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Q&A WITH SETH HINZ BY AMY BIRD Seth Hinz, director of brand, marketing, and creative at Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, Missouri, has dedicated the past fifteen years of his life to communication at Christian organizations (including at a university, nonprofits, a youth ministry program, an LCMS district, and a church and school). In the middle of Seth's college career, Facebook launched. The scope of communication, especially church communication, changed forever. And with it, so has Seth and his approach to communication. Remember that this interview looks at technology from the point of view of the pastor and church leaders. Members will see technology from a different perspective. Parents must help their children learn how to discern the good and bad in digital technology and value the benefits of face-to-face worship, Bible class, and meetings that digital technology never can. Can you briefly share what the role of technology is in the church in general? My perspective on technology and the church is primar- ily shaped by my use of it. Its role in the church is to enable and enhance communication and connection. Churches can now participate in the weekly rhythm of life, no longer being relegated to weekend worship only. The printing press led to personal printers. Sema- phores led to telegraphs. Megaphones led to micro- phones. Technology builds on itself. Technological advancement should be observed and studied—yes— but never feared. What are common obstacles congregations encoun- ter when considering how to use technology to aid in ministry? Technological change is moving so fast that we can barely see it. When considering how technology can aid ministry, an obstacle many churches face is waiting until the timing is perfect. The timing will never be per- fect. The rollout will be full of headaches and failure. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't start. Rather, it means today is the perfect day to start! For example, many churches don't start a social media account because they don't know what to post. They wonder if they can keep up with its demands. The great thing about social media is that you don't have to get it right. A ministry win is "presence"—meaning we are with others. Online life is intertwined now with offline life. By being present on social media, we become aware of others. We see them. We can share in their victories, their challenges, their lives. Is it without conflict? Nope. But the line between offline and online is getting blurrier and blurrier. We need to get over the fear of failure. The learning curve for technology is another obsta- cle. In my mind, however, that's born out of the first obstacle: us sitting on the sidelines. The sooner we accept that our communities are increasingly online, the sooner we can take the first step toward connection and begin learning. How have you seen technology help congregations share the Good News of Jesus Christ over the last two years? I administrate a Facebook group called Lutheran Com- municators. Our community doubled nearly overnight. We're now approaching three thousand members. I loved what I saw. Church leaders around the world were asking questions and sharing best practices. Churches from all corners embraced each other for the sake of the Gospel. Out of necessity, church after church popped up online, livestreaming for the mem- bers and whoever else might join in. 18 Lutheran Life

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