Feature Article: Spring 2009

Logging On

Recommended Internet resources on the use of technology

by Ken Beidler

Research on the use of technology

barna.org
The Barna Group tracks North American Christians' use of technology for worship, online entertainment, and social networking. Barna president and researcher David Kinnaman looks at generational differences and provides thoughtful commentary on how technology is shaping faith. Four particularly relevant studies can be found under The Barna Update on the website: "Technology Use Is Growing Rapidly in Churches" (September 13, 2005); "Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment and Church Podcasts" (May 26, 2008); "New Barna Research Describes Use of Technology in Churches" (April 28, 2008); and "Americans’ On-the-Go Lifestyles and Entertainment Appetites Fuel Increasing Reliance Upon Technology" (February 7, 2006).

www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/14091/
In an article in the MIT-published journal Technology Review titled "Technology and Happiness: Why Getting More Gadgets Won't Necessarily Increase Our Well-Being," James Surowiecki considers whether North Americans' use of technology in everyday life increases or decreases life satisfaction.

www.pewinternet.org
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has published a number of studies charting trends in the use of Web resources by communities of faith. For a study titled "Wired Churches, Wired Temples: Taking Congregations and Missions into Cyberspace" over 1,300 congregations responded to an online survey that asked how they built and how they use their websites, how congregations and leaders use e-mail, and whether the use of Internet tools has helped the spiritual and everyday life of members.

Websites with technology resources

www.brehmcenter.com/article/music-andtechnology-in-worship-where-are-we-headed
Ron Rienstra reviews software that is being used in worship for the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary, whose mission is to provide "an innovative space for the creative integration of worship, theology, and the arts in culture."

www.leadingwithlight.com
Steven Koster, an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, publishes an excellent blog with resources for churches. He links to software that can be used in worship, offers analysis, and provides a forum for exchanging ideas.

www.calvin.edu/worship/lit_arts/media
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship provides articles and other resources for church leaders interested "using technology meaningfully and purposefully in worship."

www.kimgentes.com/worship-technologyroundup
Kim Gentes, a worship pastor and writer in Phoenix, Arizona, presents an extensive list of resources for worship leaders looking to engage with the latest technology. This is a nuts-and-bolts website with practical advice for congregations about using sound, media, video, and image software.

www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/003/1.28.html
In interviews for the Leadership Journal article "The Tech Effect" (Summer 2007), three church leaders reflect on the ways technology can help or hinder the proclamation of God’s Word.

Podcast

www.calvin.edu/worship/podcast/archive/061009.mp3
In a 2006 interview for Michigan Radio, Quentin Schultze, professor of communications at Calvin College, discusses ways to use presentational technologies wisely in worship.

Blogs

blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur
Out of Ur, a blog hosted by the editors of Leadership Journal, has a number of good articles about technology, many of them focusing on the use of technology in worship.

shanehipps.blogspot.com/search?q=faith+visuals
Third-Way Faith is the blog of Mennonite pastor and author Shane Hipps, who explores emerging culture, media, and church. In this 2007 interview with FaithVisuals.com, he shares insights drawn from his book The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church (Zondervan).

young.anabaptistradicals.org
Young Anabaptist Radicals is a loose affiliation of young Anabaptist writers. Isaac Villegas, one of YAR's bloggers, is a Mennonite pastor in North Carolina who shares theological and personal insights about the relationship of technology and worship and reviews books on worship and multimedia.

www.conversatio.net
Conversatio is a research project conducted by C. Scott Andreas and Kathryn Lofton at Indiana University exploring the nexus of emerging Christianities and Web 2.0.

www.gatheringinlight.com
Gathering in Light blogger Wess Daniels, a Quaker Ph.D. student at Fuller Theological Seminary, is thoughtful, engaged with culture, and interested in how Christians can transform technology in good ways. You can view his bookmarks on technology at http://delicious.com/cwdaniels/featured+technology.

Online journals and magazines

www.reformedworship.org
Search for "technology" at the website of Reformed Worship magazine and you will find information about congregational studies on the use of technology, articles by well-known authors on the subject like Quentin Schultze, and helpful theological perspectives from the Reformed tradition on how churches are incorporating multimedia into their worship life.

www.worshipleader.com
The October 2008 issue of Worship Leader features reviews of its writers' and editors' picks of the best technology on the market for congregational worship.

www.ccmag.com
Christian Computing Magazine is helpful for church workers who want to know more about using computers in ministry. On the website are links to major software firms that serve the church market, free software downloads, and an illustration database for those who subscribe to the print version of the magazine.

Mennonite websites on Media and Technology

www.thirdway.com
Look under "Media Matters" at Third Way Café for media reviews and background articles on popular culture, movies, TV programs, books, and music. You can also contribute your own comments and opinions.

pastors.mennolink.org/pinternet.html
MennoLink's Internet resources page points the way to useful computer resources, various search engines, and an online library.

www.mennonitemission.net/resources/publications/urbanconnections/story.asp?ID=1082
Writing for the Urban Connections newsletter, Ryan Miller of the Mennonite Mission Network writes about the Internet as a new kind of holy place where people gather to talk about their faith, but cautions that it's no substitute for face-to-face relationships.

Books on the use of technology

Alban Institute publications (www.alban.org)
The Alban Institute publishes a myriad of resources for congregational leaders. Listed at this website are print resources from the institute, excerpted articles from the journal Congregations, and summaries of books. (Some resources can be accessed only by members.) Three Alban Institute books of interest on the subject of technology are: 40 Days and 40 Bytes: Making Computers Work for Your Congregation, by Aaron Spiegel, Nancy Armstrong, and Brent Bill (2004); Silver Screen, Sacred Story: Using Multimedia in Worship, by Michael G. Bausch (2002, see summary below); and Reaching Out in a Networked World: Expressing Your Congregation's Heart and Soul, by Lynne M. Baab.

Liturgical Art for a Media Culture, by Eileen D. Crowley (Liturgical Press, 2007) Crowley looks at the history of the liturgical use of media. She discusses the dangers and positive possibilities of our media culture for worship and offers tools that can help a church decide whether new media are appropriate for new circumstances.

Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age, by Quentin J. Schultze (Baker Academic, 2002) Schultze calls for Christians living in the cyber age to exercise moral wisdom, humility, and discernment, cautioning that irresponsible immersion in our technology-saturated culture can lead to shallowness, disengagement from others, and loss of connection to the created world.

High-Tech Worship? Using Presentational Technologies Wisely, by Quentin J. Schultze (Baker, 2004) Schultze looks at how to use PowerPoint and video appropriately in worship.

Silver Screen, Sacred Story: Using Multimedia in Worship, by Michael G. Bausch (Alban Institute, 2002) Bausch recounts his medium-sized Congregational church's experience with introducing a mediaintensive worship service. He advocates using multimedia to connect with a generation of Christians who have grown up with many forms of media; offers practical advice on recruiting volunteers not only to run equipment but also to produce media art for Sunday services; and presents the basics on license and copyright issues, as well as equipment requirements for a start-up media ministry.

Transforming Our Days: Spirituality, Community, and Liturgy in a Technological Culture, by Richard R. Gaillardetz (Crossroad, 2000) Gaillardetz uses the theoretical framework of philosopher Albert Borgmann to explore important "focal practices" that nourish Christian life. He calls us back to a relational way of understanding God and ourselves and points us toward practices that encourage community and communion with God.

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Ken Beidler is a freelance writer. He attends Oxford Circle Mennonite Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.