Technology and hospitality

This seems to be a hot topic! I know there are more people than me considering it. Check out my classmates' great comments from the last time I mentioned it. I certainly don't have any definitive thoughts on this subject, but I can share some of my reflections from the last few weeks.

I think one of the first steps in hospitality is inherently technological, because many people make their first contact with a congregation through their website. Is your congregation's website attractive, easy to use, and up-to-date? Does it have all the information a visitor might need, like (accurate) worship times, directions, information on what to expect, and photos that express a bit of what the community is about?

Once visitors arrive at your congregation, how are they welcomed? Here's an interesting blog post about the welcoming practices of one Christian community, and how technology might play a role.

What about screens in worship, a topic that seems endlessly divisive? On the one hand, replacing bulletins and hymnals with screens is really helpful for those whose hands are busy tending to small children or assistive devices like walkers, or for those whose arthritis makes holding a hymnal difficult. It can also help those with eyesight challenges. On the other hand, screens can (and often are) used in distracting and ineffective ways. Here's a thought-provoking article about the challenges of using PowerPoint, and here's one church's criteria for effective use of projector screens.

What about e-mail communication? Here's a great post from one of my classmates on how e-mail, text messaging, and social media has worked in her youth ministry work. I have also experienced e-mail as divisive. E-mail is fantastic for convenience, but we must be intentional about using multiple forms of communication, lest we exclude those members who do not have e-mail (yes, there are still such people out there).

This is the path my wandering mind has taken when considering this topic lately, but of course there is so much more to say? What are your thoughts on hospitality and technology? How have you experienced technology as helpful or harmful to hospitality in a congregation or elsewhere?