Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I’ve discovered a great new blog from the Diocese of Olympia: Putting the “I-T” in Spirit. Written by Kerry Allman, internet strategist at Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, this blog serves as a resource and as a forum for people using web and social media both for personal use and as part of their ministry.

Here’s a post that caught my eye this week: “How wired do you want to be?” Kerry proposes starting a dialogue in our churches exploring the use of technology as part of the liturgical service, perhaps as an alternative to the paper service booklets presently being used in a number of our churches.

This post was picked up by the Seattle media and generated a lot of unexpected press for the Diocese of Olympia.

During a conversation with Kerry about this, he wondered if watching a liturgical service on a smartphone or iPad was really all that different than watching one on television or listening to it on the radio.

What's your thought about using technology and handheld devices to bring our worship and liturgical materials out from the pew racks and into people's hands? Are you offering liturgical material for smartphones, iPads, or Kindles? Have you tried using QR or bar codes in your Sunday bulletin or other printed materials? If so, I’m eager to hear about your experiences. Please share your stories by adding a comment below or emailing me atndavidge@episcopalfoundation.org.