Media in the Church

Dear church,The church media theology today has little presence in the local body and needs to be reworked. Ever since we have taken practices similar to the corporate business, our media has followed suit. It is clear that media has been helpful in the modern world, but it has also been a hindrance in many regards. With depression, anxiousness, and loneliness at an all-time high from social media use, people are not getting any solitude or time to quiet their thoughts. The church should be a means of an escape from the world and technology, as our phones don’t ever give us a break. There is a place for media in the church, but we need to learn where it should and shouldn’t be used. Understanding the theological implications of media in the church will help staff and members of the congregation grow closer to the Lord and therefore glorify God more through media such as lighting, worship, and social platforms.

Lighting and Sanctuary Design

With many churches following the lead of Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation regarding their media usage, there should be an analysis on if it is correct for our congregation. One of the aspects that churches are trying to copy is lighting and the sanctuary set up.  Although there is a place for lighting in the church, there needs to be many discussions on how it impacts the congregation's worship. It is clear that the bright and fun lighting designs can draw younger or non-believing crowds due to the concert-like nature, but we should not be thinking of the numbers coming in.There really is a lack of distinction between what a concert looks like, and what worship on Sunday should look like. The main thing that distinguishes a service and a concert is that there is a sermon on Sundays and no sermon during most Christian or secular concerts. The lighting mimicking many concerts is concerning, as we may be thinking of some of these things with a secular mindset and not how we should be using it in the church. There seems to be little to no distinction between the world and the church. There should be no distractions in the sanctuary so that the congregation can participate and worship the Lord with all they have.Read: Five Differences between a Concert and a Worship Service here.Another detail that is important to address is how the lighting is affecting the congregation's praise and worship.  There is an aspect of lighting that is generating the response of sitting down or standing up at certain times during a service. This is a lack of raw and authentic worship response, as there is a certain obligation to sit and stand if the lighting is on or off. This is impacting the church and the congregation’s response to worship. There needs to be even more discourse on this topic as we are influencing how people are worshiping.We need to understand if the lighting is helping draw people's attention to Christ, or if it is just there to look cool, make the band look better, or to make a better experience. Having a visual factor during worship can be powerful, and help lead people into a time of reflection, but we need to discern what the lighting design is accomplishing. Distinguishing when and when not to use this technology to enhance or hinder the atmosphere of worship needs to be intentional, and not just a response of ‘other churches are doing it, so why not us?’ At the end of the day, there needs to be a realization and understanding to see if we are using the lighting design to point to the ultimate Light and Creator.Read: Lighting Effects in Worship here.Another aspect in the church that should trouble us is how the sanctuary is designed. Concert venues, theatres, and lecture halls are set up similarly as they all have large stages and similar seating arrangements. This should be troubling, as we do not want our congregation to come in and feel entertained, rather, we want them to engage with the Word and with the body of believers around them. This is an issue as we can see people coming in and leaving after each service without a true recognition or effort to connect and engage with the Word.A lot of this stems from the fact that Christ wasn’t saying ‘attend with me’, but He said to “follow me” (Matthew 10:38). If we are trying to get more numbers and draw people in to attend, but not engage, we will see less and less attendance and less engagement with the Word. There already has been a decrease in Christianity within the United States over the past few years. 

“In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.” Read more here 

This is a sobering statistic. Although numbers ‘don’t matter’ when having people come into the church each Sunday, we should be concerned about our brothers and sisters that are leaving the church. Although there are devoted Christians who don’t attend church, it is clear that many believers who attend church, causally to ‘check it off their to-do list’ have a bit more casual approach to their commitment to Christ. If we are trying to draw people in to begin a relationship with Christ or even continue a relationship with Christ, the best recommendation would be to seek guidance and support from the Christian community. This is why many sanctuary setups are incomplete nowadays as they are built for attendance and entertainment.

Worship 

Worship is another aspect on Sundays that is important and has been around for years. It is obvious that we are to praise the Creator, as there are multiple references and statements along the lines of praising and singing to Him. (Psalm 132:9; Isaiah 42:10; Acts 16:25) There are aspects of our modern worship that should be concerning to staff and members of the congregation as we are not thinking through some of these issues theologically.There are a few things that are the cause of concern regarding worship and the sound design in the church. A major one is that there are too many songs about ‘me’. There are a lot of contemporary songs that bring lyrics on how God has helped ‘us’ but it is lacking more understanding that worship is for the Lord. There could be an argument that this is okay in some capacity, but because this is most of the modern songs nowadays, there is no theological depth to worship music anymore. This should be discussed and reviewed so that we play theologically sound music on Sundays.  Another aspect that should be a cause of concern during worship is how there are many songs that use the cymbals or another instrument to swell out of the songs. Is this mandating praise from the congregation? This needs to be thought through and then responded to, as this could be a major issue if we are pulling a response from the congregation due to swelling out of most of these songs. Not only has there been less engagement in the church due to the setup of the church, but there are many times that the congregation just isn’t singing or isn’t engaged with worship either. This could be from multiple reasons such as it seeming more like a performance, the songs not being suitable for the average singer, or too many new songs being introduced to where the congregation doesn’t know any of them.

Social Media and Online Church

Another aspect that needs to be highly considered and thought upon within church is the way we are utilizing social media and live streaming. There are many problems with the use of these mediums, as there has been a sense of just using them because other people are utilizing them, and there has been a lack of an answer to why our church has chosen to use these platforms.There is a lot of media and posts that seem to be copying Hillsong or Bethel regarding their style and media choices. There are also conferences that are for communicators within the church that show the perfect way to run social media for the church. Although it is difficult to run social media in the church, there shouldn’t be an emphasis on copying other people and using other resources because it looks cool. There should be a means of trying to communicate in the best way possible for your specific congregation.Attending these types of conferences and having the type of discussions to help out the social media for the church should be happening, but not in the way it is happening by copying the aesthetic of everyone else's social profiles. There are good intentions regarding social media and its usage in the church, but not quite how it should be done. There is a lot more work on the perceived look of the church, and how the aesthetics look on the feed then how to communicate with the congregation.It is not incorrect to have certain excellence to posts, and things that are communicated to the congregation, but there is still a level that has difficulties and problems to it. It is clear that some people have a better ‘look’ to them. Maybe they look more hipster or dress better. This is going to happen in all congregations around the nation. Because this is something that happens though, when people on the photo team or from the social media team are going around to take photos for social media usage, they will be looking for the type of people that will look perfect for the feed. This is not okay, as it does not include all of what the congregation looks like and could cause only a certain number of new people to come in due to the fact others don't feel 'cool' enough. This can easily cause division as well as judgment between different members of the congregation, as then there is tension to look better for the feed. This could also completely disregard those who want to join the church, but don’t feel like they could fit in after looking at what the church is perceived to look like through a social media profile.While discussing and figuring out the implications of media in the church, the factor of live streaming needs to be brought up as well. It is clear that live streaming has been made more popular in recent years with the influx of ‘online’ campuses and the presence of social media. This should not be happening, as there is something special about meeting in the body together. With certain restrictions put in place currently, there are certain aspects that need to be handled online.There also needs to be quite a bit more discussion on communion online. Communion should not be taking place online as it should be taken as a body of believers together. This should be a moment of reflection together as communion and breaking bread should be done in fellowship (Matthew 26:26-28; Corinthians 10:17). It can also be a problem when people online are drinking or eating anything that is around them. Although there isn’t an explicit list of what to eat and drink during communion, having a piece of candy, and drinking coffee or other drink, should not be happening while reflecting on that moment.

Reforming Lighting and Sanctuary Design 

With many aspects needing to be discussed in lighting and sanctuary design, it is clear that we need to reform this area. The conditions we are placing people in on Sundays to worship are lacking and we are needing to change the ways we go about things with the lighting. Most of the change that needs to happen includes going back to older traditions with less lighting. Limiting the use of gobos, colors, and different effects will be an adjustment to the church, but something that needs to happen.Going back through church history, it is clear that lighting hasn’t been around for long. Of course, there wasn’t the technology like there is currently, but the buildings and houses that people used to meet were not set up like they are now. In the last few decades of the 1900s, youth leaders ended up turning down the lights in their meetings, reasoning that the darkness would make the teens feel more comfortable. This eventually transitioned into normal Sunday services as well. The lights need to be on for worship so that we are in tune with one another as a body of believers, but also more in tune and focused on the Lord. Ephesians 5:19-20 is a good explanation of why we should keep the lights on. 

“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20 NIV

With this verse, I would argue that we aren’t able to speak to one another with song and hymn with the lights off. When we are not able to see our brothers and sisters while worshiping, we are kept in the dark, literally. Although this can lead to great moments with the Lord individually, as a body of Christ, we are still called to be in community with one another.Read: Who Turned the Lights Out? HereContinuing with the aspects of lighting, the lighting design has no reason to light up the worship leaders that are leading each song. Although concert type performances differ in that way, the worship on a Sunday is to praise God. The leaders that are on the platform do not need to be lit to praise the Lord. It is difficult to wrestle with different lighting, as this is what most churches are doing nowadays, but simplifying the lighting design and turning the house lights on is what we should be working toward. Lighting can be used tastefully, and beautifully with up lighting around the stage, but because the house lighting and stage lights are all on, there is not a specific emphasis on someone leading a song. Therefore we should turn the lights up, and stop using all of the gobos and colors. Let us praise the Lord through our worship, and not try to mimic other congregations or pursue technical excellence while lacking the real reason for worship. The aspects wrong with the sanctuary set up need to be fixed as well. As stated, most churches have a sanctuary that is set up to entertain, more than engage with the Word. This setup needs to change because believers can easily think that the church is an entertainment venue or show. There are sanctuaries set up correctly to see believers around, but there are many that look the same as any other venue or auditorium. Sanctuaries should mimic Torrey Grey Auditorium or The Moody Church in Chicago. Both of these spaces have seats facing towards the stage, but the balcony curves around the room. Sitting on the floor, there is still the opportunity to look up and see other believers that are worshiping, and sitting in the balcony allows the opportunity to see those across the room, or by looking onto the floor seating to see others worshiping. This is important as believers to understand they are not alone in their walk with Christ and in their faith.Read: Why and When did Christians Start Constructing Special Buildings for Worship hereOverall, creating these changes will help people learn and comprehend that worship is not just lighting and sound during a Sunday service. The changes and understanding theologically of these changes not only would help the congregation, but it would help the staff that is creating these things as well. The sanctuary set up in a different way would be more beneficial for the community. There needs to be more discipleship in the church and an understanding of many of these aspects while in the body of Christ. Because it is clear that both the lighting and most sanctuary set ups today are set up more to entertain, there are many people in our congregation that don’t understand how Christianity is so much more than a relationship with God, but it includes relationships with others with Christ being the commonality.

Reforming Worship

There needs to be a lot of work on worship in the church, but there should also be more diligence so that the congregation understands that worship is more than just music. Although there is a place for worship through song as there are examples of it within the Bible, worship is not just dim lights and loud music as seen at many churches today. Worship is so much more than that, and there are a number of new or younger believers that do not understand this fact.  There has been a lack of explanation in the church on how worship is singing praises and also every other aspect of life that is done for the Lord. Because this is evident, we should be explaining to our congregation what worship is and why we are doing it. This doesn’t have to be something every single weekend, but once a month, for a guest or a newer believer, an explanation of what worship is. This could be as simple as a short explanation that the worship leader gives before leading a song, but explaining that worship is music, but so much more than just music should be communicated.  Read: Chapter 3 “To Engage and to Witness: Analog Worship” from Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age by Jay KimAnother aspect that needs to be considered when thinking through worship in the church would be how there needs to be more of a presence of older and more traditional worship songs on Sundays. There is a lack of these in the church now, and these hymns are being forgotten, or not taught at all. There are many young adults that have grown up in the church who aren't even familiar with the doxology. This is a problem that can be changed, as these rich, theological worship songs are being forgotten. Including them in a Sunday is as easy as adding a hymn before leaving, or as the last song played before the message. Just because churches should move to using a few traditional songs during worship on Sundays does not mean that contemporary music has to be rejected. There are some really important modern worship songs that have impacted people all over the nation as God has used it in powerful ways. There just needs to be even more discernment with the worship leaders in the church as they should be placing the lyrics of these songs beside the church's doctrine to be sure these are not spreading lies about Christ. Along with using less contemporary music, the music that is used that focuses on singing more about ‘me’, ‘myself’, and ‘mine’ needs to be removed from worship in the congregation.Something worship leaders should keep in mind while planning music for their church is also that the music sung on a Sunday should be a good representation of the theology in the church. Because there is a lack of theologically deep hymns and songs in the church, it is hard for the congregation to get a sense of what their church they attend each and every week is about. This is a problem as these are the songs that can get stuck in people’s heads the rest of Sunday after church, and if it is not theologically sound, or representative of what the church believes, it should not be sung on a Sunday.Read: The Theology and Place of Music in Worship hereThese changes will lead to a healthier worship and congregation as members of the community will know of all of what worship entails. They will have a better understanding that worship encompasses so much more than music, and there will be more of an understanding of the problems with the songs. These changes in worship will also lead more people to authentically worship as they have a more thorough knowledge of who Christ is and why they worship in a certain way.

Reforming Social Media and Online Church 

Even though there are a number of problems with online church, there are a few things that should be discussed and changed. Something that should be discussed, is the goal of online ministry. Of course, the easy answer is ‘so people can attend church at home and when on the road or apart.’ This should be dissected, as meeting together, and in-person is important. Something else that should be discussed would be if everyone should be able to access the online service if it is live streamed. Should the live stream be only available for those who are close enough to attend the church in person? Technology is understandably great, as it has led to many things we previously were not able to do, but there has been a decrease of people attending in person, and that is not just due to the in-person gathering restrictions at this time. Continuing on with the aspect of churches having social media profiles, there needs to be more intentionality in serving our own congregation. Because of churches such as Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation with their very aesthetic social profiles and highly produced live stream services, there is an easy way to try and copy them, as what they are creating looks very good. There should be more intentionality with serving our specific congregation and not worrying what our social profile looks like as much. This includes not copying these hipster church's profiles so that our church looks ‘cool’ enough as well. The relationship is with the Lord and not how well the social profile looks.Although there is sometimes a need for an online message, that isn’t always the case. It should be discussed per congregation, but some churches shouldnt produce any online message at all. If a church is not streaming on Sunday, there should be online disciple groups. There shouldn’t be a direct need to communicate a whole service online, but there should be more of an emphasis on online groups or small meetings at houses. Things could be created to help people if they are leading a small group and reading through scripture. With no meetings online, if the pastor needs to communicate with the congregation about anything logistical, this could be planned and happen once a month or so.There doesn’t seem to be a true sense of accountability or growth through the online platform and online churches as there is no connection with the community. Being in a community is important as a believer, so emphasizing smaller disciple groups online, or small groups in houses would be the most beneficial for different congregations. There should be a sense of longing to be together again, and not just giving the congregation an excuse to stay in their pajamas each week and checking off a to-do list rather than experiencing Christ.In creating this new way for social media and live streaming, it may end up being a bit difficult to adjust to. This is normal, as any type of change would cause a bit of difficulty, but it is important to at least discuss these changes in social profiles and online disciple groups. The change in social media will also lead to more of an understanding of who the congregation is, and what needs to be communicated, instead of just copying other aesthetic profiles.

Therefore

Church media theology is not present in life today, so there should be a discussion to raise these implications of media in the church. Once there is a discourse about all the different areas of media in the church, then, and only then, may the church move forward. We need to think through these things theologically, and currently, they are being done incorrectly.It is so prevalent that churches are copying other churches, and not paying enough attention to their own congregation. Some of these aspects of media are being used too much, and not in a God-glorifying way. The question that needs to be asked is ‘why are we using these means of presenting things to share the gospel’ instead of the more production-heavy questions. In asking these questions there will be a healthier relationship with media in the church as we reform what is currently happening.