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Worship 2.0 Leaders
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty Inventions. - Prov 8:12June's issue dipped into the Worship [2.0] Well giving a brief history and a frame of reference for the state of technology and worship. Although, some of us may be feel like we are experiencing a cultural Tsunami with all of the new Web-based approaches to ministry, the reality is church on the Web has been with us for almost three decades. Let's see what theses innovators have to say.
Click on each innovator's picture for the full converstaion:
Do you anticipate Web technology taking over every aspect of a church's operating platform? If not, What operational aspects will avoid the change?Schultze: Web technology will not "take over" any aspects of church operations but will instead be integrated into operations in different ways and to various extents by each congregation. There will not be a one-size-fits-all approach, although some software and hardware companies will tout this. We'll see major differences among churches and denominations depending on everything from location (e.g., urban, rural suburban) to congregational life, demographics, and theological and exxlesiastical traditions. The most promising Web 2.0 developments will be organic, nor organizational.
Dr. Quentin Schultze is a nationally known communications expert whose many book include High-Tech Worship?
and Habits of the High-Tech Heart.
Click here for Quentin's full article.
How Long Has This Been Going On? The first organized religious online venue, net.religion, launched in 1983 and a religion related discussion group began in 1984. Then in the mid to late ‘90s, Churches presence on the Web escalated exponentially and has progressively moved from simple listings, much like a Yellow Pages ad, to calendar and event posting, uploadable or write-in prayer requests, to downloadable sermons, to live streaming video with a real-time audience that spans the globe, chat rooms, podcasts and an interactive socially networked community that pushes information both ways. Below are websites, resources, and defining principles of Worship 2.0. Plus some of the shapers, leaders, and observers of the Online Networked Church have joined us to reflect on only a few of the myriad facets of the constantly morphing movement. For these and more community movers and thought shapers, go to worshipleaeder.com to read, respond, and engage. Join with us in an ongoing dialogue online exploring the theology, history, everyday practice, scriptural foundations, and music surrounding worship 2.0.
Dr. David Bourgeois is the Associate Professor of Information Systems at Biola University in the Crowell School of Business, and is currently teaching a course on Internet Ministry there. Dave researches and speaks on issues surrounding the use of the Internet by ministries. Blog: lessonsfrombabel.com twitter.com/DaveBourgeois
Click here for Dr. Bourgeois's full article.
Will digital churches ever take over physical ones? ...In my opinion, participating in a church service through these mediums can be stimulating, powerful, and possibly even life-changing. But in the end, it is still not the full experience that God wants for us. For some, "doing church" online may be their only choice due to an inability to get to a physical service. For others, online church is a less intimidating way to see what Christianity is all about. But if these mediated services portray themselves as authentic church services and do not have as their long-term aim the drawing of believers to a local body, as commanded in scripture, then they are shortchanging the participants of the full Christian experience.
Nathan Clark is the Director or Digital Innovation, Media Design at Northland in Orlando, Florida. Northland based out of has multi-sites and a distributed church and internet community that reaches around the globe. Click here for Nathan Clark's full article.
Can worship take place via the Internet? The fundamental premise that people can gather to worship God facilitated through technology is working. We have people that are professing a new faith in Christ that are experiencing him facilitated through this technology. We are having people worship and experience his forgiveness and grace and his challenge to their lives in profound ways on a weekly basis, deep and substantial connections are being made. But as far as "what's working?" that's hard to say, I prefer the question of "Who's working?" And to me it's very clear that this is a tool God is using to do great things for His kingdom.
Greg Atkinson In late 2003, Greg launched MultisensoryWorship.com, a website geared to encourage, network, resource, and equip Christian pastors, media ministers, artists and worship leaders-after having served the previous 11 years as a worship pastor himself. He helped create, develop and lead WorshipHouse Media. Blog: gregatkinson.com twitter.com/gregatkinson
Click here for Greg Atkinson's full article.
Is this movement only accessible to the megachurches?The size of most churches in America is 200 and less, and out of that, the majority are 75 or less. So a lot of churches are late adopters, and it'll be a while before they get onboard. But, the beautiful thing about web 2.0 tools is that many of them are free, and so they're highly accessible. You can blog for free, you can do podcasts for free. You can create a Facebook account for free, you can Twitter for free.
I'm [also] very passionate about the music side of worship...the thing that I see happening with the home church, small group, and church planting movement is the opportunity for more and more people to step up and lead worship. And, it may not be up on the big stage in front of a thousand people, but more and more people being able to express themselves as musicians in small churches, and it is a wonderful and beautiful thing. With these online tools a lot of people in various countries are grabbing a guitar or a keyboard and leading worship in an apartment or in a home.
Pastor Dan Lacich serves as pastor of distributed sites at Northland, in Longwood, Florida, helping the distributed church worship and serve together for the glory and honor of Christ. Dan has a bachelor's degree from Franciscan University, with a double major in theology and psychology, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and a Doctor of Ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary.
Click here for Paston Dan Lacich's full article.
What should someone be aware of if they are planning on starting an online ministry? From a personnel standpoint, it takes way more time than you think it's going to take. And because you're opening up a whole new area of ministry of dealing with people, they're going to have needs that you're going to be made aware of, that you would have never learned about otherwise.
...I think one of the things that you shouldn't have as your justification is that somehow because we're going to have this more interactive internet thing, we're going to really build up our congregation from the evangelism standpoint. It's not an automatic, that just because you have a fancier website that's more interactive, it doesn't mean people are going to come to Jesus. I think that's one of the mistakes that we make a lot of times as Christians....There's a lot more work involved than just having that available.
Zack Hubert has spent 8 years with Amazon.com, has an MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary and is a technology pastor and a key developer of "The City," a community internet platform originally designed for Mars Hill in Seattle. Blog: onthecity.org/blog Twitter: twitter.com/pastorzack
Click here for Zack Hubert's full article.
Does church have to happen in a specific (traditional) time and place? As more Web apps get launched on the internet and mature over time, it's undoubtedly shaping how we "do church." While it's often taught that church is the people and not the building or the worship service, most of us revert to thinking of church as a physical gathering on a Sunday morning. I think the online world of social media and Web apps are showing that relationships are not limited to space and set times. People are able to start relationships and grow friendships with one another online even though they're not in the same physical space. For the next generation, the online world and in-person offline worlds are practically seamless. This means people can really fellowship and worship online.
Bobby Gruenewald oversees the LifeChurch.tv Open, Network, and United operations. Prior to joining the LifeChurch.tv team in 2001, he started and sold two technology companies, consulted with start-ups on venture capital funds, and even traveled and performed with a Christian rap group. Blog: swerve.lifechurch.tv
twitter.com/bobbygwald
Click here for Bobby Gruenewald's full article.
This is an excerpt from Worship Leader magazine. To read more articles like this - click here to subscribe.
