Let me begin with thank you. Thank you to the pastors. Thank you to the elders. Thank you to the consultants. Thank you to everyone who made the pre-presbytery and presbytery workshops a helpful resource for congregations. If you missed the fun, here is a link you can use to view how your colleagues are engaging hybrid worship: https://tinyurl.com/e5h76nnu (thank you, Gary Kush, for editing and posting these videos!).
As I watched the pastors and tech people from Green Valley, Pinetop, Trinity Tucson, and Immanuel Tucson, as well as our consultants Kellie Walker-Hart and Bruce Reyes-Chow, I had some impressions. In no particular order, here are seven impressions:
-
Don’t over-extend your pastor or volunteers. If you add to your pastor’s job in one place, remove something from another place. Bruce was eloquent on this point.
-
Less is more (and one step at a time). Doing one thing well is better than attempting four things poorly. All of our churches talked in terms of “evolving” or “taking baby steps” as they have moved forward.
-
Keep It Simple, Saints (KISS principle). Run the technology rather than have the technology run you. Pinetop’s video talked about this well when discussing churchonline.com.
-
Technology can (and should) serve the Word. There are some creative examples of ways technology can be used to serve the Word. Kellie Walker-Hart from Trinity Prescott offered a Master Class in how to lead worshipers toward deeper engagement with Word and Spirit in her workshop.
-
Take the long view. As we move back into in-person worship, hybrid tools will need to adjust and adapt to each community’s unique needs. Some churches will return to in-person only, while many will continue their experiments in reaching those who are both physically and virtually present. Experimentation in deepening engagement with the Word and broadening the experience of community is a marathon not a sprint.
-
Teamwork can be energizing. Whether young or old, volunteers deepen the worship experience. Green Valley and Trinity have tech savvy older members, while Immanuel utilizes a tech savvy teen (see below) and a phalanx of folks who participate in planning and implementation. It takes a village.
-
John Tittle is a lucky man (and a good dad). Another way to say this is, “Hire teenagers – they know about this stuff!” (If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, watch the Immanuel video, which is precious.)
Thank you again to all who presented their wisdom and experience!
Grace and peace,
Brad Munroe
