The Digital Dilemma: Balancing Technology and Faith in Ministry

Remember the days of chorus sheets and overhead projectors? Join me, Todd Rhoades, as I take you on a nostalgic and humorous journey through the technological evolution in worship ministry. From battling with upside-down transparencies to the excitement of our first video projector, you'll hear firsthand how technology transformed our worship services, and the funny bumps along the way. Explore how we have embraced digital advancements while staying true to our mission of connection and gospel sharing.

With technology now woven into every aspect of church life, we discuss the delicate balance that must be maintained. Live streaming and online giving platforms offer amazing opportunities for outreach and discipleship, but they can also become distractions. Hear my thoughts on navigating these modern challenges and how today's digital tools can enhance our spiritual objectives without losing sight of our core mission. This episode promises a mix of nostalgia and forward-thinking insights as we reflect on past triumphs and look ahead to the exciting possibilities the digital age offers for church ministry.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hi there, welcome to this edition of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom, and thanks so much for joining us on this brand new week of podcasts. Today we're going to we're not doing a series. This week we're going to talk about a lot of different things. Hopefully that will be interesting to you and your role whatever your role is at your church. And today we're going to talk about the digital age technologies woven into every aspect of our lives, including our personal lives, our family lives and even our work at the church. So how do we navigate this digital dilemma? How do we balance the benefits of technology that it brings to us with the potential pitfalls? That's what we're going to be talking about today.

Speaker 1: 0:52

I remember when I started in ministry. I'm an old worship guy, so when I started, my first worship role was in 1986. And of course, all the music obviously has changed. We started with piano and organ and and handles and then we decided actually it was decided for me, I was not a big advocate for it at the time that we were going to do what we called the chorus of the month. I'm on a little. I saw a squirrel here, so just go with me here for a second. We did the squirrel of the squirrel of the month. Now, we didn't do the squirrel of the Month. I'm on a little. I saw a squirrel here, so just go with me here for a second. We did the Squirrel of the Month. No, we didn't do the Squirrel of the Month, although that might have been more interesting to me at that time than the Chorus of the Month.

Speaker 1: 1:33

We did a Chorus of the Month. I remember the very first one we ever did. This is weird that I remember this, probably because I was so against it at the time. We did Bill Gaither's the chorus of you Are so Blessed, and I'm sure that there's maybe 2% of the people that are listening that actually remember that song, bill, if you're listening. Thanks so much for that. Nothing against you, but that was our first song.

Speaker 1: 1:53

But I remember we started by putting what we called a chorus sheet in the back of the hymnal that had the chorus of the month in it. I'd say, hey, pull out your chorus sheet. We're going to sing this chorus together that quickly because of the technology at the time. It was crazy. Let me tell you, if you weren't there, we went from the chorus sheet to the overhead projector. Yep, just like what you had in school when you were growing up.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Maybe it wasn't a smart board, it was an overhead projector. And I remember that my biggest frustration with the overhead projector was I could always, whatever way I tried to put the transparency on, it would be backwards. It would be either upside down or just the image would be mirrored backwards. So anyway, this is a long squirrel story. Sorry about this, but then we went from the overhead projector to a slide projector and I had to lead worship with a microphone in one hand and a clicker in the other, and sometimes I would press the advance button and the next slide would show. Sometimes I'd press the wrong button, sometimes I would press a button and nothing would happen, but that was a step up from technology. And then we went from the slide projector to the video projector, and back then it was so expensive and the video projector we could afford was so washed out. It had no lumens to it so you could barely make out the words on the screen. But we were high tech.

Speaker 1: 3:16

So everything, even back in the 80s and early 90s, technology was different than what it is now, but it's still changing rapidly. If I had to go and step into most churches with their digital setup I wouldn't even know what to do. It goes from live streaming services to online giving platforms. We had none of that back in the day. Technology has really revolutionized the way that we do our services, that we do ministry, that we connect with our congregations and even the way that we share the gospel, and it offers some incredible opportunities for outreach and for engagement and discipleship.

Speaker 1: 3:52

But let's be honest, technology can also be a distraction. I remember it was probably about 10 years ago. Here's another squirrel for you. I remember about 10 years ago I went to a conference at a church. I won't name the church but a lot of people would know it, probably not the one you're thinking of but I went to a church and they had so much and I love technology.

Speaker 1: 4:15

Now I moved beyond the Bill Gaither thing and I embrace technology. I love technology. I love a well-done worship service with technology. But I remember sitting like in about the fourth row of this conference and they had so much technology, so many screens, so much lights, so much of everything. I felt for the very first time I was almost manipulated because they could have done anything, but it was just. It was so much, it was so overwhelming.

Speaker 1: 4:45

So technology can. It could be a distraction. I've seen it split churches. It can be a source of division. It could be even a tool for harm and, if you know, use it to manipulate people, which sometimes can happen. Social media can breed comparison and envy if that's part of technology too. The constant stream of information and technology can just leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the present moment. So how do we harness this power of technology?

Speaker 1: 5:13

I've heard a lot of podcasts and read some good books about how to minimize the negative effects of technology, and social media in particular, and I don't know that I've got anything kind of world-changing to share here. But I will say this that there have been quite a few studies that kind of explored this intersection of technology and religion and faith, and some highlight the potential for technology to enhance spiritual growth and connection, but others warn of the dangers of digital addiction and distraction. I read what theologian and author John Dyer says. He says this he says technology is not neutral. It shapes us in profound ways and he challenges us to be mindful in how we use technology and how to ensure that it really serves our spiritual well-being rather than hindering it. Let's talk about how to do this in our personal lives Maybe we'll come back into another podcast on how to do this maybe in our services and just in ministry overall.

Speaker 1: 6:14

And again, a lot of these aren't rocket science, but maybe you're at a point where and I've been here a couple times in the past couple months where my eyes are actually tired from looking at my phone. I don't think I can look at this anymore. My head is actually starting to hurt. So how do we navigate this digital dilemma? It does require some intentionality and some discernment. So let's talk about that really quickly here. Then I'll get you on your way. Today, times of prayer and worship and personal connection when you're doing your devotions or your Bible study or you're praying and you get a notification, do you stop what you're doing and look at your phone. It's really hard. If I try and put my phone in a different room. That seems to be about the only thing, because as soon as that dopamine hits, when the notification goes off, it's really hard to concentrate on my prayer or my Bible reading.

Speaker 1: 7:09

Second thing use technology for good. Are there ways that you can enhance. Use digital tools to enhance your ministry. Do those, but don't let them become a substitute for human connection. I was just reading something here this morning that talked about technology is great, but the moment that you start to use technology to replace human connection, you've gone too far. And this person was talking about how either churches feel very underwhelmed or a lot of times overwhelmed by how intrusive their churches are with them. If you're sending out emails and texts three times a day, that's probably not using technology for good, and it's probably using technology as a way to, because it's so much easier than genuine human connection, isn't it? It really is.

Speaker 1: 8:05

Third thing is encourage digital discipleship. There are ways that you can disciple, there are ways that you can reach people and still maintain that human connection. But help your church, help the people in your ministries, to navigate that digital landscape in ways that kind of promote spiritual growth and healthy engagement, and we saw this during COVID a lot too that it is possible to do some small group stuff. It is possible to connect people and get them to know each other online, but it can't be the. The key is it can't, it cannot be the replacement for genuine human connection. And then, finally, what I just said the foster community create opportunities not only for online connection and using technology, but also that face-to-face interaction and connection. Both are just incredibly important. So here's your bottom line for today Technology is it's a powerful tool and it's up to you to use it wisely. Set some boundaries, remember the potential pitfalls and strive in your church to have a culture that kind of balances both the digital world and the genuine human connection. And here's the thing, leader, this has to come from the top down. You have to be able to model this.

Speaker 1: 9:15

My admonition for you today is how are you using social media? How are you using technology? Are there ways that maybe you need to curtail it? Maybe there are ways that you need to do some things differently? Think about those, pray about those. Today, and every time you pick up your phone, I want you to think of me. Today Isn't that horrible. Every time you pick up your phone, I want you to think of me and say is this something that is helping me personally? Is this something? My addiction to technology, is this something that's hindering my ministry? Okay, that's a sobering thought for a Monday. I hope you'll join me. Despite today, I hope you'll join me again tomorrow here on the Healthy Church Podcast. We're here all week, monday through Friday, and you can reach out to me with some comments or feedback, anything you want to reach out to me with. Podcast at chemistrystaff. Podcast at chemistrystaffcom. Thanks so much. Have a great day.