A Theology of Technology in the Church

Guest Blogger: Brian Holt, Rock Bridge Technical Director

When I was in high school I worked sales at RadioShack in Xenia, Ohio. Although it was that long ago, I remember how easy it was to sell mobile phones. Very few people had them, but everyone wanted them. Fast forward a decade and it is hard find anyone without a mobile phone.

Technology in the church hasn’t been much different. I remember growing up in church using hymnals and overhead projectors. Church websites, video and lighting were not even in our vocabulary, much less a church hiring a {gasp} full-time Technical Director. Why in the world would a church waste money on that? And what would he or she do for the rest of the week?!? But looking at the Church in America now, it’s not uncommon at all to find churches using all sorts of technology, and (thankfully for me) it’s not uncommon to find full-time staff members devoted to managing that technology. But that question is still a good one to ask: Why spend the money on technology?

The answer is easy. Technology (specifically electronic technology) allows the Church to reach people in a way that it never could before. It gives us an opportunity and reach that would not exist without it. Here are just a few examples:

1. Technology lets us expand geographically. We can expand geographically (through multi-site) while still allowing for strong shared leadership and vision. In the same way the early church leaders sent letters to be read aloud by the local “pastors”, we are able to send video to multiple campuses. This is a very effective way to expand the reach of God’s Word. Here’s why:

It’s economical. The cost of a portable facility is a mere fraction of what it would cost to build a larger auditorium and start a church from scratch.

It’s more effective. People may drive a long way to go to church, but if they do they won’t bring their friends. Expanding geographically with technology means that we’re going to them, rather than them having to come to us. Sounds kind of like the Great Commission to me.

2. Technology lets us create an environment that reaches a person holistically. I could talk for hours on this alone. Growing up, church was mostly an intellectual task. Show up. Listen. Learn. Grow. Not a bad equation to be sure, but it left something out. Where was the emotional connection? Where was the creative artistry that inspired me to be in awe of the God who created all? Those things were missing. Technology allows us to create an environment that allows for those things through the use of creative lighting, video elements and moving music. All of these are based in the truth of God’s Word and support the message of the weekend, but communicate that truth in new and different ways. We can take the weekly message and expand how it’s communicated much like taking an object and looking at it from a different angle. It’s the same object, but we see it in a different way. Sometimes seeing something from a different angle helps us understand it – and helps us connect with it.

But where technology is an incredible tool that can be used to expand the reach of God’s Word to be sure; its use is limited. There are things that technology can do well, and things it simply cannot. Technology can’t comfort you when you’re hurting. Technology cannot hold you accountable or help you grow through a tough situation.

None of these technologies work without a physical presence. This is why we have campus pastors to love the people in a way that a video can’t. This is why we encourage people to live life in small groups, not just watch the message. Technology can present truth, but it can never LIVE truth ... that’s what you’re for.