2 minute read
Tim Hollinger
Technology Director
“I hate technology!” That’s a phrase I hear fairly often. Not directed at me but at the technology in question that I am attempting to help the frustrated person fix. And I’ll admit, there are days when technology is not my friend either. But in the last two weeks of March, many of us came to appreciate technology in ways we could not have imagined.
Last fall we moved all our files from a server on-site to “the cloud.” In simple terms that means in Microsoft datacenters across the country instead of just on one server in our building. More importantly, it means that those files are available to us from anywhere in the world. Before that, if you weren’t in the building, you couldn’t access your files. Our email system has been a part of that “cloud” structure since 2014. And with that file move, we introduced Microsoft Teams which is used for collaboration among staff members.
I’m a creature of habit, and I continued using email for my communication instead of Teams, as did most others. But the day we learned that we would likely be working from home, we held Teams training meetings all afternoon. By the next week, virtual meetings and communication via Teams became our new normal. While many are still frustrated by technology, I’ve heard a lot of praise and thanks to God for what it has allowed us to do in such a time as this.
In the fall of 2016, we began livestreaming our Sunday morning services in part because we knew our radio broadcast with WETN would be going away, but also to provide a video option for those who couldn’t attend in person. I never imagined a day when it would be our only way to hold church on a Sunday. But I’m so grateful to God that we already had that technology in place.
These are just a few examples of how the technology we were already using and developing for normal ministry use became essential tools in this extraordinary time. Beyond hardware and software are the servants who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all work. Joseph Abdelmelek, our AV manager, has been working to improve the look and sound of our livestream and to assist ministry staff in getting materials online. Tony Visconti, our digital ministry manager, has been instrumental in getting us trained and equipped in the use of these tools. I cannot do my job without these good men and would not have made it through this crisis without their efforts.
To God be the Glory!
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