Worship Technologies: How to Appeal to an MTV Generation
By Brian Hagan
Brian is a Technology Consultant based in Birmingham, Alabama. His last project was "Kid Stuf" for Fellowship Bible Church of Dallas, Texas. He is a member of Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church (USA) in Birmingham.

Let's face it, Church is normally missing on the top 10 list of most young children and definitely absent for most teenagers. And even adults are beginning to stray from time to time. How and why is this? While there are many answers, which I do not have, I do know that many Churches are "getting with the times". They are developing various implementations of technology into their worship services, especially for children and teens.

An emerging form of technology in the Church is video. It can come from any source, whether DVD, VHS, computer, camera, or other playback format. Uses include announcements, sermon examples, song lyrics, visual wallpaper, and many more. Granted that video has been in our homes ever since TV was introduced, it is just now being seen as a useful supplement to today's Worship Services. Video can be a very simple addition that can expand the enjoyment of worship services by adding a small amount of modernization to an otherwise "timeless" tradition.

The most prominent form of worship technology is music (and I don't mean pipe organs!) Music has so many aspects that it would take an entire series of articles to discuss, but we will just cover the highlights.

While I know that "praise music" is offensive to some adults, it offers a style that is generally more appealing to all youth today. Hymns were meant to praise God, and nowhere in the Bible does it say that they be slow, played by one instrument, or dragged out by every possible verse.

Music has the ability to capture the moment for people and that moment may mean a lifetime memory. Kids today live in a world of Rock, Pop, Country, and Jazz. Take advantage of these styles, use many instruments (keyboards, guitar, drums, etc.) and be amazed at how youth respond.

Finally, one of the easiest and most cost effective solutions to modernizing a worship service is drama based on current life examples of Biblical teachings. As far as the technology side of drama is concerned it can be as simple as microphones and a portable stereo. Or,it can be as complex as a Broadway musical production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" complete with lighting, special soundtrack, costuming and special effects.

Technology has always been waiting in the wings to be utilized by anyone who sees an application for it. It's time the Church as a whole realizes that the rest of the world has moved on. By adding any aspect of technology into worship, the Church takes one step forward into a new generation of exciting worship evolution.

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