technology Archives - Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Inc.

The Speed of Change

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Feb 15, 2023

As we know, change is inevitable. Technological change, while giving us access to an abundance of information and tools that a decade ago we wouldn’t have thought possible, is happening faster than ever. While this rapid rate of change can be exciting, in our churches and congregational settings it can feel overwhelming to navigate a constantly shifting landscape.

The younger members of our congregations have embraced technology since early childhood. They grew up with iPads and phones. They read books on Kindles. They use laptops at school. They’re accustomed to navigating more change in a few months than many of us have encountered in our lifetimes! Is it any wonder that they can’t understand how we, as the church, are still debating whether it’s ok to sing songs out of “new” hymnals or to give gay and transgender people positions of leadership?

Quantum physics has shown us that observing changes the things being observed. Yet, we say that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. We tend to interpret this verse as something about the objective, unchanging nature of Jesus and, by extension, the church and morality. But our views of Jesus, the church, and morality will vary greatly depending on our circumstances, and our acceptance of change.

While that would seem to drive us farther apart, quantum physics is where science and spirituality converge. It has affirmed what we have known spiritually: Not only are all particles in the universe interconnected, but so are all humans—indeed, all of creation. More than that, since consciousness is the stuff of the universe, we are all deeply linked to the Source of All Life, our Creator, and the whole creation. And technology can facilitate and increase that spiritual connectedness!

Here’s the trouble. Church culture still functions as if we are living in Newtonian, maybe even biblical times. “If the King James Bible was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for me!” But the world has moved on. Most young people consider themselves to be “spiritual.” But they have little to no experience with “organized religion” nor, often, do they want that experience.

The speed of change has taken on new relevance since the COVID-19 global pandemic. Suddenly, if churches were to continue to serve people, they found they had to quickly move online, including worship, giving, Bible study, pastoral care, and fellowship. With this quick shift, more people could participate in the church’s life. Even as social distancing kept people physically apart, the rapid spread of the virus and the intimacy of connecting almost anywhere online through video have emphasized our interrelatedness. I write about how to build on the changes the pandemic wrought in Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World.

Back to in person worship means it’s even more important for the church to wake up, smell the coffee, and embrace change! As we look forward with hope and courage into the future, let us remember that we have a unique opportunity to create an even better world than what has come before. We can do this by acknowledging our interconnectedness with one another and with God, by learning to trust the wisdom of our young people, and by creating spiritual communities that are open to change.

Even if that change sometimes moves us outside of the constraints of “organized religion.” Especially when working within our communities.

All of this requires a willingness to let go. We must be willing to let go of our need for control and certainty and, instead, explore the unknown. We must open ourselves to the transformative power of love and grace.

It is time for us to step boldly into the future, trusting that God will be with us – especially if we are willing to embrace a new paradigm of the interconnectedness of all things and let go and adapt to the new normal. This is how we will create a new Christianity that is alive, vibrant, inspiring, and relevant for all ages.

If you want to learn more, check out my latest book Forging a New Path:Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World. In it, you will learn practical steps to move the church forward into a new era of unity, understanding, and love.

How Do We Do More with Less? A Post-Pandemic Answer

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 8, 2022

Over the past month, I’ve written a series of blogs addressing the three post-pandemic questions every church leader wants answered. The first two questions I explored were “When do things go back to normal?” and “How do we get people (back) to church?” This week I am diving into the third persistent question: “How do we do more with less?” By answering this question, you will be encouraged to see things in a new light and take your next steps. Although the pandemic took much from us, it also has given us potent opportunities to forge a new path and embrace the next normal.

The Problem

The question of how to do more with less worried churches even before the pandemic. Your church may have already been struggling or fighting against declining numbers. As you know, the shutdowns exacerbated this trend. Whether it be less money, less togetherness, or less resources, nearly every church leader I spoke with revealed that they were having to make do with less and the answer was nowhere in sight.

Avoid the Pitfall of Hopelessness

If you can relate to being stretched thin in ministry, you might be tempted to feel hopeless. However, take heart. While much was lost in the pandemic, much was also gained. Amidst all the losses, congregations were actually gaining in their ability to adapt to unexpected situations, incorporate new technology, and find creative ways of connecting and being together. In some ways, we grasped Christian hope more tightly than before.

For the last two years, the Creating a Culture of Renewal^®community of church leaders has generously shared with me how they were both struggling and thriving in the midst of the pandemic. They struggled because they’d never been through a pandemic, but they also thrived because of the resources and support we offer. Their experiences gave me fresh insight, which I share in my new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World.

While researching the book, I found that we are not the first Christians to wrestle with the question of how to do more with less. Those that went through the bubonic plague evolved technologically to cover the gaps left by the plague.

Tech Helps You Do More with Less

Just as we use Zoom and other online technologies to maximize our effort at connecting, so medieval society developed their own tech advances.

From the refinement of the printing press, to the mass production of books, to the rapid spread of information, to the active collaboration of a wide range of voices in science and the arts – all of this got its start during the bubonic plague.

After the bubonic plague was finally over (it last for three centuries), medieval society did not look back and say, “Thank goodness we can be done with books now and advances in the arts and sciences.” Rather, people who had a book in their hand for the first time looked forward to the future. They felt excitement and wonder as affordable books came into being.

Just as we have integrated technology into the life of the church – for meetings, Bible study, worship, and even communion – now is not the time to abandon those options. Technology has helped us do more with less. Even folks who don’t like to drive at night have an opportunity to be involved. Families with a sick child can attend worship and comfort their child at the same time. Adopting new technology has forever changed our expectations about what’s possible. As this pandemic ends, I doubt we will say, “Thank goodness! Now we don’t have to meet online anymore. We’ll happily drive two hours for a one-hour meeting.”

Like books expanded the reach of knowledge post-plague, online offerings erase distance, connect communities, and give instant access to new people and places post pandemic. Digital technology is the new reformation. The question is, now that you’re there, how will you stay and continue to adapt?

Online Is Here to Stay

Once people have online options, they treasure them. Online worship means your people can participate while traveling, indisposed, sick, or pressed for time. Don’t give any of that up, even though face-to-face worship is once again available. In this way, you can continue to maintain and even expand your reach and mission. Online options also help you extend your shelf life. Unlike starting an additional worship service, which depends on a certain number of people in attendance to be considered viable, online worship lives in a different time frame. It can be experienced hours or months later and still be fresh.

As with any new technology, people and institutions adopt them at different rates. As Rev. Sarah Payne, a Creating a Culture of Renewal^® participant, pointed out: “You can’t master technology because it’s always changing.”

However, staying on the journey of adopting technology is essential. Your congregation is important to your community. Your message is more relevant than ever before. Embracing technology, without breaking the bank or overloading your people, is important. With the whole world moving online, your church needn’t be left behind.

Your Next Steps for Doing More with Less

Consider these words from Upper Room’s master innovator Terrell L McTyer, “The cousin of relevance is audience.” Keep your audience in mind as you choose which technologies to incorporate.

Select ones that will be relevant and accessible for your particular congregation and community.
When it comes to smaller or older congregations, avoid the mistake of doing too much too fast. Smaller and older churches tend to be late adopters. They won’t be the first on the technology bandwagon, but they needn’t be the last. If you do too much too fast, you’ll hit a wall of resistance. Instead, start with what is most needed and go from there.
To draw young people to your congregation, focus on building your social media. Check out Facebook reels, YouTube, and TikTok videos to see what kind of content and format grabs the attention of young people.
Understand the theology of technology. Technology has expanded our sense of incarnation. In much the same way that God stretched from the invisible to the visible through Christ, we are extending beyond the tangible into the intangible through digital connections.

If you’re still questioning how your congregation can do more with less, or how to incorporate technology into your setting, join me for my July workshop, How to Do More with Less, so that you can spend time in community finding the answers that work for you.

Excerpted and adapted from Rebekah’s new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World (2022).

Ministry in a Digital World

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Apr 19, 2022

The pandemic hastened online adoption in nearly every area of our lives. However, as with any new technology, people and institutions adopt technology at different rates. While online tech is the answer for many congregations, not every church will be able to do all the things they’d like to do. So, what if you can’t do it all or you just don’t have the people who can do tech?

In conducting research for my new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World (Market Square, 2022), I came across a thought-provoking concept noted by author Ryan Panzer. In his article, “Digital Ministry: More about Culture than Computers,” he keeps technology in proper perspective by focusing attention on what tech can do for Christianity. “We don’t need to be sophisticated users of technology; sometimes we may not need much technology at all. As church leaders, we simply need to notice these values in action and to determine how they align to God’s work in our Christian community.”

Technology itself is not a utopian solution. It’s more about the culture that digital technology has brought about. Panzer concedes that it’s not so much that churches need to become masters of technology. With technological advancements happening daily, there is much that simply can’t be mastered. Rather than try to stay abreast of every platform, keep up with every breaking trend, and use every app, he suggests that you look instead to the culture that digital technology has created. He calls this “tech-shaped culture.” Its four values include questions, connection, collaboration, and creativity.

Let’s look at them in turn.

Questions: Invitation to New Answers

Long before she had ALS, my mother was the first person I heard say, “Let me Google it,” when looking for an answer to a question. Now “Google” is an accepted verb and a commonplace way of researching information on the internet. Practically everybody uses it.

The ability to ask a question and have Alexa, Siri, or Google answer your question is a turning point in the quest for knowledge. Before these search engines, knowledge was organized by answers, not by questions. If you wanted to know what dinosaurs ate, you had to find a specialized book, or look up the entry “dinosaurs” in an encyclopedia, then browse the entire book or article to pick up the answer to the question. That’s very different from asking, “Siri, what did dinosaurs eat?” Further, encyclopedia entries are contained, assuming this information is all we know, or maybe even this is all there is to know about any particular field of study.

A question-oriented culture is a major shift in context. Asking questions pushes boundaries and opens possibilities. The question-asking culture encourages curiosity, agency, and engagement. It assumes that no question is off-limits, that every question has an answer, that a range of answers is available, and that questions are good and welcome.

In church cultures where every correct answer is “Jesus,” this sort of open-endedness and freedom can be both uncomfortable and exhilarating. It expands the boundaries of what can be created. So how can you encourage the asking of questions? Start by being willing to entertain and engage questions. Ask open-ended questions during worship and Bible study rather than give answers. Allow new points of view to shape new answers—especially points of view that come from a variety of generations and backgrounds. Allow people time to process, ask new questions, and discern the best answers.

Connection: Transcending Boundaries

The second value of the tech-shaped culture is connection. Digital technology connects people in Zoom rooms, on FaceTime, and through Facebook Live. It even connects people across the physical and the virtual, creating hybrid experiences. It transcends boundaries like location and distance in real-time, allowing for connection across many realms.

Collaboration: Participation and Contribution

In addition to online platforms like Zoom that allow people to meet together in real-time, other online tools allow people to collaborate by creating documents. Google Docs is one prime example. The world has come to expect collaboration; Google Docs has made it easier. Working together makes for stronger buy-in. It includes many points of view, and it engenders a sense of community. Leadership in the church is often seen as top-down, or sometimes, bottom-up. But imagine collaborating laterally in the realms of worship, mission, liturgy, and the future of the church. This type of teamwork goes beyond committee planning to a deeper give-and-take between and among people. Collaboration is consistent with our trinitarian theology. Just as the three persons of the trinity flow into one another and become inseparable, so collaboration produces something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Creativity: An Expression of the Divine Within

In the online world, each person is a content creator. From the simplest post to sharing photographs to recording a video, social media platforms have encouraged an explosion of creativity. This profusion of self-expression can easily be encouraged and included in the church as well. Imagine people sharing their prayers, artwork, and unique spiritual experiences with one another. Historically, church has been a venue for creativity from spoken word, to fabric arts, liturgical dance, and music ranging from classical to traditional to innovative. Creativity is the ultimate expression of the divine Creator. As we share our own creativity, we have the opportunity to expand the presence of God in the world.

Changing Your Focus

Making this shift to a tech-shaped culture doesn’t require any special equipment. All it requires is a change in focus. When you think about it, church sanctuaries are arranged like classrooms of old where a teacher stood in front of the class to dispense knowledge. But even classrooms have changed. Instead of a teacher standing in front of rows of desks, children are often gathered in huddles of desks so that students can learn together in groups. Students not only learn from the teacher, but they also learn from each other and from other sources such as books, online resources, and outside experts. One way this recent model of learning can be applied to the church is to envision church in the round.

Open Space is one such example. This format, developed by Rev. Mary Beth Taylor, forms Jesus-based community by fostering open-ended questions and discussion about matters of faith during in-person and online church meetings. Mary Beth has found particular success with bringing young people in by offering permission to ask questions in a safe and welcoming space. When churches discourage questions, they self-sabotage by pushing younger generations away, making them feel as though they should just “be quiet and believe everything they’re told.” Only, that’s not the way it works anymore. Not in a tech-shaped culture. In a tech-shaped culture, questions, connections, creativity, and collaboration mean anyone and everyone can participate.

If you are still struggling to get your people on board with technology, I invite you to join me for my upcoming webinar, How to Do More with Less: Leading the Post-Pandemic Church. We’ll explore not only how to do more with fewer resources, but also with less experience.

Adapted and excerpted from Rebekah’s upcoming book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World, 2022.

Do Small Churches Need to Embrace Technology?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Oct 26, 2021

Do small churches need to embrace technology? If so, how much? With the whole world moving online, small churches shouldn’t be left behind. But many small churches are rural congregations with aging members. How do you help them make the leap?

In this article I am going to share the top three ways your small church can embrace technology. Your congregation is important to your community, and your message is more relevant than ever before. Embracing technology, without breaking the bank, or overloading your people, is important.

Small Church Technology: Avoid Too Much Too Fast

As you embrace technology, or add more tech, avoid making this one mistake: doing too much too fast. Small churches tend to be late adopters. They won’t be the first on the technology bandwagon. But they needn’t be the last. Avoid doing too much too fast or you’ll hit a wall of resistance. Instead, start with what is most needed and go from there.

I suggest you start with these three steps for small churches to embrace technology.

Step One: Get Up to Date

The first step in embracing technology is to make sure your basic tech is working and functional. For instance, does your small church have a working phone with an up-to-date phone message? Does the congregation own and use a computer? Is email set up?

I arrived at a small rural congregation in August of 1999 to find that the church was off the grid. The photocopier was on the fritz, the voicemail was disabled, the computer was iffy, and they had no email account.

Within the first month of my tenure, I ensured the basic technology was up and working. By the time December 31, 1999 came around, we were online enough to be worried by the Y2K scare. Several years later, the congregation was gifted a screen and overhead projection system. I was concerned that the older generation wouldn’t like it. But they surprised me: they loved how large the words were; the enhanced visibility made singing louder and easier.

When it comes to technology, start with the basics before you expand. And I mean basics: a telephone, a photocopier, a computer, and an email account are basic. For many congregations the basics also include an overhead projection system. Of course, if you don’t have indoor plumbing or electricity, you might want to start there!

Step Two: Get Connected to the Outside World

The second step in embracing technology is to get connected to the outside world. After you’ve got the basics, expand to include a Facebook page, or a website. If you don’t have your own website, make sure your congregation is noted on regional or denominational websites with correct worship times and days, address, and pastor or congregational leader.

By the time I left the rural congregation I served, some seven years later, the congregation also had a working website. Although Facebook didn’t exist at the time, when it came into being, I’m hopeful someone saw to it that a Facebook page was established.

pastor embraces technology

Step Three: Hybrid Worship

Make the move to bring your worship online. You can do it with Facebook Live. That’s as simple as using a smartphone to capture what happens in worship. When you do this, be sure to address the people who are watching, worshiping, and participating with you online. Even if they watch later, they are still part of your congregation. Be sure to greet them. Include them in the message, the prayers, and the offering. Likely you’ll find your worship growing as you expand the ways people can participate.

Small Church Technology Do’s and Don’ts

Do make progress. You can go farther than you think you can. By incorporating technology and the accepting the learning curve that comes with it, you may be surprised how quickly you learn how to use the tools that are most helpful and necessary for your congregation.

Don’t assume that older people don’t want to embrace technology. Many of them are meeting with kids and grandkids on weekly Zoom meetings, FaceTime visits, and the like. Also, don’t assume that every young person is constantly on their smartphone, or even has a smartphone.

Do use the technology you invest in for multiple purposes. A webcam is a great tool that can be used to record, livestream, or take worship to Zoom. This will allow greater participation for members that aren’t comfortable returning to church or can’t attend in person every week.

Don’t make tech decisions based solely on cost. Money that goes toward getting or upgrading outdated technology is money well spent. The benefits of buying quality equipment that will allow you to reach a larger community is unmatched.

Think of embracing technology as a journey, not an event. Technology isn’t going away. You can’t master it. None of us can. But you also don’t have to resist the flow of it.

When it comes to technology, the point isn’t to be trendy. Rather it’s to be connected in all the ways that are possible. Just as the Bible reminds us that even feet can be beautiful as they carry the good news, so too can new technologies. They enable us to carry good news in fresh ways.

Not sure how to handle the technology reformation or other ways of moving people forward? Reach out here to stay connected. You don’t have to do it alone.