Exit Stage Left: Church Technology as Worship
“It is so easy to begin to worship our own perceived abilities, that great new piece of gear, or the desire for excellence.”
All humans worship, as that is the purpose for which we were created and in which our lives are engaged (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15 Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:17). We all inadvertently worship things other than God, be it material things, money, other people, or a status or level of achievement. It’s called idolatry. What we do for God as church technicians can be especially tricky. Our desire to utilize technology in an excellent way for God can subtly become idolatry or misplaced worship in the place of God.
The Bible teaches that the church is the assembly of those who have been redeemed by Christ’s death on the cross whose purpose is the worship of their Creator (Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Peter 2:10). Worship is the entire life of a Christian lived in obedience to God’s commands (John 14:15,23), and dedicated to fulfilling the mission that He has given the Church. The mission of the church is to raise up maturing worshippers who will raise up more maturing worshippers (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8), which is far different from filling the seats with warm bodies. Technology has an important role to play in this mission in many modern cultures. But let’s be clear: The church can and certainly has existed without technology.
So with all this in mind, how can we “church tech” types worship God through technology and help lead the rest of the church in worship of Christ? When we engage in the use of technology in the church it is worship. But the tricky part is that the condition of our hearts determines the object of our worship. It is so easy (and I have been guilty of these things) to begin to worship our own perceived abilities, that great new piece of gear, or the desire for excellence. If it is truly done to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 10:31), then we will do our best towards excellence without worshipping the excellence, ourselves, or the technology.
While gear and technical excellence are essential tools to help the modern church in its purpose (worship) and its mission (raising up maturing worshippers), they are not to be worshipped. Whether you are a staff member or a volunteer, if you serve your church in the area of technology, let your service be an offering of worship to God.
Rob Connelly has served on staff with two churches as technical director and is the owner of Connelly Audio which provides technology, ministry and systems consulting to churches. He also currently serves as a volunteer technology coordinator for North Wake Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Rob is a graduate of James Madison University and is a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Ashley and they have a two-year-old son.
