Redeem the time: We all have time in the car, doing chores, or relaxing after the kids are in bed when we can have some audio going in the background.  Providing sermons gives us more “meat” to listen to while doing those other activities.

A while back I reviewed the book SimChurch (part 1 and part 2) which argued in favor of virtual/online forms of doing church.  In those reviews, I strongly objected to making a virtual church your personal church experience and place of membership mainly due to the need for physical presence to administer the sacraments and to fellowship without a mediating technology.  While I still think this way, I’ve put more thought lately into posting sermons online.  Our church plant posts sermons online and I’ve come to see a number of benefits to even smaller churches doing this.

1. The Great Commission: Our call is to “make disciples” and to “teach” them (Matt 28:18-20) and preaching is a primary means for this teaching.  Making sermons available is much like the work of the Gideons placing Bibles all over – get the Word out there for any who will benefit from it.
2. Nursery workers: I love to volunteer in the nursery so other parents can relax and participate in worship with less distraction (and appreciate that service myself!).  However, I miss the sermon.  Even if the sermon is piped in to the nursery, crying or active children makes it hard to hear.  If I can download it later, I can keep up with a sermon series.
3. Members with short- or long-term illness: My dad has ALS and isn’t able to come on Sunday mornings to worship anymore.  However, he can watch a broadcast on TV or listen via a podcast.  This technology is a great solution for someone without physical access and I’m grateful that he has it.
4. Visitors: A collection of recent sermons gives potential visitors a chance to learn a bit about your church.  They get a flavor for how the pastor preaches and for the broad style by going through the archive (topical, sequential through a book, or a mix)
5. Christians outside your church: Our church’s men’s group went through Ephesians recently, and now my parent’s church is going through a sermon series on it.  Listening through those has been a great way to reinforce what I learned or see another application for a passage.
6. Repeat listening inside your church: If I’m particularly struck or confused by a sermon, I can listen to it again and pause if I need to.
7. Redeem the time: We all have time in the car, doing chores, or relaxing after the kids are in bed when we can have some audio going in the background.  Providing sermons gives us more “meat” to listen to while doing those other activities.

Dr. George “Lee” Nickles, a member of the Presbyterian Church in America, is Assistant to the Dean for Technology and Curriculum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. This article is reprinted from his blog and is used with permission.