The Hi-Tech Church: One Florida Congregation to Hold 3D Christmas Services

Thursday, 02 December 2010

The Hi-Tech Church: One Florida Congregation to Hold 3D Christmas Services
In movies, television and video games, the next big thing is 3D technology. If you're like many, you've probably seen a movie in the theaters in 3D. You may have even had the chance to view a 3D television at your local big box retailer.

So what does this have to do with the church? For one Florida congregation, 3D is more than just new technology; it's an outreach opportunity.

According to Mashable, "the Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida, is joining the digital age with a campaign that melds both augmented reality and 3D." And despite the hi-tech nature of the campaign, the concept is surprisingly simple.

The church is featuring 3D technology during all of their 20 Christmas services. In order to spread the word about these services, the congregation is passing out invitation cards. You can also print out an invitation card from the website.

Here's where it gets geeky. With invitation card in hand -- and access to a webcam and audio -- guests are encouraged to surf over to the 3D Christmas website. Then, they simply hold the invitation card up to their webcam with the marker facing the screen, and the site will recognize the marker and play an augmented reality video of pastor David Hughes inviting the guest to one of the 3D services.

This is a great example of a congregation using relevant means to reach people who might not normally attend a church service. There is but one problem: the whole thing seems a bit gimmicky. I can only hope that the Christmas services these guests attend live up to the hype and offer good Christian truths -- not just cool gadgets and technology.

What do you think of the hi-tech inclusions in this Christmas service? Do you think it's mostly gimmick, or do you think the guests who attend will also get good teaching? Would you attend these services?

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