Churches have been around for centuries and aren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future. The world is rapidly changing, however, and even religious organizations are welcoming the emergence of all this technology that now surrounds us.
Contrary to popular belief, churches are successfully adopting new technology across the country and the globe. Today, 77.3% of churches are using Twitter and fully 98.9% of churches are using Facebook — and that’s not all.
According to Arkansas Online, Life Church, an Oklahoma City-based evangelical church founded by Craig Groeschel in 1996, has utilized technology in order to grow from its initial two-car garage place of worship to a multisite church found throughout 10 states.
Life Church now uses technology to spread its message and reach viewers all over the country, and not just within the confines of the church walls. Groeschel videotaped a sermon on Saturday night and broadcasted it on Sunday morning.
“Everyone was still listening and raising their hand to God Sunday morning,” said Rachel Feuerborn, Life Church spokesperson.
Another parish welcoming the intersection of theology and technology can be found in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to Baptist Press, LifeWay Christian Resources is hosting its first-ever Faith Leads Tech conference in November to bring together Christians who are also passionate about technology and innovation.
“The vision for this conference revolves around inspiring Christians by sharing what God is doing to grow His Kingdom through products and apps that exist in the world today — or that could exist tomorrow,” said Kevin Old, a LifeWay architect and creator of the tech conference.
The tech conference will hold 24 TED-style talks from Christian professionals including data scientists, software engineers, church communication directors, tech entrepreneurs, and pastors. The conference speakers will address topics such as:
- The need for agile leadership in Christian culture.
- How a gospel mindset can impact technology.
- Why pastors and theologians need designers and coders.
- How artificial intelligence can serve as a tool for ministry.
- Ways Christians can properly utilize technology.
