The movable type printing press in the mid-15th century spreading the printed word; the public dissemination of new ideas during the Reformation in the early 16th century as well as Luther’s translation of the Bible into German bringing knowledge to the masses; and eventually radio, television, and email allowing information to get to people at great distances quickly – new technologies always impact the way that churches function and communicate. We are now well into the digital era of communication, and it is presenting many exciting opportunities as well as significant frustrations for congregations.

Websites
Ninety-five of the 184 congregations in the Southeastern Minnesota Synod have some kind of website. These range from the free sites provided by Lutherans Online (a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans service) to professionally designed and maintained websites. Websites can be used to communicate to current members, potential members, and non-members.

Current members can use websites to get up-to-date event information, register for events and programs, download forms and files, read or listen to sermons, set up automated giving, download newsletters, provide access to password-protected information like directories, share and read ideas, and on and on. Capabilities are limited mostly by the time of the web designer. Since time can be such a limiting factor, congregational input is key to spending time wisely. What are members really looking for online?

It was once said that a congregation made its first impression in the parking lot, but now first impressions are being made on the web. People new to the area or the faith or just exploring Christianity find congregations’ websites and form opinions of those congregation and the larger church with which they are affiliated. Before designing a website, or when re-evaluating a current one, careful consideration needs to be taken into what message a congregation wants to send and then sticking to that message. Don’t forget that potential and non-members are going to look at your site, no matter if you direct your message to them or not!

Email
Despite many rural congregations with slow or no internet, over 80% of the synod’s rostered individuals have an email address. In addition, many congregations have a general email address and/or other staff with email addresses as well, giving most congregations access to email. Email provides a communication venue that allows senders and recipients to deal with them as their own time allows without the delay of the postal service. It also allows large amounts of information to be sent quickly. For many congregations, this includes a monthly newsletter, which saves time and postage for the congregation and allows members to get the newsletter more quickly and sometimes get additional features like color pictures and links to other websites. Email even allows congregations to communicate cheaply and effectively with missionaries and companion congregations on the other side of the world.

Electronic mailing lists managed by an outside service are also used for mass emails. These services maintain email lists that people can subscribe and unsubscribe to when they want and for congregations to send mass emails quickly and easily. Some also function as a way to discuss ideas by replying to the entire list.

Discussion Boards/Forums
Online discussions allow users to share ideas on their own time. Besides being a way for users to get questions answered, share tips, and express opinions, online discussions have also been used by committees to discuss projects without having to set up a time when all members are available. Though the internet doesn’t replace in-person meetings, it can be a good way to collaborate given volunteers’ hectic schedules.

Blogs
Here’s where the less computer-savvy may start getting lost. Blogs, a term derived from web-log, are an increasingly common way to share information. The best analogy for a blog is an online, public journal.

From the technical perspective, a blog allows an individual to publish posts to a personal website (or their organization’s) or a page on the service’s site. Free services allow even the technology-challenged to blog. The service also keeps archives of past posts and many allow comments so it can become another venue for online sharing. Besides sharing ideas, blogs have also been used extensively for sharing websites, other blogs, and pictures. This has fostered the creation of a unique online community.

From the usage perspective, blogs are used in many different ways. In congregations, pastors use them to provide daily devotions, follow-ups to the previous week’s sermon, preview’s of the following week’s sermon, or just thoughts for the day. Other staff or congregation leaders also do many of the same things. For example, a parish nurse could offer a blog with health tips relative to the time of year. When an individual or group leaves the congregation on a mission trip or other trip, military deployment, or illness, blogs have allowed those people to keep in touch with the congregation (and other friends and family) while absent. Blogging has also been a useful form of communication for overseas missionaries.

Podcasting
Podcasting – which gets its name from iPod but does not require one – is another step into the unknown for many. It can also be an effective ministry for congregations. Podcasting distributes multimedia – audio or video – files on the Internet using “feeds.” A feed is a means of distributing frequently updated content. When a new file (audio, video, or blog) is put online, the feed automatically sends it to an email account, another website, a phone, a PDA, an iPod, and so on. If you have an account with a service like MSN or Yahoo where personalized information (news, stocks, weather, etc.) shows up, that is a feed.

Many congregations throughout the world podcast their sermons. Others upload the files to their website, which is similar, but does not provide notification when new content is loaded. Some congregations struggle with the implications of this new technology. It is a great way to minister to those who can’t make it to church for any reason – distance, illness, difficulty getting around, other obligations at that time, or vacation. It can, however, be abused by people thinking they don’t ever need to attend church, a particular issue when confirmation students are expected to attend the service.

In our synod, the two-point congregation of United, Walters and Mansfield, Alden, was one of the first ELCA podcasts available. This was an especially notable feat coming from two small, rural congregations. Clinton Meyer, who coordinates the podcast, raves about the ministry. He began the ministry because of his mother, who is hard of hearing. Previously, the congregations had printed sermons available, but then they got a pastor who did not write out his sermons. The weekly sermons have now been online for over a year. They average over 11,000 downloads in a year. Meyer has received many compliments on the work he has done with podcasting including members who listened while on vacation, people from coast-to-coast in the United States, and listeners in other countries including Japan and England.

Of the potential problems, Meyer says that it’s parents’ responsibility to deal with how confirmation students will use this new technology and other individuals are responsible for their own worship experience. He adds that a specific benefit to their congregation has been that people who were at worship will listen to it again before or after the weekly Bible study as a refresher. (go to manitedpc.blogspot.com to get the podcast)

MySpace and Instant Messaging
These two technologies aren’t necessarily related, but they do have some similar implications. Each is a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in youth culture today, for good and for bad.

MySpace is a social networking site that lets users share personal information – addresses and phone numbers to blogs and photos – with their friends and then connect to other people through mutual interests and friends. In July 2006, MySpace surged ahead to have the largest amount of internet traffic, though not necessarily unique visitors (Reuters, 2006, July 11. Retrieved on 2006, September 8.).

Though MySpace is designed for individuals to network, organizations are realizing the potential it has and are tapping into the service. Rick Klau of FeedBurner, Inc., at the 2006 ELCA Communicators’ Conference in Chicago, was so bold to say, “If you’re not on MySpace, you’re not online.” Though perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, he made the point that if you aren’t where people are looking, they won’t find you. Young people in particular are on MySpace and they may be looking for something that a congregation can provide.

Instant messaging (IM) is a little more self-explanatory than some of the other new technologies. IM sends typed messages instantaneous, similar to email but shorter and faster. It is primarily done while the parties are all online at the same time, so it is more conversational. IM, like MySpace, is dominated by younger crowds. Where it has most frequently found its way into church life is youth directors communicating with the youth members. As one of the most easily understood technologies of all, it has endless possibilities within the church. For example, it is generally understood that people feel less self-conscious talking online than they do in person or on the phone. Might pastors be able to engage in more conversations if members were able to get started in a venue where they felt a little more free?

The biggest similarity that both MySpace and IM have is that they have been hot topics among people concerned about the safety of kids sharing personal information online. Some organizations may hesitate to jump on the bandwagon for either of these technologies because parents are working hard to get their kids off of them. One option to combat this safety issue is to have a presence on these forums, giving the kids a positive place to go on the internet, and then also using some of the many good resources available to teach kids. (The July/August issue of Seeds for the Parish, page 6, has some excellent resources. The issue is available online at www.elca.org/seeds.) 

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The internet has brought a plethora of great resources into the homes and offices of many. It has also given way to all of these new technologies with infinite possibilities for aiding in our ministry. There are also problems with technology – both in understanding it as well as issues like safety. If you would like to learn more about how your congregation can use a new technology, go to www.semnsynod.org/communicators.html or contact Katie Butler at the synod office (butler@semnsynod.org, 507-280-9457, or 800-426-6376 (MN only)) and she would be happy to help.