) is a critical part of ministry. Computers that function correctly, a website that looks professional, and a backup process for sermon notes all help the staff do ministry more effectively, communicate with the congregation, and focus on building relationships.

Giving Tech Its Due posted 3/3/2010.

So the leaders of the Church need to provide funds for IT development, just as they would for keeping the lights on. There needs to be clearly established goals for this, and an appropriate level of priority. In so doing the wise Church will run its ministry to the fullest measure in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. And in the end, that will save money while getting the message out to more people.

Most of the larger Churches have come to recognize that they need IT (i.e. Information Technology.) Indeed, I would assert that there is a correlation between the size of a Church and this need. Megachurches are thus the most needy, but they also reach thousands of people. But is there a higher purpose for IT? Let’s consider it.

The Church originated information sharing – i.e. sharing the Gospel message. In the first century, this was often done in private homes by people witnessing to one another. (After Nero, it was difficult to speak publicly about The Way.) A hundred years ago, street preachers would stand on a corner and just preach the Word. Fifty years ago in the US, the Church was holding great revivals in tents and outdoor stadiums. Now the Church can reach out to a million people with the Word. The difference is the technology involved. From a whisper to the street corner to the stadium to the Internet, the Gospel has been proclaimed.

So the use of the technology within the Church has a Higher Purpose – i.e. communicating the Gospel. Whether by weekly emails from the pastor, or Blog postings on the Church web page, the purpose is the same. The methods and tools have changed with the times, but the Gospel message remains the same. And the more effective we are at using the technology, the better that message is proclaimed. May God use our IT skills to this great cause – that the Gospel will be proclaimed to the ends of the earth!