From the video section of USA Today, Church uses technology to reach members highlights the ways that Christ Fellowship Church (McKinney, Texas) uses an online Bible study guide, QR codes, Facebook, video streaming and podcasts to provide spiritual services to their church members.
In a recent Breakpoint commentary titled, This is My Father’s Digital World, a seminary professor shared these 4 principles of how we can use technology with Godly wisdom [emphasis added]:
As Dr. David Murray, Professor of Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary notes, technology has changed the way we “study, play, socialize, shop, and even apply for jobs.” Believe it or not, one out of eight couples married in the US met on a social networking site.
Murray, the father of four, is a firm believer in the good of technology. He is also well aware of the dangers—especially the dangers to children. After thinking through how to best teach his own children how to thrive in the digital age, he produced a short video: “God’s Technology: Training Our Children to Use Technology to God’s Glory.” In it Murray shares biblical wisdom and applies a Christian worldview to kids and technology.
He begins with four biblical principles. First, God created technology. He made the physical elements like silicon that we use to make digital devices. He made the forces of electricity and magnetism that allow technology to work. And he made human minds and gave them the creativity to build computers, cell phones and iPads.
Second, because God created technology, it is not inherently sinful; instead (principle three) it has many good uses—including bringing BreakPoint to you every day. Finally and tragically, Murray notes, technology has been abused because we are sinners.
The Tech Steward Tuesday webinar series will explore how your church can be stewarding technology in the service of worship. The webinar series is presented as a 30-minute weekly chat-in talk show format, so you can participate in this conversation. DJ Chuang, Network Developer at Worship Leader Magazine, will answer your questions about church and technology.
These tech steward conversations will accelerate on-site and face-to-face at the National Worship Leader Conference 2010 Pre-Conference — this will be a one-day pre-conference event at all 3 NWLC’s: Albuquerque on June 15-17, Kansas City on July 19-22, and Lancaster PA on October 5-7. Register now >>
Look forward to connecting with you on-line and on-site!
This web destination will be the place where we explore the stewardship of technology in the service of worship. In the coming weeks and months and years, we invite you to be a part of this conversation of how new media technologies can be stewarded to better serve the worshipping community.
This blog is kicking off with a webinar series that is leading up to the Stewardship of Technology Pre-Conference of National Worship Leader Conference on July 19-22 in Kansas City, Kansas.
The webinar series will start our conversations online along with this blog. Then the conversations will accelerate on-site and face-to-face at the NWLC 2010 Pre-Conference — this will be a one-day pre-conference event at all 3 NWLC’s: Albuquerque on June 15-17, Kansas City on July 19-22, and Lancaster PA on October 5-7.
Please join us on-line and on-site and let’s learn together how we can be great tech steward!
“Not since the guitar came to church in the late ’60s and ’70s, has there been such a fundamental and radical shift in how Christian communities worship. What’s driving this change? New mobile media and social networks.”
– Chuck Fromm, Publisher of Worship Leader Magazine
