As we enter the ninth month of living with COVID-19, the team at Here I Am thought we would share some of the impressive uses of technology that our church clients have utilized.  We continue to observe and attend a number of different worship services and are very impressed with how these volunteer-based organizations have continued their mission in new ways.  While the technology existed pre-COVID, the nudge provided by the pandemic has pushed people to try out new tools.  Here is a list of 7 of our favorites: 

1) The Drone Welcome video- Creating a pretty cool welcome sequence for online worship, drones swooping into a church building creates a wonderful effect that can add Hollywood flair to a livestream.  

2) Bringing Musicians together- Choir Director has taken on a whole new role, but we are amazed how a song comes together nowadays.  Whether standing 20 feet apart, recording at different times, on zoom – people can still join together and sing. 12 people playing handbells virtually was especially impressive. 

3) Video Tutorials for Healthy Church Practices- Creative scripting.  Humor. Video Editing.  Music. Cute Kids.  All of these things combine to take a dry topic and make it informative and fun. 

4) Multiple cameras- A number of amateur videographers have emerged at every church.  The static, still camera view, is a thing of the past. Dynamic camera angles and panning adds excitement and draws in the audience. 

5) Likes during a sermon- We do enjoy a preacher looking at their smartphone while they are preaching or praying to see and respond real-time to reactions and comments posted. Interacting with prayer requests during a live sermon helps fill the void of not being able to shout them out during worship. 

6) New backgrounds- God’s word can be delivered outside, while walking, at the pulpit, in a chair, in different parts of the church.  Even while driving (in a safe manner).  It is fun to see where the preacher may be each week when delivering their message.  

7) Children’s message- Delivering in a virtual manner, the graphics, background music, delayed pauses all make a wonderful message for kids to consume in a fun way – it is great television!  

Kudos to those volunteers and part-time staffers who try out new tools and are making a big difference. Quickly adapting and thinking outside of the box leads to exciting new tactics that will stick around for years to come.