“There’s a line between using AI to lessen the burden of ministry and using AI to escape the responsibilities God has called you to do. But as I consider the potential role of AI in my ministry and where that line may be, what I need most isn’t a list of dos and don’ts. I need wisdom.” - TGC
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Introducing new technologies into worship can be a challenge—especially into churches within the Reformed tradition.35 Some Christians within this tradition believe the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) applies only to the corporate gatherings of the church and interpret it as precluding the introduction of anything into the worship service that’s not explicitly commanded in the New Testament.36
“I think I’d better start with what in the world styling your documents even is. And the way to start is to show you a document that has not been styled.” - Ward on Words
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Churches are not merely called to evangelize the lost, but their mission also includes educating and equipping the saints (Eph 4:12-14). While the church’s pastoral teaching ministry (public and private) is and should remain its central means for accomplishing this task (Acts 2:42; Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 3:17-4:2), the church may employ other secondary means.
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(Technologies for outreach, continued)
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In our previous installment, we saw that human culture and technology are a necessary part of the creation mandate and as such should not be viewed as necessary or intrinsic evils. Moreover, we argued that religion is part of human culture, and it will, therefore, employ some of the tools of culture.
All churches employ forms of modern technology to assist them in the tasks of outreach, discipleship, community, and worship. This raises the question as to whether the Bible provides the church with any guidelines or principles for choosing and using appropriate forms of technology in carrying out her Great Commission. I believe it does. One key text in this regard actually comes from the Old Testament. I’m thinking of Ecclesiastes 10:10, where we read, “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed” (Eccl 10:10, NLT).1
“When I first began teaching others how to use Bible software in the early 2000s, I actually had a stock joke that Logos was building a sermon generator that would produce both exegesis and illustrations. It wasn’t a very funny joke then; now it’s not a joke at all. AI can do this.” - Mark Ward
“Whether you lead a growing church or one that’s plateaued, your online presence plays a vital role in engaging more people in your community. In many cases, the vast majority of a church’s web traffic comes from new people.” - Lifeway
