December 3, 2024 • Grayson Kent

Ministering through Technology – December Update

As the Christmas season unfolds, we are reminded of the Good News of Jesus Christ’s birth, a moment that changed the course of history and offers hope to the world. This time of year symbolizes not just joy and celebration but the incredible gift of love that God bestowed upon humanity through His Son. The message of peace and goodwill resonates in the carols we sing and the stories we share, inviting us to reflect on the miracle of the nativity and the promise of His salvation.

The Church’s Communications Department plays a vital role in sharing the Good News each day, reaching out to communities with messages of hope, faith, and inspiration. Through engaging content that spans various platforms, individuals are encouraged to depend on their relationship with God. As of this writing (October 10, 2024), 259,714 unique homes have been reached through digital media outreach since the beginning of this year. Each home represents at least one soul, and many likely represent entire families.

Project Updates

I am excited to report that the initial design and layout of the website redesign project have been completed! We are currently updating content and working on the translation to launch both the English and Spanish sites as closely together as possible. Our goal is to launch this new site very soon!

In August of this year, we partnered with the Womens Missionary Band to launch Unstoppable Women, a devotional and conversational podcast focused on ministering to the needs of women. In September, we recorded the first three episodes of Ready Answers for Bible Questions, revamping the series from a DVD-based teaching series to a discussion format for an upcoming online release. In addition, we continue to record sermons from our Communications Minister and former World Missions Coordinator for a soon-to-be-released sermon series.

Looking Forward

Next year will not be without its challenges for this department. There are three major areas where I am looking to improve the department.

First, creating new content mandates that we continue expanding our studio capabilities. In the March 2024 issue of The Evening Light, we shared the need to purchase additional lighting and grid infrastructure to properly light each portion of the room and facilitate signal flow. With help from a very generous donation, we were able to purchase all the equipment and supplies for this phase, and I am happy to report it is all installed and operational in our studio. Moving forward, we need to purchase some audio, truss, and set pieces to make our recordings look as attractive as possible.

Second, all technology has a lifespan. Sometimes, this lifespan is reached in obsolescence, while other times, it is outgrown. During the General Assembly, we discovered that we have outgrown the current capacity of our video router and switch in our video rack. These are the main components of our system that run both the studio and our out-of-studio broadcasts. If we are to continue improving our live broadcasts, we must upgrade these pieces of equipment.

Finally, to make our workflow more efficient, we must invest in tools that allow us to collaborate in our post-production workflow. This collaboration will allow us to solicit help from volunteers and others outside the office to produce content much faster.

The cost to accomplish these three needs is as follows:

Category	Price
Studio (Audio and Finishings)	$15,748
Video Rack Upgrades (Routing/Switch/More)	$25,250
Editing/Collaboration	$7,095

Items in each category with prices are available upon request. As funds become available, we will immediately begin working toward accomplishing these goals.

As great as the need is for equipment, supplies, and other tangible items, there is an ever-increasing need for more people willing to use their skills and talents for this department. If you feel a burden for this work or feel that you have special skills that can be used, please reach out to me.