Using Technology to Modernise Worship

[Naomi4Christ]

I struggle to understand the resistance to screens. I don't really understand the objections. It makes worship more text-based? That puzzles me.

We do put liturgy and readings on the screen, but nothing more than is printed on paper. If you want to argue, it is less text-based because you just project the liturgy you need and not the whole of CW/BCP.

But we use our screen for far more than text. We show images - still and video. We can show live web pages. We can have interactivity. the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations.

Outside of pure liturgy and songs, we typically use our screen to show info about church or community events on a rolling slide show for about 20 minutes before and after a service. We use it to illustrate mission activities during the notices. We may use it to guide us through a complicated exposition. We may use it to help us focus during intercessions. We use it for live camera feeds during parts of a service, eg baptisms and dramas.

Outside of a service , we also have use. We may show a film, such as Narnia. One of our loveliest things to do is to show football matches to the community. You otherwise need pay for cable or go to a pub. We can provide an alcohol free alternative, thanks to our big screen.

 

[seeking_perfection]

Naomi, do you have any pictures of your setup that I could take a look at? The reason I started this thread is that I was wondering if and how people manage to blend new and old.

For example, in our parish we are very focused on the eucharist (although the sermons are also very good) so this would remain the centre of focus. However, we also want to consider adding technology (be it screens or whatever). I need some differing ideas and inspiration.

 

[higgs2]

I struggle to understand the resistance to screens. I don't really understand the objections. It makes worship more text-based? That puzzles me.

We do put liturgy and readings on the screen, but nothing more than is printed on paper. If you want to argue, it is less text-based because you just project the liturgy you need and not the whole of CW/BCP.

But we use our screen for far more than text. We show images - still and video. We can show live web pages. We can have interactivity. the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations.

Outside of pure liturgy and songs, we typically use our screen to show info about church or community events on a rolling slide show for about 20 minutes before and after a service. We use it to illustrate mission activities during the notices. We may use it to guide us through a complicated exposition. We may use it to help us focus during intercessions. We use it for live camera feeds during parts of a service, eg baptisms and dramas.

Outside of a service , we also have use. We may show a film, such as Narnia. One of our loveliest things to do is to show football matches to the community. You otherwise need pay for cable or go to a pub. We can provide an alcohol free alternative, thanks to our big screen.

Why would you want to watch football if you can't have a beer?

Seriously though, I think it depends on the parish. My church is small, there is no physical room for a screen. And the parishioners in general would probably object at this point in time, this is a prayerbook and hymnal only kind of congregation. But it would be absurd and judgemental for me to try to impose our style on your church. Churches have different needs, I think we should be glad their are so many options for churches to use. It used to be that no one could read and their only option was to whatch what little they could see of the service, and hear it if they were lucky. Who wants to go back to the middle ages?