Spring 2000
Volume 4 Number 4
Spring 2000
Volume 4 Number 4
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by Elizabeth TerrillLet’s say you’re a well-established church in…oh, let’s say you’re in Texas. You have four full-time pastors (all Princeton Seminary grads, of course!), a crackerjack staff, and a dedicated laity of 2,700 or so. You reach a lot of people through your three Sunday morning services, and ten to fifteen thousand more by having your 11:00 a.m. service broadcast on a local classical music radio station. Overall, you’re doing fine. Still, you’re hankering for a broader range because…well, because the Gospel of Jesus, the Christ, lives and breathes in you, runs through your veins, and you just can’t help but want to share it! What would you do? If your congregation is Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, you find a way to buy time on the Internet and broadcast your worship service live. That should get the Word to a few more folks in a hurry. And it does. According to the Reverend R. Elizabeth Boone, PTS Class of
1991, Preston Hollow’s website (www.phpc.org)
and Internet worship When asked about the program’s beginnings, Boone says, "We thought, ‘Hey, this needs to happen.’ It’s an incredible way to be an evangelist in a high-tech manner. I really do believe you can deepen your faith through technology." She notes the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s historical position at the cutting edge of technology, integrating the needs of the mainline church with the best resources society has to offer. Boone sees the trajectory as one begun long ago: "Jesus met people where they were. He met the Samaritan woman at the well when she was there. A lot of young people spend so much time on the Internet. If you’re someone who’s unchurched, this is an opportunity to see what church is all about." Some young people know what church is all about but are unable to attend. Boone tells of a message received from a fifteen-year-old girl who wrote, "My mom died when I was eleven; Dad’s not a Christian. I look forward to weddings, because they’re the only time I get to go to church. Thank you for broadcasting, ’cause it’s the first time I’ve been able to go to a church service since my mom died." Services are also archived at www.lightsource.com, so listeners can tune in when convenient, rather than only when the service is aired live. Techies have been "reaching in" to the church through the Internet, but now they’re also reaching back out, bringing their skills forward to help with the web site. Boone believes this phenomenon demonstrates the priesthood of all believers in a fresh way. When people use their unique skills to help share the Gospel, it helps others realize "you don’t have to be an ordained clergyperson to be a vibrant witness in the world." A good example is a man in his mid-to-late twenties who was baptized in January of this year, having come to Preston Hollow through his fiancée — and Preston Hollow’s web site, the address of which is listed on the church’s roadside sign. He’s now instrumental in the web site’s regular maintenance. Many new members are excited about the congregation’s Internet activity, finding a new energy in high-tech answers to the question, How can I grow in my faith and share my faith with others? Boone hopes the Internet service will continue to be broadcast for a long time. No one knows who funds the broadcasts, which are paid for by an "anonymous financial source" that has guaranteed three years’ worth of broadcasts. It is Boone’s desire to see the congregation pick up the financial responsibility for keeping the services going out to as many people as they can reach. She’s looking forward to the program’s year-end evaluation, hoping for more fine-tuning. But even with the high-tech boom, some things in ministry remain remarkably human-based. Boone appreciates her time at PTS for many reasons, but especially for the way the Seminary taught her to use her voice and presence. Her most beloved class? The Bible As Liberating Word, because it forced production of a sermon, a Bible lesson, and a critical paper, and "that’s what you have to do in a congregation!" Most of all, Boone advises, "Have fun with what you’re doing. God’s called us to have joy in our lives, and to share joy with others. Figure out how to do it!" Preston Hollow seems to have caught the wave!
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In This Issue
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service work together to bring in an ongoing flood of comments and
inquiries. As associate pastor for mission and evangelism, Boone is
pleased about the breadth of contact made through the Internet. The church
knew the program was a success when its pastor and head of staff, the
Reverend Dr. Blair R. Monie (PTS Classes of 1973 and 1979), received a
message on his high-tech wristwatch as he prepared to deliver the
benediction at the conclusion of the first broadcast on Palm Sunday
morning 1999. The message came from Monie’s daughter, listening in from
the East Coast, and was as eloquent as it was simple: "Slam dunk,
Dad!"