Houses of worship have always been early adopters of audio and video technology. Most principles used by today's acoustic engineers were perfected by the architects of Gothic cathedrals. A thousand years before the advent of digital signage, stained glass was already delivering the message in living color. And the modern notion of synchronized time keeping was born from the use of the church bell to coordinate prayer.
The challenge today is the same one it's always been: holding the attention of the congregation in a world full of distractions. Happily, technology is just as eager to help you get your message out as it is to get out the messages of the distracters. An added advantage of modern technology is that it lets you remain current while also letting you distinguish yourself.
ComputerTree has helped many religious organizations select and deploy technologies tailored to their unique needs. Listen to this testimonial from Center Grove Baptist Church as recorded by The Truth Radio Network. In addition to providing equipment and installation/IT services, ComputerTree also provides personalized training with a strong focus on video editing.
New technologies such as digital signage and stage displays can help get the word out within the walls of the main church. Big screen live teleconferencing with surround sound can let satellite church congregations participate in live events happening at the main church. Streaming web video can bring the sanctuary experience to home-bound and hospital-bound members of the congregation. Recorded events can be distributed for later viewing via DVDs and podcasts. And private versions of social media systems support the inward flow of information, providing online community halls where members of all ages can congregate, contribute and interact.
If it seems that sanctuaries are beginning to resemble rock concert auditoriums, that's not entirely unintentional. Nor is it a new subject of controversy. Fourteen hundred years ago, parishioners accustomed to a capella music were not at first favorably impressed by the introduction of organ music into the service. It was deemed too loud, too undignified, and at odds with an atmosphere of humility. It also had a questionable ancestry: the organ is, after all, the mechanized descendent of Pan pipes. And yet today, it is impossible to imagine a wedding procession without hearing, even if just in the back of your mind, organ music.
WORSHIP
