In a world where you can now rent a movie online to watch on your high-def television, where you don’t return movies, you delete, and where you don’t go to bookstore to buy a cd, but enter a login name, will the church be distracted with this digital movement?
Now, I’m am not opposed to technology in the church. In fact, I’m loving how churches, especially Westside Family Church, is using innovation to spread the Gospel and grow believers.
Church is meant to be relational, however, this digital society is removing that aspect from our interaction. This world run by email is quickly losing the need to meet face-to-face and is becoming less dependent on being present to be effective.
So how does the church adapt to this digital culture, beyond having the video on the screen behind the stage and the cool website that allows people to sign-up for events without talking to anyone and downloading the most recent message?
God has created the church for community and that community is experienced best through relationships that are built off “one-on-one” interaction.
So the next time that you want to check in on someone, close Outlook (unless you need to get the phone number) and pick up the phone and give that person a ring.
The church needs to use technology to advance the message, not distract us from the people who need the message.