Is Jesus the next killer app?

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But for the tech and electronics industries, which haven't shied away from using sex to sell products, marketing takes a different tone with churches.

"Let's face it, we've all experienced the occasional sleeper on Sunday morning," says an Internet advertisement from Audio Visual Mart, an online media tools store. "But it doesn't have to be that way. Technology can inspire your congregation in new ways."

Peavey Electronics, a Meridian, Miss.-based maker of musical instruments and sound equipment, has created a new line of products called the Sanctuary Series.

"This has allowed even small churches to go high tech."

--Patrick Teagarden, sound-and-video technician

To get started wiring a church, all a pastor or minister need do is call one of the growing number of technicians who specialize in worship technology. Teagarden told a group of other church techies that he can rig a sanctuary with three lower-end cameras, a video switcher (a device that receives a video feed from multiple cameras and selects which images an audience sees) and a Focus Firestore FS-4 DV disk recorder, which lets a videographer record directly to disk.

Teagarden's price is between $25,000 and $30,000, he said.

This kind of set up would let a church record, edit and distribute a sermon via DVDs, the Internet or TV within a couple of hours, Teagarden said.

"Churches have wanted to get their hands on this technology for years," said Teagarden, managing director of Sharing His Light Productions. "In the past it was too expensive, but in the past few years, prices have dropped. This has allowed even small churches to go high tech."

So how does a church benefit from this kind of gear?

Sometimes special lighting and sound can turn a larger venue into an intimate setting, said technicians. Mostly, it helps a preacher communicate with his congregation.

Scott Anthony, the technology director at Cross Timbers Community Church in Argyle, Texas, said his pastor, Toby Slough, will illustrate a sermon about the biblical character Joseph being in prison by videotaping himself at the local jail. Those churches with video display screens often use clips from movies to make their point, said Anthony.

"We live in a media-driven world," he said.

With most churches in the country averaging less than a thousand members, Cross Timbers congregation numbers more than 4,000 only four years after its founding.

Says Anthony: "This is how people, especially young people, are accustomed to hearing a message."

[CentrOS]

Problem is, on 30' screens, PowerPoint still sucks

It's time for Churches to wake up to Keynote 3.0.

http://homepage.mac.com/lesposen/blogwavestudio/
LH20040807225237/LHA20060422204527/index.html

[jwmoreland]

Agree

I agree. Fortunately our small church got a mac system with
Keynote. It blows PowerPoint out of the water. The apple remote
works wonderfully too.

[BobbyHMan]

...and that's why there's MediaShout

(www.mediashout.com) absolutely amazing.

[Writeclik]

Been Using Keynote for 2 years now

Keynote is beautiful presentation software. I have discovered many
tricks for using it for worship. I plan on having a new section about
Keynote on my worship image site at http://writeclik.com

Greg

[miketkrw]

Church's as Businesses

What more needs to be said about what is wrong with evangelical Christianity today?

[andyengle]

I don't think that's what the article said...

I'm not sure the article claimed that churches were operating as a business. The point of the article was that churches are finally using new technologies, such as projection systems, sound systems, etc.

[swesleyd]

amen. orphans? No. Video? YES!

How many aids orphans in africa could that $4,000,000 AV budget take care of? ...how many immunization shots for disease in the world's poor? ...how many bibles for kids that have never held one in their hands? Jesus IS the "killer app" but he said true religion is taking care of widows and orphans. Maybe we can stop paying for someone else to live our chistian lives and put that money where it will be more life changing.

[casper2004]

Some businesses are catering to churches

They won't even hire you unless you're God fearing.

[Witless in Santa Cruz]

Salvation Is Like A Vegas Floor Show

What religion does with attention enhancing technology is to brainwash attendees to pony up all the more. Conveniently "God" is beyond reproach for the spokepersons who proclaim they will save you from finality in death and ambiguity in life. The danger is when religious hot-air cranks are taken seriously, all too often the case, usually to endorse the prevaling plutocracy.

[My-Self]

Message has been deleted.

[Amazingant]

I disagree

in my small group, we all agree that our way may not be the right way, and that our way is not the only way to be a good person. we believe what we believe and everyone else believes what they believe, and we respect that. any good person would. you don't have to be of any specific religion to know that respecting someone's beleifs is something that a good person does. I don't think humanity is bad, and i enjoy my part in it. there are some ways that things go wrong, but at the same time, church groups, including mine, all have problems as well. and what the greatest virtue is, is a personal idea. no one group is right to claim that they are right and you are wrong, because in the same way, they may very well be the wrong ones.

[goyster]

Pointless

Thank you for that completely thoughtless and irrelevant diatribe. Next time I want to hear athiest dogma, I'll Google Nietzche.

Perhaps you could, you know, stay on topic?

[jjones730]

Troll

Stick to the topic please. The subject is technology, not your intolerent attitude towards people with different philosophies than yours.

[casper2004]

If they've eaten an onion, it's even worse

I don't rent or buy books anymore. I'm sick of the what you read police breathing down my neck just to see what I'm taking.

[Pop4]

Changing the key has added loads of fun to the Sunday's service.

I can only speek infront of the cameras on this point; though, I do become very animated at church. We never feel presured to give even a dime. I feel alone, invalid, or predeposited into other junk bond offerings. Rather, the returns here just don't come through the bottom line.

[alek_nedic]

the returns here just don't come through

http://www.analogstereo.com/nissan_murano_owners_manual.htm

[Hobyx]

closer we lumber towards THX 1138 style worship

Anyone see that movie? Not the most riveting tale, but remember
how religion and the rest of it worked? After the theme park /
theater show style.. that style is the next and last step.

Enjoy, everyone, as you dig yourselves into that hole.

[Writeclik]

Let's hope the artists voices are heard

Right now much of worship media is driven by techies rather than
artists. Unfortunately this has led to a "if it looks cool, project it"
mentality.

Thoughtful worship media can be a great addition to worship.
Pointless images and video are merely distractions.

[Writeclik]

Let's hope the artists voices are heard

Right now much of worship media is driven by techies rather than
artists. Unfortunately this has led to a "if it looks cool, project it"
mentality.

Thoughtful worship media can be a great addition to worship.
Pointless images and video are merely distractions.

[ethernet76]

I imagine

I imagine something along the lines of a Christian training video.

Sort like the ones where you start some crappy job at 5.25 an hour.

Except it won't be about drive-thru service. Probably something
cheesy like not saying bad words.

[JFDMit]

Christianity has been doing this for centuries.

Adopting new technologies is just the latest development in a faith that has long understood the importance of theater and spectacle.

The grand cathedrals of Europe are prime examples of 'shock and awe' marketing to the hovel-dwelling masses of the middle ages. The lavish regalia of Catholic churches and clergy were the Armani and Versaci of their day.

The Protestant Reformation stripped away these theatrical trappings in an effort to return to a more spiritually pure form of worship. After all, how can a religion founded on the sanctity of poverty and humility justify dressing its ministers in robes worthy of royalty?

Well, after 500 years, the game has come full circle. The evangelical Christian churches of today are just as lavishly-funded and image-obsessed as the Medici Popes. Its hardly surprising, therefore, that modern churches are now turning to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood to get their 'message' across.

Unfortunatly, in the headlong rush to turn religion into entertainment, Marshall McLuhan's dictum 'the medium is the message' has been forgotten. The faithful will not learn about peace, love and understanding. They will instead learn about high production values and 'awesome' graphics.

The most popular and successful churches will be the ones with the best Dolby THX audio setup.

[bblumenstein]

Christian internet customization tool

I just saw this article and was excited to read about how technology is being used in churches. I have developed an internet tool that fits into this space, called "faithbrowser" (http://www.faithbrowser.com). Faithbrowser enables users to change the appearance of their browser to reflect their faith. For example, a rotating Bible verse will be displayed at the top of the internet page.

My team stumbled upon this idea because we believe that Christians will appreciate being able to have a constant reminder of their faith when they're searching the internet.

If you like this tool, we'd really appreciate it if you would tell your friends about it - and if you have any feedback, please feel free to send it along.

Many thanks,
Brooke