Embracing the Times

Twenty-five years ago, when I was serving as pastor at the Fairview Church in Seattle, a member of the congregation named Rob Moore wanted to install a computer network in the church office. He had some new fangled stuff he wanted to donate that he believed would revolutionize the way we “did business.”

We thought we were already a state-of-the-art kind of place—why, we had IBM Selectric typewriters with electronic memories and changeable type! We had a monster Xerox machine that could copy and collate. No Flintstones here, boys—nope, I grew up with Captain Kirk and Star Trek.

I had worked before for Northwest Airlines, so I was no stranger to computer screens and databases. But, c’mon, a computer network in a church office? No way. Word processing? What’s that? Toss out “Memory Mabel?” (that’s the name I gave to one of our IBM memory typewriters)—preposterous!

Rob explained that his employer wanted to donate some equipment that would be just right for the church. “Let us give it a try, Jim,” he pled earnestly, “You won’t be sorry.”

I trusted Rob. He was one of the finest men in the church, faithful and true. He was bright and fun. He worked for some sort of start-up company— one of those nerdy little firms stuffed with people who read Popular Mechanics when they were kids. It had some odd, goofy name, you know, something like—oh yeah, it was called Microsoft. Nobody knew what it was then.

I gave the nod and Rob moved in a collection of computer screens and keyboards. They sprouted up all over the building. Before 30 days passed, we were all typing up a storm on pixel screens, printing to remote printers, interfacing with the copier from our desktops, and more. Amazing. “Memory Mable” was cruelly dumped onto the dustbin of history.

Before the world had heard of Windows, Fairview Church was looking through a new window of technology. Nothing in the office would ever be the same.

These days, computers are everywhere. At church. At home. At work. Laptops on our laps. Wireless. Wired. New words like “Google” have become a part of our everyday conversation. Words like “Amazon” have been completely redefined—few people think of the river anymore. “Dot com” and “email” addresses are as common as street addresses.

Like the printing press and broadcasting in generations before, electronic communication has transformed the way all of us live. Like every other dimension of life, church life is also adapting and embracing the new technology to stay in touch with new generations (and older ones, too!).

That’s one reason why Threads is now being published just every other week, instead of every week. In addition to halving our printing and mailing costs, we are hoping more and more folks will find church news online. We’re working on new weekly online updates; we’re working to enhance our software programs to leave older PDF files (in which Threads can now only be read on the internet) behind, with better, faster online Threads access.

The “GoAheadAskAnything.com” website has been very successful, drawing hundreds of questions (and as many comments!) from people who speak online like some people speak on the phone. Some questions are just that: questions. Others have been cries for help (to which we have replied privately). My blog has opened a door for Threads readers to reflect on what they’ve read in the newsletter. The “Great Chocolate Giveaway” link from our homepage has become a forum for testimonies from folks on Easter Sunday.

Our MadisonParkChurch.org website podcasts have been very popular—you can listen to Sunday’s sermon or the latest Men’s Fraternity installment from anywhere in the world. Email correspondence is now, by far, the most popular form of communication with our church staff. My email “inbox” is crowded with literally hundreds of emails (from parishioners here at home and others from around the world) each week. Notes and cards are still delivered by surface mail every now and then, but e-cards come every day.

We have an outstanding team at Madison Park which works tirelessly to keep the technology up and running, so that communication, good ideas, encouragement, and soulfood can keep flowing freely, 24-7. Don Vosburg and his sons invest many hours as IT specialists at Madison Park. Kevin Majeski is our Communications Director, who manages our websites and produces the artful design you find there. Ryan Woolsey is our Technical and Media Director, feeding the web with audio streams each week. These three are the “point men” for a larger team of creative and talented staff committed to the communication necessary to maintain community; we thank God for them.

Rob Moore retired from Microsoft at the age of 35—15 years ago. Fairview—and Madison Park—have updated their computer systems several times since then. It can be mind-bending trying to keep up. But we are. For Jesus’ sake.