Local Church Upgrades Services with Technology
With the advent of modern technology-big screen TV, DVDs, the Internet-many churches are at a loss to benefit from this technology. Not so for the Wayland United Methodist Church. Complete with a tech team to support the new technology, the church uses hi-tech equipment to reach out to its congregation.
Big screen TVs, DVDs, Internet, and a plethora of high tech visuals and audio church worships are becoming more popular in church services than ever, and Wayland United Methodist Church in Wayland, MI is no exception.
The Rev. Nancy Besemer and her husband, Bob Besemer say that the church is open and willing to try non-traditional expressions of ministering to the public. Especially with society’s growing attachment to technologically advanced entertainment, the church needs news ways draw in attendees.
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Bob explained that keeping a large sign in front of the church for announcements, four major events each year, and inviting friends to these events and the use of media technology are the main methods of keeping up attendance.
"Media presentations give people a visual sense. They can look at the bulletin as announcements are playing on the big screen," he said.
The church has a large projector screen and VCR, DVD and CD players. This provides a larger venue for presentations than a small crowd huddled around a TV. Larger groups can watch evangelical tapes together and then discuss the issues raised in the programs.
This fall, Wayland United Methodist Church will show a series of tapes by Gary Smalley called "Hidden Keys to Loving Relationships." Those who attend this free event may watch the program and participate in discussions afterward.
Bob explained that the media is also connected to a computer allowing pictures to be displayed, such as photos from travels the pastor and her husband have taken to the Holy Land. For Sunday service, they place pictures on the screen that relate to the sermon.
"Over Easter, we showed a lot of pictures of Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden tomb. People could see actual pictures of where these things happened," Bob said.
He said that they put the entire service on the screen, including announcements, sermon points, background pictures, even hymns.
Bob said, "Hymns on the screen help people look up to sing, instead of down at a hymnal, and has improved music. All ages can sing from the screen."
This system can also be connected to the cable system to allow for community viewing of major events, like the Super Bowl and NASCAR racing. While these events are usually free and open to the public, Bob explained that the primary use of the technology is for evangelical and educational purposes.
"There is a separation between entertainment and worship. This is not entertainment; this is another form of education," he said.
The church is also looking toward the Internet as the next technological step. They will connect to the Internet and download information and pictures they need for services. Bob said they can thank their own technology team for bringing this to the church. The tech team, Curt Rosenstengel and Mike Salisbury, put together the state of the art technology currently in place. They also have offered to demonstrate the media system to anyone interested in seeing what it can do.
Overall, the church response to this new media has been overwhelmingly positive, Bob said.
"Its amazing the visual education and enlightenment we can do with this new media," he said.
