How does the Uniting Church use technology to present its religious message?

Some of the current goals and priorities for the New South Wales Synod (http://nsw.uca.org.au/priorities.htm) refer to the use of technology:

• Provision of discipleship resources (including e-books), including people (such as REOs) who can stir passionate faith (including sharing of stories from congregations and faith communities) and encourage others to talk about their faith and the promotion of study books.
• Use new forms of technology to support ways for the church to work better, and to enable new forms of church to emerge.
• Take steps to ensure that every Minister and Congregation has access to email and to provide every Minister and Congregation with a nsw.uca.org.au email address.
• Establish a technology/resource bank so that new forms of technology can be provided to congregations and include training of congregation members to use.
• Explore meaningful ways in which new forms of technology can be used in service, witness and worship, and make this information readily available to congregations, together with ongoing support.

Information technology services provide an important support for much of the church's work and the messages it seeks to communicate. Visit http://www.unitingresources.org.au/its and http://vic.uca.org.au/its/.

The use of technology is pertinent to what is described as "the emerging church" (http://nat.uca.org.au/TD/emerging.htm)

• Information technology has vastly increased the speed at which we can communicate across the globe. The internet has put at our fingertips an unimaginably vast library of music, videos, games and information.
• People now process information more visually and interactively, and not just by passively receiving it through the ears.
• We buy and sell using electronic means of transferring funds.

The church employs media officers or public relations officers or the equivalent. These people variously write speeches, brief, advise and train church leaders about what to say to the media, when and how. They also speak to the media when called upon to put the church's point of view on a particular issue. And they often initiate contact with the media (media releases, email, telephone calls) when there is something the church/leader wants to say. They also organise media conferences and events which the media may consider newsworthy. The training of spokespersons employs technology (video cameras and audio recording equipment); and the distribution of messages employs technology (fax, internet — email and websites — and video releases, as well as telephones).

The church participates in television and radio organisations run either cooperatively or denominationally. These organisations produce programs that sometimes the commercial stations run for free. Sometimes the church or its agencies may work with a TV producer to make a documentary or spot. The Uniting Church worked with Christian Television Australia (http://www.cta.asn.au/) and the 7 Network to produce a program marking the church's 25th anniversary last year. The Victorian Synod works with the local Christian Television Association to produce TV spots.

The Uniting Church used to have a stake in 2GB in Sydney. Some members have an interest in FM103.2, Sydney's Christian radio station, "encouraging and upholding family ideals and Christian values that are worthwhile for the whole community" (http://fm1032.relate.com.au/).

The church has its own publications: mostly monthly newspapers or magazines (in New South Wales it is a magazine: http://insights.uca.org.au/). This requires the use of computers for writing, editing, design etc (with attendant software), cameras (standard and digital), photocopiers, printers, faxes, scanners, telephones, internet, and so on.

The religious messages contained in the magazines and other news and announcements can also be found on websites. These are mainly for members' interest, but they often contain sections that help to educate non-member visitors (students and other media) about the church (for instance, http://nsw.uca.org.au/).

The church produces films, videos, CDs, DVDs and computer presentations to help communicate its messages. Some agencies produce such material as educational resources for teachers of religious education in schools. Video tapes and DVDs are used in remote rural areas where some congregations do not have a regular, full-time minister.

Churches and agencies use PowerPoint and Flash presentations. Some ministers use excerpts from secular videos during sermons.

Churches use various forms of technology every Sunday. Most have some form of PA system. Some use overhead projectors, some video players, some data projectors, and many have an assortment of musical equipment (new and old forms of technology). Turramurra, for instance, uses computers, a projector (for videos and computer data), an overhead projector, a sound system with sound desk, a dishwasher, and video player.

Another example of a congregation's use of technology is Gannawarra Mission Centre: http://users.bigpond.net.au/gannawarra/techlink.htm.

Café churches use coffee makers — integral to the type of message they are trying to communicate.

The use of transport technology is important for patrol padres (especially the flying padre) as well as for most ministers who must visit members of their congregations.

Dr Peter Horsfield has produced a CD-ROM, The Mediated Spirit: "A rich mine of resources for religious education, theological education, youth exploration, research, or for those just interested in the influence of new media on the changing face of religion today." See http://www.mediatedspirit.com/.

Stephen Webb,
Media Officer, NSW Synod, UCA