Flipbooks

Technology made that possible. Still, to this day, churches have members who are unable to return to in-person worship. And still, to this day, churches are meeting them where they are, embracing the distance and keeping the community connected. Zoom prayer groups and Bible studies as well as private church Facebook groups are a couple of ways we've seen the community stay together and thrive through shared experience. What tech lessons have you learned over the last two years as you serve at your church and support church communicators across the Synod? One of the biggest things I've learned is that people are filled with grace. Technology fails. Equipment breaks. Livestreams go down. But the people of God are thank- ful for their churches, especially those who make the effort to stay connected. I've learned that technology acceleration certainly means we can reach more people. Our pews might seat one hundred, but YouTube seats are unlimit- ed. That said, healthy relation- ships take intention. So while digital engagement is a near necessity, we should never for- sake or abandon the impact of one-to-one outreach. At a time when technology reigns and I can talk to ten different people in less than ten seconds, the act of writing a letter to one person may have more perceived value. What opportunities do you see for technology to fur- ther support the life of the church in the future? As more people adopt virtual reality technology, new opportunities will arise. I envision I'll be in my retire- ment home one day where I'll be able to sit in a pew at church while wearing a set of VR goggles. As our community increasingly flocks to online worlds and experiences, we have the opportunity to adapt to that change or abstain. I pray that there will be a few faithful early adopters to lead the charge into that space. King of Kings Lutheran Church in Omaha, Ne- braska, for example, recently led "A Very VR Christmas" service in 360. Augmented reality presents opportunities for deeper learning too. I picture unique services in the future where congregants can wear special glasses that add visuals to the sermon. A pastor is explaining the Israelites wandering through the wilderness and taps a button. Suddenly you see families walking behind the pillar of fire. Just imagine how that could enhance someone's understanding of the biblical account, as well as their understanding of how great our God is! Ubiquity is crucial to our next steps. For example, QR codes came about in 1994, and years later communi- cation professionals began using them with greater frequency. But then they died out. Why? Because they weren't easy to access. End users needed a smartphone as well as a special app to scan them. However, smart- phone makers then integrated the QR scanning func- tionality into the standard camera app. They became easy to use, and they've made a comeback. Virtual and augmented reality will eventually integrate more smoothly into our lives. More people will need to purchase hardware to access the content. As hardware adoption increases, the path of technological advancement will eventu- ally merge with the path of digital content creators. What role do you think technology should play in the life of the church? How do we harness what's helpful and steer clear of what's not? Simply put, never before have we had the opportunity to stay connected every day of the week. Coming out of a time where we've been forced to remain at a distance, people long for connection—to see and be seen. Flesh-and-blood ministry is the goal; there's something about the way God has wired us for physical presence and connection that cannot be replaced. Yet technology gives us an opportunity to create path- ways to the community. The next generation values dig- ital communication. When we encounter new technol- ogy, instead of thinking through ways to translate an offline experience to online, we should simply ponder on "What does this make possible?" To be blunt, the care we put into our online presence is translated by those searching for connection as the care we will provide to them. If we aren't there, believe me, someone else will be. It's an awesome opportunity but also a responsibility. The LCMS has much to offer our neighbors. I pray that we can all take one step for- ward toward our community today. w "The care we put into our online presence is translated by those searching for connection as the care we will provide to them." Lutheran Life 19

• Cover