I return to the stage at PCC next Sunday, July 11. I was at PCC 2 weeks ago, but Beth was the teaching pastor. I was on vacation last week, and heard that Tommy Adams did a great job. Today, I had some options. I wanted to come to PCC, but felt I had some research-type work do to. One of the ways we make ourselves better is by learning from others. So, today, I attended three other churches. Yes, Three. And I never left my home.
All three were online campuses. And all three were different, with some common elements. I am going to write about each of these and post one up every day for the next three days.
First, I want to talk about our own online campus. I frankly thought we'd have one by now, but it's more complicated than I anticipated. Yes, we can go live, today, right now. But to do so with our current equipment and on a free service would mean a low quality production that was frustrating for the end user. So, what would happen is a bunch of people would check it out, realize it was a waste of time because of the delays, poor quality, off-synch sound/video, etc., and would never come back to it. We value excellence for a reason: you usually get one shot. We have to make that first impression count.
So, we're waiting. We have one piece of equipment to get...the cost of which is a few thousand dollars. And we have to subscribe to a quality hosting service. But based on what I've seen today, I have no doubt that it will be worth it. I think you'll be convinced, too, when you see the results.
I close with a note to the skeptics: when we planted PCC, we were way out on the edge of normal. People said it would never work in Powhatan and predicted our quick and hard fall to failure. But that didn't happen. God was in it, different as it was and still is. And because of that, 400 people have been baptized and our church is strong and vibrant. Don't underestimate the power of the multi-campus and online-campus strategy. People came to know Jesus Christ today and connected in real community through their computers from their homes. We can be a part of what God is doing there, and we will.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about that first church I went to at 8am.
Back in the 70's, Rice and Weber did a rock opera titled "Jesus Christ Superstar". This post reminded me of a part of the title track (Superstar) which has Judas, returning as an angel questioning Jesus on several points such as...
ReplyDelete"...Now why'd you choose such a backward time and such a strange land?
If you'd come today you could have reached the whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication."
Mass communication is what these times we live in are all about. Why not use them to our fullest advantage. Interesting also that this was written 30+ years ago, yet rings more powerful than ever.