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!

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!