This study explores the impact of digital platforms on all traditional forms of media. The data reveals why it’s important to get game plans ready-now-for the future of Christian media.

Is it time for churches, ministries and Christian organizations to be more aggressive in making technology and innovation a key part of their strategies? Considering the speed at which technology is moving, the answer would appear to be “yes.”

Research headlines

The relentless impact of the Internet: Internet surpasses TV as most essential medium

Printed newspapers will cease to exist: Nearly half of Americans believe

Social media explodes into the mainstream: Broadband Internet access is nearly ubiquitous

The car, the pocket and the home: the next battlegrounds for digital and broadcast

My summary

The onslaught of technology is continuing to affect how media is used by organizations and consumed by audiences. And more change is on the way.

Intel recently announced a breakthrough technology using light beams that will lead to faster Internet and computers. An HD film or 100 hours of music could be delivered to a PC or handheld device in less than a second. The Library of Congress delivered in 90 seconds. Beam me up on that one. The technology could reach the mass market by the middle of the decade.

It’s almost cliche at this point, the transition from old to new is happening. As we’ve previously discussed, it’s important for churches and Christian organizations to catch up technologically.

Five free tools

It seems fairly straightforward – innovate, learn the new tools and strategies, or be left behind.

For those that would like to increase their adoption and use of social media and communication technologies, I’ve listed five sets of free tools to explore. Each of these resources comes from a well-established organization. I’m personally involved with the last two.

An example of how the tools are being used follows each listing.

1. Developing a Local Facebook Strategy. A library of Facebook Training Videos and tools from LifeChurch.tv for anyone who manages a Facebook page, or anyone who will interact and communicate through a Facebook page. Includes info on creating Facebook custom pages.

Example: Soul City Church local page

2. Developing a Local Social Media Strategy. Training videos from Saddleback Church, providing guidance on how to use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to invite friends to an event.

Example: Saddleback Church Social Media tools

3. Developing a Live Broadcast Strategy. Livestream is a live broadcast platform on the internet. Use this tool to create LIVE, scheduled and on-demand internet television to broadcast anywhere on the web. Broadcast live from a mobile phone and use a customizable flash player with integrated chat.The free service is ad supported.

Example: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers Lifestream Channel

4. Developing an Internet Evangelism Strategy. Becoming an Online Missionary is the best way to experience how technology is being used to reach people around the world for Christ. Global Media Outreach makes it possible to share your faith from the comfort of your home or office.

Example: Nick Runyon

5. Developing a Collaboration Strategy. Creating partnerships in local communities or with others around the world can lead to tremendous growth. With Innovate4Jesus, form your own group, or participate in any other group, by location and topic (such as Internet evangelism, web development, church communications, social media, donor development, etc.). Share best ideas and practices.

The program uses the community and communication ability of The City, the web-based community building platform from Zondervan.

Example: Innovate4Jesus Plaza

Keep your feet moving

In football, one of the best ways to keep from losing yards or for getting out of a tackle when you hit somebody is to first initiate contact. Second, keep your feet moving at all times. This is called the ‘hit and drive.’

Using these free tools or others (there are many excellent fee-based products and services to help you) will equip your organization and partners for hitting the barriers to technological change and progress head on. Initiating contact.

Engagement, followed by experimentation, can lead to innovation for – outreach, connections and conversations, discipleship, content development, e-commerce, revenue models, etc.

Innovation creates positive change and moves the organization forward. Keeping your feet moving.

Organizations that cannot keep pace will be left behind, technologically. A game plan that includes learning about the new tools, engagement with appropriate technologies, and God inspired innovation will help make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Hit and drive.

Question: What other free tools or resources can you recommend?

For the purposes of this discussion, “technology” refers to enterprise-level operational solutions and Internet-based outreach and communication technologies.

A lot of folks are talking these days about the role of technology in the church…

In Matt Harrell’s MemberHub post, “Would It Be Dangerous If the Church ‘Caught Up’ Technologically,” commenters offered their reasons as to why the church wasn’t keeping up with the marketplace.

Some suggested that going slow was a good strategy. Others said waiting was caused by a lack of vision. From these comments and other observations, I’ve listed what seem to be the seven most common reasons churches lag behind.

Seven reasons churches “lag behind” technologically

1. Lack of resources and staffing limitations.

2. Aging demographics of congregation and/or leadership.

3. Fear of change or assuming too much risk.

4. Complexity of the tools.

5. To avoid costly mistakes, i.e. adopting systems or tools that may radically change or fail.

6. A desire to resist the temptation of keeping up just to have the latest tools.

7. The priority of other ministry initiatives.

There are many factors that influence the decision-making process on whether any organization will adopt an innovation. Everett Rogers, in his textbook Diffusion of Innovations defined a number of these. Example…an innovation that has more visibility in the marketplace will drive communication among peer groups. Use drives talk. Talk drives use.

These influencing agents are also at work in churches looking at technologies, with some twists unique to a ministry context.

For example, an innovation that supports and creates outreach opportunities will be of greater interest to churches. Complexity becomes less of an issue for a church if a particular technology fits their culture and God-given unique DNA. As leaders consider bringing an advanced technology into the church, looking at how other ministries have integrated it into their core vision will be helpful.

So it seems to me that is perfectly normal for there to be varying rates of adoption among churches. Not unlike the marketplace. Some churches have already worked through a number of these factors. I’d like to turn my attention to them.

These churches have sensed God’s leading to go forward with a new technology. Everyone’s on board. The last remaining issue is “the timing.” I believe a good case can be made for accelerating the process.

Ten reasons churches should “catch up” technologically

1. To bring the gospel “to the ends of the earth.” This is the first generation to have that capability.

2. To make it possible for volunteers to present the gospel and disciple others from the convenience of their home or office.

3. To reach seekers, skeptics and people in crisis or needing support. 2 million people look for God each day – not in church but in an Internet search.

4. To reach more people with the gospel than ever thought possible. By 2013, the total number of devices accessing the Internet will increase to more than 2.7 billion.

5. To improve ROI for outreach, mission work and follow-up. It took just 7¢ a person for LifeChurch.tv to reach 1,008,567 people in July ’09. Global Media Outreach shares the gospel at a rate of 10 cents per contact in most parts of the world.

6. To open the door for participating in local outreach to people from all walks of life and various professions. People who otherwise might have never considered getting involved in outreach and missions.

7. To create ministry jobs for those God is calling to serve: innovators, content developers, IT professionals, audio/video producers, engineers, graphic designers, data managers and analysts.

8. To reach new generations. “The teenagers of today, even the twentysomethings, haven’t known a life without technology.”

9. To help develop opportunities for collaboration with other churches and organizations. Sharing technology knowledge and resources will enable churches to do more outreach, faster, and at less cost.

10. To be ready 24/7/365 for the Holy Spirit to lead people to the church’s front door.

When it comes to technology in the church, there will always be innovators. The first to adopt. Those most willing to take risks. There will always be laggards. Those committed to maintaining traditional approaches. The less inclined to change.

Through prayer, wisdom and unity among the leaders, God will reveal the “if and when” of technology adoption.

The churches that God leads to implement fully developed technology platforms may eventually number 200 or 2000. I don’t know if there’s a right number, though I favor the latter. It’s estimated that 50-100 churches are headed in that direction. A few are there now.

The goal of global leaders is to connect everyone in the world to the Internet. Some say by 2015!

This movement is creating a rapid pace of change. Faster flow of information and communication. Far reaching technological advances. And a sense of “missions urgency,” among some churches.

For them, the time to become aggressive participants in the change…to start the “catch up” process technologically…has probably arrived.

Question: Where do you stand on the use of technology by the Church?

We begin Part 2 of our interview with Chance Mason, President of Streaming Faith and 316 Networks, by asking about the future of Christian broadcasting. (The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.)

Gordon Marcy: Given the shift in technology, what do you think the future is for traditional Christian broadcasting?

Chance Mason: The economic climate and shift in technology to new media has caused radio and television to hunker down; to start focusing on their long-term strategy.

There will always be a need for national television stations. I don’t think that goes away over time. Regional low power stations may begin to get squeezed out. At a minimum, they’ll need a different operational model.

Radio reminds me of dial-up Internet. We think dial-up is dead, but there are still millions of subscribers. Radio still has millions of listeners. It is still a financially profitable model. It will have its place, but it will likely become much less important in the lives of the next generation. It could take up to 30 years for radio to complete its transition to new technology.

In the meantime, the broadcasting industry is going to be challenged. The value of stations is falling and it’s getting tougher to get the advertising dollars they’ve been used to.

Look at how NBC is monetizing Jay Leno’s experience. One minute Jay is in show mode and the next minute he’s pitching the value proposition of a new car. Without moves like this, people are channel surfing away during commercial breaks.

Traditional Christian radio and television networks will have to become more creative…at how they keep their audiences and package opportunities for customers to interact with them.

GM: What’s been the defining moment so far in your organization’s history?

CM: Up to now, leadership and outreach events, like Willow Creek’s Leadership Summit, have been broadcast by satellite. In that model, a live event is pushed up to a bird and deployed to, usually a couple hundred, satellite sites around the country, where attendees have been invited to view the programming. Sometimes the event is seen live, but it can also be tape delayed 1 or 2 hours because of time zone differences.

In April, we were the online multimedia provider for Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope. LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma hosted Dave speaking live and we distributed the event to locations via the Internet. We expected about 400-500 churches to participate.

When it was all over, more than 6,000 locations pulled down the broadcast and it was seen by more than 1.4 million people, making it one of the most viewed live Net events in history. No satellite was used and the cost was so much lower.

We had no clue it was going to turn out like that. The model is changing.

GM: Social Media seems here to stay. Where do you think that technology is going?

CM: Online services like Twitter and Facebook are enabling people to tell family and friends-anywhere in the world-that they can participate in a church service or hear a message that has had an impact on their life. There’s no source more trusted than a friend telling you, “This is something I believe in; this is something I’m participating in, and I would encourage you to be a part of it.” There’s nothing more powerful than that. I don’t care how much you advertise, how many billboards you buy, how many ads you put in the newspaper or whatever.

Word of mouth use to be the best way to let people know they needed to hear the gospel. Now social media is the new word of mouth. If churches will leverage new media, we can grow the size of our churches to levels never believed possible.

GM: What does the perfect fulfillment of God’s vision for Streaming Faith and 316 Networks look like?

CM: We want to offer cost-effective solutions to ministries so they can leverage the Internet, distribute their assets and spread the gospel.

Many broadcast ministries are stuck with a model that should have already been changed. Now we’re paying extraordinary costs to get distribution, on television for example. It’s us and the infomercial market paying these astronomical costs.

The secular world looks at us like we’re an infomercial, which is sad. We’re delivering the gospel of Jesus Christ and they think we’re the Ab Workout.

The transition in media that’s underway now, however, is different. I believe the church is ahead of the curve this time, more progressive than many secular organizations. I’ve had major media companies contact me to say they’re amazed that we’ve been able to build a B2B business with a B2C component and be profitable. The HGTV’s, and Food Networks of the world are still trying to figure out how to develop a profitable online media strategy.

I think this is because God has His hand on us. He’s given us direction on what we should pursue and what we should develop. Now we’re able to take that and empower churches to leverage technology; not fear it and not have to pay such a premium.

GM: Thank you Chance, for taking the time to speak with us. We are living in historic times for church communications and you’re on the front lines. God’s continued blessings on you and your team.

On a personal crusade to help ministries embrace new media as a communication platform, Chance Mason is igniting a movement to transform faith-based outreach in America. (The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.)

Gordon Marcy: We’re speaking with Chance Mason, President of Streaming Faith and 316 Networks. Chance, could you give our readers some background on your company?

Chance Mason: We’re very unique in that we have both a B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Customer) strategy. No one else in the market is at the heart a technology company that also operates media properties as well. We provide ministries with cutting-edge technology including high quality audio and video feeds over the Internet. We’re also a media portal with 24-hour broadband TV stations and Internet radio stations.

We support 800 ministries, produce 4,000 live events per month from all over the world and serve over a million members in the Streaming Faith community.

GM: What were the circumstances that led to what you’re doing now?

CM: We believed the cost associated with launching and sustaining a radio or television broadcast initiative had become prohibitive. Year after year media costs were skyrocketing. This was draining resources away from mission fulfillment and keeping new ministries from starting up. On average, it cost a media ministry $50-$60 thousand per month just to buy the airtime. In addition, they had the cost of technology infrastructure, back office operations, production of resources and fulfillment.

We believed we could create the same type of experiences ministries were getting with traditional broadcasting, but at a much lower cost using IP technology. Meaning, over time, we believed the Internet would become a more viable delivery platform than radio or television.

GM: How did ministries receive your business idea in the beginning?

CM: Back in 2001, many church leaders were still on dial-up. They were amused really and didn’t share our belief that the Internet could become a viable distribution model.

GM: How did you help ministries transition into your platform?

CM: Our first initiative, was to build out what a broadcast ministry would have known as “master control.” We took the same methodologies found in a typical low or even high powered television station and built it into a software package. This allowed ministries to essentially launch their own 24-hour IPTV stations.

Today we have about 45 ministries that run 24/7 “stations” just like a traditional television operation. They broadcast programs that are 28:30 in length with 30, 60 and 90 second promos dropped in between. Time zone and geography barriers have been removed. All this at a fraction of the cost the ministry would pay for just one 30-minute time slot on a national network.

We are giving them a cost effective way to communicate the gospel as well as raise support for their mission.

GM: I’m a prospective local church customer. Tell me about the value we would receive from a partnership with you.

CM: Many of our ministries are local church focused, so we understand the type of challenges you face. Our aim is to enable you to communicate more effectively and more consistently with your membership.

Take a visitor that comes in for the first time. The typical experience is for them to fill out a card and drop it in the offering plate. Then you send them a direct mail package on Monday or Tuesday. Then they will get a call from someone in your care ministry to say that you appreciated them being in church.

We come alongside to help you automate that entire communication process and make it more personable.

So, on Monday morning the visitor will get an email from the pastor that’s video enabled. The message will be, “Hey, this is Pastor Smith. It was great to have you in church Sunday. I may not have had the chance to meet you, but we’d love for you to come back. Please email me personally to tell me about your experiences or anything we can do better. I’ve included an audio message that you can download as a gift from us. There’s also a pdf file attached that shares our vision and direction so you can see if we are the type of church you’re seeking.”

We can also help you do a live interactive broadcast with key leaders, volunteers or supporters every couple of weeks. You can do Q&A and share a personal message.

GM: Are there other benefits?

CM: Resource based ministries are extremely expensive to operate…from production of the content to shipping and storage. We act as a digital asset manager for our clients. Many have a multi-platform distribution strategy where they create an asset and use it live on Sunday morning, show it on the web, put it in a podcast and then make it available for iphone. Our asset management system allows them to have a centralized repository for storing all their digital assets. Then they can manage distribution whenever and wherever needed. The whole process makes it more efficient to produce and distribute; easier for the end user to retrieve and download. Most importantly, digital technology allows the church to do this at a much lower cost.

GM: How does Streaming Faith differ from other Christian media companies?

CM: Many traditional media companies are marketing entities. They go to ministries and say we’ll distribute your assets by way of our media properties and you pay us a fee to access to our audience.

Most do not have a pure technology component like we do. That’s why a number of the clients using traditional media are also our clients. They want a platform that they can license and integrate seamlessly into their strategy. They don’t want to redirect their listeners/viewers/members to a different destination. They want to have an integrated experience on their own website.

Also, they can leverage our platform for communication purposes beyond just marketing and trying to acquire new names. Our platform enables them to communicate with their members and establish deeper relationships at the local church level.

We also have a unique business model. We generate revenue from the technology side that allows us to expand our media properties without having to worry about who our next advertiser is going to be. This is another way we control our cost of operations. That savings is passed on to the customer.

GM: What do you think the future is for traditional Christian broadcasting?

The answer and more conversation in Part 2 of our interview with Chance Mason.

This year Auxano launched Vision co::Lab, a learning community of pastors and church leaders that meets one day a month over a six month period to focus on the process of defining and communicating vision.  Expressing interest in the Vision Pathway principles and coaching strategy for teaching them, the door opened for me to participate in the Houston co::Lab.

Five reasons I am looking forward to participating in this unique learning environment:

1. Remarkable concept. I was hooked after reading Will Mancini’s book Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture and Create Movement. The approach boils down to this: God has given every local church a unique DNA. During Vision co::Lab, we will learn what it takes to discover, develop and deliver what God has uniquely created each church to do.

2. Reputation of the coaching team. Auxano has guided hundreds of churches through the vision pathway & trained thousands of leaders, including the team at Oak Hills Church, San Antonio. Having gone through the process, Pastor’s Max Lucado and Steve Dye called the approach “the missing link to all the chatter regarding church strategy.” We will be learning from the best of the best.

3. Relationship with the participants. It is always an honor to meet and interact with men and women of God. Listening to stories of faith and hearing about ministry dreams will be inspirational and instructive.  Through collaboration – ongoing dialogue, sharing knowledge and ideas – we will learn as a team how to apply a new visioning process to our individual mission assignments.

4. Recreating the role of technology in church. Thousands of churches are in position to adapt sophisticated communication technologies to The Great Commission mandate. The churches that do so will need to develop a “technology strategy” to be most effective. I recently wrote a blog post about the idea of Digital Missions initiatives. Churches will need to determine what technology tools fit and how to best align those tools with their vision. Through the thinking and processes behind Church Unique, I look forward to learning how to help churches develop a holistic approach for integrating technology into their central strategy.

5. Recognizable terrain. In the interest of total disclosure, Houston is my hometown. We have three daughters in the area and family throughout South Texas. I never pass up an opportunity to come home. I hear that familiar territory creates an environment more conducive to learning. That’s my story anyway. Being a native will also be useful to the group. When anyone mentions “Pico de Gallo” I’ll understand what’s being said.

“AH-HA” Moments

Speaking about a team pulling their unique vision together, Mancini says, “I wish you could see the delight on leaders’ faces, and hear the “ah-has” as a team crystallizes their Church Unique with stunning clarity. I am not sure there is a more exhilarating moment in leadership.”

Pursuing God’s vision for technology in church led to my taking this six month journey of discovery with the Auxano team and outstanding group of church leaders. As I reflect on how the opportunity came about; the privilege I will have in making new friends; and the possibilities of how God might work through these intersections in the future, I am humbled. And, having a pre-co::Lab “ah-ha” moment of my own.

Praying for everyone involved.