Local churches turning to Internet technology

Local churches of all denominations are using Web technology to further their ministries.

Churches are posting recent sermons on their Web sites, as well as listing upcoming events, showing photos of past activities and giving visitors information and photos of the church staff.

Second Baptist

With Second Baptist Church, 3111 E. Battlefield, visitors to its Web site at www.secondbaptist.org can listen to an entire church service live. Second Baptist has three Sunday morning services and the first two services, at 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., are available via audio streaming.

Second Baptist's Minister of Media Larry Eckman said the audio capability is facilitated during those two services because television crews are present to videotape the sermons. "The TV crews mix the audio for television," he said. "That's the signal we send out."

Internet listeners must have Windows Media Player to listen to the services, software that can be downloaded free on the site.

Eckman added that sometime within the next four months or so, Second Baptist will offer video streaming as well, to provide live viewing of the services. Video streaming will require more from the church's phone hookup than it can presently handle. "We can handle the audio streaming, but not the video," Eckman said. "In January, we'll switch from the phone carrier we have now to City Utilities.

"City Utilities can give us a pretty wide bandwidth. It will be a fiber optic line, not a phone line. The fiber optic line can handle more information than regular phone lines."

Eckman said the church's pastor, Dr. John Marshall, has really been pushing for the audio and video streaming. "He has a real love for missions," Eckman said. "(He) would like us to be able to translate the sermons into several foreign languages so that people in other countries can watch the service from wherever they live."

Like a number of churches in the Springfield area, Second Baptist's Web site also allows visitors to read past sermons which are kept in an online archive.

James River Assembly

James River Assembly of God, 6100 N. 19th St. in Ozark, has the most recent Sunday sermon on its Web site, www.jamesriver.org, as well as some archived sermons. Anthony Scoma, the church's pastor of discipleship, said they hope to add audio and video streaming at some point.

"The necessary technology, especially to have it here in Ozark, is expensive," Scoma said. "It will take an equipment upgrade. When we do offer audio and video streaming, we'll host our own site so that we'll have more space and more options."

In addition to the archives, the James River Web site allows visitors to take a virtual tour of the building, to e-mail prayer requests, and to view a listing of upcoming activities and learn more about the church staff.

Scoma put James River Assembly's Web site together with the help of some volunteers from the church, he said. Several churches in the area rely on volunteers to create their Web sites and update them.

Campell United Methodist

Alice Dodd is a member of Campbell United Methodist Church, 1747 E. Republic. She spends six hours to eight hours a week as a volunteer updating the church's Web site, www.campbell umc.org.

The site includes the most recent sermon as well as an archive of past sermons, a list of upcoming activities and other information.

Dodd said she saw being in charge of the Web site as a way of giving back to the church. "This has become a fun thing for me," she said. "I didn't know anything about Web sites when I started. My son has walked me through it all. I wanted to learn how to do it. I think the Web site is an important ministry. It's important to have the information out there, and people are enjoying it."

Dodd said she works pretty hard to keep the site current. "If it's not current, it's pretty useless," she said. "People are pretty good about sending me new information."

Christ Episcopal

Like Dodd, Karen Eagles is a volunteer. She takes care of the Web site www.christchurchepiscopal.com for Christ Episcopal Church, 601 E. Walnut St. Eagles put the site together two years ago.

It includes recent sermons as well as some that have been archived, general information about the Episcopal Church and biographies of the clergy.

Eagles would like to add several features to the site. "I'd like to have a guestbook where people can ask questions or give a comment to the staff," she said. "I think it would make the site more interactive."

Even though Eagles teaches a computer class at Southwest Missouri State University, she learned how to create a Web page after volunteering to do it for the church.

"Taking care of the Web site gives me a chance to be creative," she said. "It's a service to the church, something I can offer that they didn't have before." Eagles said the Web site has been a great way for people to learn about the church.

"After visiting different sites, they can decide which ones they want to visit," she said. "This is a new form of evangelism. You have to use the resources available to reach people."