Making connections
The pulpit becomes electronic as clergyfind ways to use e-mail and cell phones.
Kim Betancur pays attention at services at New Harvest Church in Clovis, but she missed a recent announcement about a new women's Bible study. She also missed reading the listing about the Bible study in the church bulletin.
Betancur wasn't alone.
"It was Christmas, a busy time to make announcements," says Stacy Wood Schindler, who is in charge of communications at New Harvest Church as director of equipping ministries.
So church officials used special computer software to send out e-mail about the Bible study.
Betancur, for one, checks her e-mail every day. Her face lit up as she read the e-mail. She not only signed up to take the Bible study, she also forwarded the e-mail to five friends — and they signed up.
Connection made.
Many places of worship are using technology such as e-mail, text messaging to cell phones and podcasting to communicate with worshippers in electronic ways that they're accustomed to receiving information.
"Everybody has cell phones at their side," says Brian Baker, creative director/Web master at The Well Community Church in northwest Fresno.
The Rev. Willie Nolte, pastor of Fresno First Baptist Church, says it's important that churches communicate with worshippers using the latest technology.
"If you're going to be relevant at all, it's just going to be a given that you communicate these ways," Nolte says. "It's a cultural reality."
The Well Community Church, where the average age of congregants is 25, is on the brink of communicating with worshippers at a new level, Baker says.
By summer, Baker expects The Well will be able to provide video of church services that worshippers can download and view on their cell phones.
"Let's say that you missed church, you've got your cell phone at your side and you're waiting for the bus or a class to start," says Baker, who also is a graduate student in computer science at California State University, Fresno. "You can pop open your cell phone and watch the service."
The Well, which averages more than 1,200 congregants at three Sunday services, also is on the verge of being able to send out mass text messages to worshippers via their cell phones, Baker says.
"It could be: 'Tonight, service is at 5 p.m. because of baptisms,' " Baker says.
Officials at places of worship say technology allows them to communicate at higher levels with worshippers, and that the communication isn't intended to remove them from attending services.
"It's our goal to get the word out," Baker says. "I think people will always want to see church live."
Places of worship use technology at various levels depending upon their technical systems.
New Harvest Church recently launched a redesigned Web site, www.nhclife.org, which enables ministry leaders to better communicate with members and others.
"We needed to add some things and change others," Schindler says, adding that the church enlisted the help of Decision Counsel, a Bay area-based leader in church technology.
A new addition is a weekly Web log posted by the church's pastor, the Rev. Mitch Ribera, who recently wrote about how a little downtime after Christmas refreshed his soul.
"Spend more time developing the strengths God has given you, rather than trying to improve your weaknesses," Ribera writes.
A big part of New Harvest's capabilities is communicating with worshippers via e-mail.
The church uses a third-party source, Constant Contact, which provides the templates needed to send broadcast e-mail to identified groups. Worshippers merely have to sign up to receive the e-mail.
E-mail hits home with worshippers such as Betancur.
"It's so easy; it's right there," she says.
After reading the e-mail about the new women's Bible study at New Harvest Church, Betancur went online to call up the information. She had merely to click on "wanna go?" Then she clicked on a link, which sent an e-mail to ministerial leaders about her interest.
Technology also can present opportunities that help make faith an everyday thing with worshippers.
For example, Betancur also receives a daily devotional via e-mail. Typically, a devotional is a Bible verse or passage, with a commentary written by a clergy member or theologian providing insight into the verse or passage. It takes Betancur just a few minutes to read.
"My goal is to get up every morning and read my Bible, but a lot of times I don't," Betancur says of busy days. "I go to work — and there it is on my computer. When I go home, I spend more time reading about it."
At Fresno First Baptist Church in central Fresno, Valerie Rae Hanneman is in charge of what is called, "e-ministries," on the church's Web site, www.fresnofirst.org.
Among her duties, Hanneman writes a weekly "e- devotional" that is e-mailed to 130 people.
Hanneman's most recent e-devotional, "I'm Calling Willie Names," focuses on the many names in which she perceives her pastor, Willie Nolte. Hanneman calls him Willie, Bill, Pastor, Mentor, Teacher, Friend.
"God also has so many names in the Bible. He's Abba, Father, Comforter," Hanneman writes.
E-devotionals may be a simple way for churches to communicate with worshippers and help them to study their faith, but it also can be far-reaching. Among those who receive Hanneman's e-devotionals are people in Thailand, India and France.
"It's a worldwide connection," Nolte says. "It multiplies our relationship network with people all over the world. They will never attend church here, but they're part of our ministries."
At The Well Community Church, Baker's responsibilities include upgrading podcasts on the church's Web site, www.thewellcommunity.org.
A podcast is an online recording, such as the Rev. Brad Bell's sermons at The Well, that can be listened to by clicking on the link bearing the sermon title. The Well's collection of audio files is available on Well Radio, which uses a blog-style format.
Baker says he looks forward to worshippers and others being able to download the podcasts to mobile devices such as their cell phones or iPods — likely this summer. A key component is the fiber-optic connection.
Baker and other Well representatives recently attended the Macworld com- puter show in San Francisco, where they learned the next big thing in technology is video — churches included.
Baker says, "We're getting to the point we can do some really cool stuff."
The reporter can be reached at rorozco@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6304.