Information Technology (10)
organization
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FILO (First In Last Out)
This organization supports staff and volunteers who work on their congregation’s technical production and content creation. By offering professional tips and perspectives, FILO hopes to provide community, support, and skill development for Christians who are often the first in, last out of their buildings due to the requirements of their work.
To provide this support, the FILO community offers a podcast, blog, coaching services, and more. Since 2018, FILO has also hosted a two-day conference that helps attendees develop their skills in audio, video, lighting, content-creation, and leadership.
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Leading congregations can thrive by meeting their members, attendees and visitors where they’re most comfortable. This can be better accomplished through technology resources. When looking at church technology resources, there are a few key points it may be helpful to bear in mind. Organizations may want to look into investing in good audio-video technology. Often shortened to “AV Tech”, this equipment ensures that everyone in the congregation is able to hear and see what's happening. Even though most places of worship are large rooms which tend to echo well, people located at the back of the room might still have a hard time hearing what’s taking place. Therefore, a good set of speakers can do wonders in helping make sure that those people located in the back are able to remain involved. Many congregations have incorporated videos into their sermons successfully, as well. Of course, even with the addition of a single video screen, those people located in the back and around the room might still have a hard time seeing it - in which case, it can be helpful to split up the video feed and make sure there are multiple screens available. That way, the entire congregation will be able to more easily follow the session. Finally, congregations might also note that there could be people located in other rooms during the service, such as a child room. These people deserve to remain involved as well, when it comes to the local sermon. To answer this, leaders can think about how they might use technology to keep these people involved. Ultimately, the goal of all of these technological devices is to allow everyone to participate in the sermon as much as possible - and so, congregation tech leaders may want to think about how many people are going to be paying attention, what their sermons are going to be like, and what the feedback they have received from their congregation. With all this in mind, they can begin making good decisions when it comes to their weekly sermons.Church Media Systems
Congregations can make smart use of media systems to keep people involved. Today, the expectations of congregation members can be higher than before, which may make it a good idea for congregations to be sure they are able to use these media systems effectively to keep people involved. This includes audio, video, and other advanced media systems. In addition to sermons, they can also think about how they can use these systems to hold small group activities and training sessions. When it comes to church media systems, one thing you may want to consider is how many people are going to be involved. For example, if a congregation has a lot of worshippers, you may want to think about where you are going to position door speakers and whether you should incorporate multiple video screens. This can also be helpful if you are trying to feed audio and video signals from the main hall and two smaller rooms during small group sessions. This is where church media jobs can be helpful. When it comes to a church media job description, there are many congregations out there which have young adult and teenage members who might want to gain some experience in terms of information technology work, making this a great opportunity for these groups to engage younger members and keep them involved. Additionally, group leaders can refer to a church media ministry handbook for more information. By taking a look at one of these handbooks, they will be able to learn more about how they can use media to enhance their small group activities and training sessions, and do everything they can to keep the members of their congregation involved. This is just one of the many ways in which media technology can be so helpful.Church Tech Leaders
When it comes to the leadership structure of a congregation, there are many people involved. For instance, there will usually be a senior pastor, multiple other pastors, church staff, board members, small group leaders, and more. One position that is becoming increasingly important is the congregation technology leader. The reason why these tech leaders are so important is that technology and congregational growth go hand-in-hand. In order for these groups to survive, one key thing they can do is ensure that they are able to effectively reach out to the congregational community, as well as the neighboring local community. While word-of-mouth can help in growing a group, technology is much more powerful. Media/tech may play a strong role in reaching out to engage the congregation, as well as members of the community to encourage them to participate. Using church tech ministry and having good church tech leaders to grow a congregation can be very effective. There are lots of people who are members of a local congregation that might not have much knowledge on using technology in this way, so putting people who have experience with technology in leadership positions within the community can also be a likely good move. This way, congregations will be able to rest assured in knowing that they are doing everything they can using platforms such as email, social media, and other electronic announcements to keep people involved. As society evolves, congregations want to evolve with it, to remain relevant to people’s lives. This is where technology plays an important role in helping connect people. For instance, congregations could look into embracing platforms like social media if they would like to remain relevant. To do this, they might first make sure that there is a reliable technology leader within the local congregation available who can advise people on issues related to the various platforms.Technology in Ministry
Focusing on how technology plays a role in ministry might be a worthwhile initiative to research and implement in a congregation. By embracing the latest trends when it comes to technology in ministry, congregations and churches will be able to reach out to their members, visitors and attendees more efficiently. Ministry technology is often used for technical record keeping, like to back up files and donation records. This security is imperative to help take care of this confidential information.Technology in church ministry also plays a role when it comes to email listservs. This is a great way to communicate and stay in touch with other members on the leadership team, as well as members of the congregation. In regards to ministry tech, congregations can also use this advanced technology to communicate with potential vendors. If there is a renovation or a large food order coming up, for instance, it is much easier to approach by using church management software. This is one of the most important applications of ministry technology. For example, this is a great way for a group to do their homework on potential vendors before paying for a certain service. When congregations are able to successfully embrace technology, it greatly improves the quality of their ministry.Worship Technology
Worship technology is another avenue that may be worth looking into. By checking out worship technology resources, it is easier for congregational leaders to get an idea of how they can leverage technology to improve the quality of their worship services. The first step is quality. The congregational technology team might want to make sure they look into advanced internet connections that are strong enough to do the job needed. If they are going to do virtual worship sessions, it may build more confidence if they are sure that they can broadcast these worship sessions without breaking up using a broadband internet connection. Second, congregations might also consider investing in strong videoconferencing technology. With this technology,, members of their congregation will be able to log in and be active participants during sermons. And finally, groups can also think about the sound system. Given that music is an integral part of many worship sessions, taking steps to ensure that the music sounds good using videoconferencing technology can be a great idea. This is yet another area in which having a church technological leader can be helpful.Church Technology Ideas
There are other ways congregations can embrace technology, as well. By taking a closer look at the benefits of technology in groups, through a team discussion of a church technology book or an article from a church sound magazine, for example, it can become easier to create a congregation technology plan that will benefit the whole group moving forward. For instance, congregations will want to create their own website. As one of the top church technology ideas out there, this is a great way for the congregation to show others that it is embracing modern technology and creating a place to engage members, attendees and visitors, as well as the local community. It might also be helpful to use advanced technology to hold children’s classes and virtual youth groups. And while many congregations offer Sunday school, it might be easier to hold these classes virtually. By doing so, groups will be able to keep in touch with their younger members and provide a strong base for future growth. These are just a few of the top ideas to consider when it comes to thinking in terms of churches and technology. For congregations to keep pace with modern society, it may be good for group leaders to think about the idea of embracing technology and using it during their worship services.Get the latest from the CRG
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