Preaching and the second screen
Research published yesterday by in the UK by Digital Clarity, confirms what many have believed for some time about trends in TV viewing habits. Amongst the under-25s ‘social TV’ is on the increase, where people watching TV are simultaneously communicating with their friends via a second screen on Twitter or Facebook. 80% of those surveyed said that they used a second screen, with 72% of them using Twitter. This transforms TV viewing from a passive to an active experience, and allows those who are geographically separated to watch TV ‘together’. Reggie James, founder of Digital Clarity, commented ‘Social TV has changed this completely by turning programmes into online events where you have to watch them as they happen’. Instead of passively absorbing the content of a TV programme, people are discussing it, laughing about it, and even suggesting the way it should go.
A trend which I have started to notice in the past month or two is people tweeting live on a Sunday from the sermon they are hearing. They are not doing it in vast numbers, and it doesn’t happen every week, but the hashtag #sermon or #sundaysermon is becoming a familiar sight on my Twitter feed. I find myself slightly torn over this. On the one hand, as described in my post on circular preaching, I welcome anything which turns preaching into a more interactive experience. People tweeting about it means that they are engaging more of their brain with the process of listening, which has to be good. On the other hand, the sight of people looking down at their phones whilst I am preaching, as if uninterested, could be distinctly unnerving. Also, does it mean that they are thinking more about how they can translate the message into 140 characters than how they can translate it into their character? I would love to know what others think about this.
Some of you may remember the sequence in Life of Brian where a group of people at the back of the crowd listening to the Sermon on the Mount all mishear Christ’s words differently. Perhaps today it might look something like this:
preachersa2z
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Richard Littledale's Preacher's A - Z 
98 comments
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March 24, 2011 at 9:11 am
Dave Roberts
People looking down is not new… People look down to take notes, read the Bible with the preacher as well as praying the preacher finiishes quickly! lol Will come back with comments made on a post about this on Facebook…
March 24, 2011 at 2:29 pm
drbexl
Get lots of other people commenting?
March 24, 2011 at 9:15 am
Jonny Rose
I’m going to possibly incur the wrath of many Christian digeratti when I say this but I genuinely believe that live-tweeting during sermons does much more harm than good.
Whilst diseminating great nuggets of preaching on Twitter to those in your feed who would never be seen dead in a church is a valuable interaction, tweeting mid-sermon:
– Is discourteous to the preacher who is trying to foster a connectino with the congregation
– Alienates tweeters from those alongside them who are not tweeting (ever tried having a conversation with a family member who’s texting)
– Probably creates a two-tier culture within churches of tweeters and non-tweeters (we all know how cliquey churches can get)
– Means THEY’RE not focussing fully on the Message
Etc Etc
I think you should (lovingly) dump all smartphones used in church in the baptismal font.
March 24, 2011 at 10:09 am
preachersa2z
As a preacher I have to thank you for your words on courtesy. Do I have to get a little less ‘precious’ about such things though, I wonder?
March 24, 2011 at 1:52 pm
tom cottar
Jonny,
i realize everyone is different. everyone not only engages differently, but processes differently as well. As a 43 y.o. tweeting worship leader, I would submit the following:
-it’s NOT discourteous to the preacher. it’s quite the opposite. He’s evidently saying something and connecting in such a way that’s worth publicizing to the Twitterverse. Unless the person in the pew is tweeting, “Dear Jesus…I’m bored out of my skull. Please save me now.”, the preacher should be honored that he’s not only connected, but the message is being passed along as something deemed worthy to share with those NOT ‘in the club’ (church).
-creates a two-tier culture? hmmm…if your church only has two tiers, there may only be two people in the church. churches are already multi-tiered and, just IMO, anything that (a) connects them together while (b) spreads the gospel is probably not an evil thing.
-not focusing fully on the message? I disagree…passive listening takes nearly zero effort..we all can zone out and come back to a conversation and not *really* know what’s been said while we’ve daydreamed. (married, anyone?) I’d submit that listening, taking notes (even on your smartphone), translating into 140 characters while conveying the same message is VERY engaged. It’s the whole gamut of hearing, interpreting, and synthesizing information in real-time.
Richard, I’d encourage you to be encouraged that the Holy Spirit is using you to not only minister to your congregation, but quite probably, other parts of the planet as well on Sunday morning! God’s word does not return void…
just my $.02…
March 24, 2011 at 3:30 pm
naohsapprentice
Jonny, If I may play devil’s advocate for a moment…
I think there are many things preachers could do to form a connection with the congregation, not least to engage with the technology that culture is using. I think a few tweeters are quite honestly the least of most preachers problems.
I would say that most churches automatically alienate people by seating them in rows where we spend most of the service looking at the back of other people’s heads… Would it be more useful to consider how to incorporate the technology into the process of the service? Come along to iMass at Greenbelt this summer – we’re exploring these issues.
Churches are already two tier; those who do not engage with digital media and ‘like’ traditional services in their chosen denomination and those who do engage with the technology who probably feel a little bit put out by the lack of church interest in something that forms a big part of their lives. (I could be bias on that point).
My issue with your final point is that I’m a visual and kinesthetic learner so your average sermon doesn’t cater for me anyway – tweeting or sketching or whatever during a sermon may seem rude or be perceived as not focusing but it helps some of us to process.
I think there are many things in church that should be drowned in the baptismal font, technology is not one of them.
James
March 24, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Drbexl
True ‘fresh expressions’ of church… All traditions start from somewhere – which ones are helpful? Looking forward to trying out iMass (not that i’ve ever been to a physical mass!).
September 6, 2011 at 10:58 pm
David
I’m 50+ age and have comparatively week audio processing (it’s neurological). If you public speaker person (sermonizing or not) wants me to process what you’re saying, don’t begrudge me taking notes electronically! Would you complain if someone was taking notes on a piece of paper?
September 7, 2011 at 6:27 am
RICHARD LITTLEDALE
Wouldn’t object to either – just glad to see a listener engaged!
March 24, 2011 at 9:20 am
Martin
Really interesting topic this. I had noticed the hashtags appearing on Sundays but not really paid much attention to them to be honest. Can 140 characters really put over the importance of a sermon that has affected you in some way? I can kind of understand people twittering afterwards but during I think would lead to points beign missed as you realise that your current tweet is 145 characters long and you don’t know how to shorten it. Twitter is a great tool but we shouldn’t loose sight of it not being perfect. I don’t think our Christian lives should be shaped to fit twitter but we should shape twitter to fit our Christian lives.
Of more sense to me is the age old habbit that seems to be dying out of taking notes to reflect on later, after the service. Then from these notes perhaps trying to sum it up in 140 characters and tweeting this. This would also enable you to perhaps carry around with you this tweet to meditate on during the week. (must point out all very nice idea in theory but I don’t do this myself #slapwrist & #musttryharder).
March 24, 2011 at 10:11 am
preachersa2z
This seems like a good compromise to me – ‘live’ notes, followed by post-sermon tweets. Mind you, what if you take the notes on your smartphone?
March 24, 2011 at 10:35 am
Simon
I take notes on my iPhone-but did have to point out to my minister that that’s what I was doing, not playing Angry Birds!
March 24, 2011 at 9:23 am
jandWs
If you’re tweeting in a sermon, you’re probably only hearing the words, not the message.
March 24, 2011 at 11:27 am
drbexl
That makes a lot of assumptions about the way that others engage… It’s the same as with students – people listen/learn in different ways, and one is not necessarily more valuable than the other…
March 24, 2011 at 9:42 am
Phoce
As a preacher I would want to encourage it, in one sense it is no different to note taking as mentioned above. If someone wants to do this via twitter than good on them. It also gives me a chance to respond, if they ask questions make points then I can follow them up or further the conversation.
The other thing I would want to note is the damage we can do by installing a no twitter rule in services. How would you police it? What would someone think if you stopped them? Do we have the right to stop someone engaging with the sermon because we don’t like it? What’s to say that for them using twitter in this way isn’t a way in which God speaks to them or to others?
Just some thoughts
March 24, 2011 at 10:13 am
preachersa2z
Am just waiting for the day when I see a sign in a church reading “no mobiles – may interfere with sensitive worship equipment”! Wide conversations are good, and sermon engagement is good. Perhaps as a preacher I just need to be a little less sensitive about people doing such things whilst listening?
March 24, 2011 at 10:28 am
Marika
Richard, you’re being too charitable – people aren’t ‘listening’ when they tweet (if by listening you mean: engaging intellectually with what you’re hearing).
Here’s an idea: have your own tweetdeck open as you preach and comment on the tweets as you see them appearing. That should discourage it 😀
March 24, 2011 at 10:55 am
preachersa2z
Not sure I’m multi-tasking savvy enough to pull that one off! Mind you, the idea of a live “twitterfall” in response to the sermon from people listening to it could be really interesting.
March 24, 2011 at 11:26 am
drbexl
I doubt whether it would discourage things, it might encourage people to see the benefits…
March 24, 2011 at 3:35 pm
noahsapprentice
here’s an idea… instead of a preach, have a discussion – this could be led by a live twitter feed on screen. much more interactive and participatory, a bit like what Jesus used to do.
March 24, 2011 at 10:32 am
drbexl
You can see my thoughts on this at: http://bigbible.org.uk/2011/01/further-thoughts-on-sunday-tweeting/. I’m entirely with @Phoce…
When printing/paper was first invented those in the church were terrified that it would give ‘more power’ to the people, and probably that people wouldn’t listen as much etc (I’m sure someone else has far more info on this, and I may have once I’ve written my lecture on the history of social networking in a few weeks!).
I find I listen more if I’m taking notes. I, however, kept forgetting to take my notebook. In having my smartphone I am back to being able to take notes, sometimes in the notepad, and sometimes I tweet stuff… from my personal account where I tweet what I like (you can follow me or not, these notes are for me is kinda my attitude on that account!), so I’m not trying to craft 140 characters for someone else.
We have had the same debate countless times re: tweeting in conferences/lectures, and yes, people may not be listening in the SAME way, but it may be a more interactive engagement.. and maybe churches need to be working on increasing digital literacy to enable people to know when it’s good for them to use a tool, and when it’s not.
At the risk of being even more controversial than @98rosjon, I think it’s similar to places that ban ALL alcohol because it may tempt some, but not banning biscuits when there’s plenty more of us tempted by that…
P.S. I’m thinking maybe I should just be using a blog for that ‘borderless bigbible conversation’, not sure the forum is sustainable. Going to see how it goes for the rest of #bigread2011, then start looking at other options… but who knows what else is in the pipeline for social media 🙂
March 24, 2011 at 11:06 am
preachersa2z
Bex
Have to confess yours are some of the tweets I was thinking of. Just discussing this with a 20-year old, who thought that a live twitterfall of reactions to the sermon would be fascinating for the congregation…but tough for the preacher! Totally support your comments on digital literacy…and the discernment which goes along with it.
March 24, 2011 at 11:23 am
drbexl
As soon as I saw the post I knew you’d split the discussion. I was very priviledged on Tuesday to give a couple of workshop sessions to senior church administrators (which therefore indicates they’re from large churches), and they were incredibly interested (if a little scared… but scared is good… sometimes) to see what the potential options were.
Again, live twitterfall can be difficult for the speaker in whatever context. I would always seek to have the Twitter fall to the side of the preacher/speaker (not behind), as you can then engage with what is being said (this is an art few of us have yet learnt), and also seems to keep people more ‘on topic’… It’s definitely been done in the States…
As a lecturer, it’s difficult to know if a student is paying attention or texting their friend, but if they’re not with us, then they will find another way of disconnecting/disengaging… it’s not the phone/Twitter!
March 24, 2011 at 10:41 am
Jennifer
This has really got me going! We have an informal Sunday evening service at which we have a talk and then discussion groups – we feedback after around 15 minutes but often the start of conversations and responses is forgotten by the time feedback comes round or its difficult to unravel the complexities of the conversation to feedback.
I have a feeling that used in this context, twittering or facebooking to screen of initial responses as the conversation goes on would be brilliant and have opened a discussion with the youth leader and intern here about the possibilities … its an idea. We will explore.
Thank you for your post. In the context of tweeting mid sermon, I think it could be distracting initially but very interesting! There is one BIG problem – I, for example, am not a particularly sociable character and it might be the start of not having to actually make the effort to speak to anyone ever again!! ;o)
March 24, 2011 at 10:56 am
preachersa2z
As you say, this lends itself especially to a discursive form of preaching. It could “extend” the sermon so much if we were willing to give it a go…
March 24, 2011 at 10:42 am
Tony Watkins
I’m quite happy for people to preach when I’m preaching as long as people don’t start to see their role as a twitter journalist who just reports on what they’re hearing without engaging. But then, people have all sorts of ways of not engaging with the content and implications of sermons anyway – including taking notes (can become simply record keeping) and even theological analysis (easy to start being critical of details as a way of not facing up to the need to be transformed).
Most people taking notes do so because they want to engage seriously, and I suspect most people tweeting want to do the same. There also seems to me to be something good about engaging with it in the public space of the twitterverse, potentially stimulating conversation or accountability. For myself, I tweet extremely rarely when I’m listening, but that may be because my Bible is on my iPod Touch so it means closing that down to open Twittelator and that is distracting.
I like live-tweeting while preaching, though I don’t do it often enough as it takes time to set up all the tweets and their triggers in Keynote. I tweet the headings and some key points, quotes, etc. These seem to get retweeted more often than people write their own tweets.
March 24, 2011 at 10:58 am
preachersa2z
Live-tweeting whilst preaching? Now that’s an idea!
March 24, 2011 at 11:09 am
Neil Powell
It’s just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
What is a sermon? An encounter with the living God. Tim Keller has said on more than one occasion that he feels he’s failed in preaching if people are still taking notes half way through! He’d despair if people were tweeting!
Happy to tweet during Christian conferences, etc. even after the sermon, but how can God be doing business with my heart in the moment if I’m busy trying to condense a thought to 140 characters, etc. for the benefit of others!
March 24, 2011 at 11:25 am
drbexl
People worship/engage with God in different ways. My encounter with God is not lessened through tweeting when it feels appropriate, and is often strengthened. If users feel it’s a distraction, then yes, don’t use it.
In sermons I tweet for myself… not for the benefit of others…
March 24, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Neil Powell
What does it mean to tweet for yourself? I’m not sure I get that? I’m not saying it can’t be done but I don’t see the point of note taking through twitter or have I missed something.
The reason I don’t use my iPhone to read the Bible passage etc. during someone elses sermon is so that others don’t get distracted or think I’m checking texts, tweets, e-mails.
So I see that it’s possible to tweet for self but I can’t see much in the upside benefits and I can see a few more downs.
March 24, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Erin
If you think it’s wrong, then it is wrong. For YOU. Just like having a glass of wine with dinner — but Paul told Timothy he should do it for his health. See where I’m going with this?
I get that you think it’s disrespectful to God, but God engages with individuals in very different ways. The world is changing, becoming increasingly more digital. God’s character never changes, but neither does He speak to everyone in exactly the same ways.
Who’s to say God isn’t getting through to the person tweeting, speaking to their hearts as they compose the tweet, and then speaking to others’ hearts through them on Twitter? I believe we limit God when we assume He can’t work a certain way in us or in others.
Let’s be careful not to call something “wrong” that God might want to use.
March 24, 2011 at 2:05 pm
drbexl
Ooo, I thought I’d written that for a minute! You kinda said what was in my head!
March 24, 2011 at 1:53 pm
preachersa2z
Like you, I have a very high view of preaching and its place in the kingdom. Not sure I would draw the distinction between speaking at a conference & preaching – but maybe that is person taste. Your point about thinking space taken by condensing is interesting. For some that takes a lot of effort, for others it is as natural as writing down a note. The tweets I have seen on #sermon are single thoughts, such as were passing through the head of the listener anyway.
March 24, 2011 at 2:17 pm
drbexl
I find it far more natural to write a few tweets, whereas I used to try and capture almost THE ENTIRE SERMON (not even the meaning). In writing for myself, I can see back to those tweets should I wish to, and am likely to over the next couple of days, so it’s all part of allowing the Sunday sermon to tip over into the rest of my week. I think, again, it depends. Tweeting is an everyday part of my life, something I have to think very little about, so tweeting is like breathing for me… therefore it’s a natural outlet for my thoughts.
I can’t really see any downsides to tweeting during sermons UNLESS you are nipping off to check your emails, etc. (and yes, I have seen people doing that). I think we worry too much about what others think – this is between me/God… if someone wants to ask me about what I was doing afterwards – that’s fine, my conscience is clear.. and, as with teaching, if the preacher makes a point that uses e.g. terminology that I’m not familiar with, I can Google it on the spot!! I may respond to some other tweets, but I’ve only ONCE consciously made an effort to tweet throughout a whole sermon, so it’s usually my thoughts going out and potentially a debate afterwards. If people find it helpful to debate, then fine… I think God can put us in places where we get what God wants for us early on in the sermon, and may take that time to think about it… may not be what the preacher wants to see, but the preacher is a messenger of God.. it’s not (necessarily) a reflection on them…
March 24, 2011 at 11:44 am
Michael Eve
I’m definitely on the side of those who say that the potential for twitter here, and presumably the way that people use twitter when they’re tweeting when watching TV *, is for listeners to tweet comments and questions. It would then be up to the preacher to decide whether to clarify anything (s)he’d said and whether (s)he could respond immediately or later.
This must be similar to a wag standing at the back of the crowd, listening to Mr Wesley and heckling, “Oi, Wesley, what d’ya mean God loves me?”
( * Tweet when watching TV: “why did Smith shoot Jones then?” )
March 24, 2011 at 12:06 pm
John Hamilton
Wow! This has really got the commentators going. You’ll have to blog a summary later, Richard
March 24, 2011 at 2:13 pm
preachersa2z
Indeed I will. Think I will put something on BigBible tomorrow.
March 24, 2011 at 12:33 pm
The Church Mouse
Very interesting. Just trying to work out whether drbexl is advocating drinking during sermons!
I have to say that the parallel with tweeting whilst watching TV is interesting, but as with all analogies is imperfect. Mainly because people don’t always pay that much attention whilst watching TV. At my house we talk during TV, for example, which is considered rude by most preachers if done during the sermon.
I very often see tweeting during conference speeches, etc., but I do think preaching is rather different. When tweeting during conference speeches or TV shows, the idea is either to tell people what is being said, or to share views with those who are watching or listening to the same material. Unless we are tweeting with other people in the same Church, this is quite different from tweeting during sermons.
The objective (and perhaps this is controversial) in preaching is for the preacher to expound the word of God and for the listener. It is to allow those words to open our minds and hearts to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to speak to us and open up a new idea about God and his kingdom, which in turn allows that to change us to be more in the image of Christ. It is not just about learning something in a lecture of from a documentary.
For that reason, I can’t help feeling that tweeting would do more harm than good.
March 24, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Neil Powell
Amen! That’s exactly right.
March 24, 2011 at 1:54 pm
tom cottar
@TheChurchMouse,
…advocating drinking during sermons?!?…
that might depend on the sermon, yeah?
March 24, 2011 at 2:07 pm
drbexl
Well, I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a little wine at communion… but no, I was making a parallel about not judging others for doing something that you may feel is wrong/just because it’s not the way you would do it…
March 24, 2011 at 2:13 pm
preachersa2z
In some instances…definitely!
March 24, 2011 at 1:51 pm
jimmylee42
I find personally that there is a difference between note taking on paper and tweeting, mainly because I find I can write notes more easily without being distracted from what is being said (e.g. no 140 character limit etc), whereas when tweetings it can be more distracting, esp as you’re trying to fit a certain sentence within the limit etc. Maybe that’s more my lack of tweeting skills, but that’s what I find.
My preferred way of doing it is to Tweet particular points that struck home with me after the service, which is more about saying ‘this is a great point made in the sermon at church this morning, what do you think?’
I do think there is scope for Twitter interaction within church services though – though it will inevitably depend on the particular church – for example, using a hashtag to get people to send in questions for a Q&A time after the sermon (if the topic is appropriate) – I’ve seen churches do this via text, so could work with Twitter too.
However, I agree with Phoce that imposing any kind of ban would be damaging and counterproductive, and if someone is able to Tweet during the sermon without losing track, then fairplay to them – perhaps distilling a particular point into 140 characters could help clarify it in their mind and be used by the Spirit to press the point home.
This is an issue that is going to be become more and more relevant as time goes on, so it’s great to be discussing it!
March 24, 2011 at 1:57 pm
preachersa2z
I’m sure you’re right – this issue will become more significant as time goes by. However we resolve it, we must respect:
a) the importance of the sermon as an authentic and embodied word from God
b) the individual differences between those who listen to it.
Perhaps our governing factor here is the “weaker-bother-principle” of Romans 14. I may be free two Tweet, but if it distracts preacher or listeners, I am abusing that freedom?
March 24, 2011 at 1:53 pm
TheChurchSofa
So what’s the difference between taking notes on my iPhone compared to tweeting a few key phrases from the sermon?
What’s the difference between notes on twitter, and making notes on paper.
Keeping notes via twitter is one of those things that helps me continue to pay attention!
March 24, 2011 at 2:20 pm
drbexl
Hear Hear! Maybe this is where we drag the digital resident/digital visitor (formally the digital native/immigrant/alien) debate back out…
March 24, 2011 at 1:57 pm
preachersa2z
More power to you then!
March 24, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Kevin
I once sent a tweet from the pulpit to make a point. I guess I can’t hold it against the congregation if they tweet while I’m preaching. XD
March 24, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Tim Hutchings
What’s the point of tweeting during a sermon?
Live-tweeting is an art, and very few people seem to be able to do it well. I follow Twitter feeds during conferences, and you see just the same problem there. It’s very easy to tweet something like, “listening to a great talk about butterflies from @buddingacademiciwanttobutterup”, or “nice sermon today about the gospel”, but that conveys absolutely no information. What am I, the reader of your tweet, supposed to do with something like that? Useless.
A useful tweet would share a link, ask a question, or summarise an unexpected (not obvious!) point. If your church puts its sermons online, encourage people to tweet the link when something good happens. If the preacher shares a brilliant insight, pass it on and start a conversation. Getting the preacher to tweet a couple of official highlights would be a great idea.
Tweeting could be a useful way to increase the impact of a sermon, but you need to think hard about why you’re tweeting, how you do it, and how you create value through your messages.
March 24, 2011 at 2:19 pm
drbexl
If you’re doing it for yourself, it’s not necessarily about creating value… although we do need to recognise that we are sending out into a public space.
And yes… those kind of tweets you mention are pretty pointless…
March 24, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Tim Hutchings
If you’re doing it for yourself and not creating value, why share it at all? That’s what diaries are for, surely.
March 24, 2011 at 2:15 pm
preachersa2z
Two key words there Tim – “why” and “How”. We must have a good reason WHY, and the HOW must facilitate our greater (rather than poorer) listening – as well as that of those around us.
March 24, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Drbexl
It won’t let me reply to Tim’s comment re value so this is as close as I can get. It’s creating value for ME… Twitter is the only form of diary I have ever had (can download last 5000 tweets into tweet books)… The whole point of Twitter is that you’re not forcing anyone to read stuff… I am SO keen for social media to allow us to demonstrate to the world that we are fully rounded human beings with life inside/outside church, with the outside affected by the inside… Therefore if people can tweet from church, people can see that it’s a ‘normal’ aspect of life…
March 24, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Phoce
Very interesting points made and obviously are individual views on various areas impact on our perspective. Romans 14 is a dangerous verse to hold against this as I could list various things that distract me in services and if we are not allowing twitter because it distracts some we will have to get rid of lots of other stuff because it distracts others.
As I said before I am a preacher and would say I hold it highly. I do recognise though that it has more to do with what God is doing in peoples life there and then than each of my points remembered in the right order and word for word. If someone finds the use of twitter helpful then God bless them and I will encourage them in that.
I would come back to my earlier point, what are you going to do to stop people using twitter?
March 24, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Tim Hutchings
I find most sermons pretty demoralising – can we use Romans 14 to get rid of those, too?
Regarding stopping people using Twitter… I would take the opposite approach, and talk about it directly. This is an opportunity to start your congregation thinking about what preaching really is and how we should respond to it. Good material for a sermon! It’s also an opportunity to start training the congregation to use media well. What makes for a good tweet?
March 24, 2011 at 2:37 pm
drbexl
Brilliant response Tim 🙂 Hear hear to both… now, a bigger debate is, I am in my other job today, and have been distracted by this debate… so am going to have to catch up later!!
March 24, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Jennifer
I wonder if Eutychus would have been spared the ignominy of sleeping during sermons if he had been able to tweet his thoughts …. but then he wouldn’t have been ‘made alive’ if he had …
(Acts 20:9)
(Just a thought … ;o))
March 24, 2011 at 4:00 pm
preachersa2z
Ah yes – dear old Eutychus – patron saint of boring preachers!
March 24, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Mike Simmonds
I have sometimes encouraged tweeting during a sermon, posing a question or asking for a story. There were few tweeters present but feedback was good and provided useful input before the end of the service.
Twitter can be a learning tool. Like anything else it can be misused. But if it engages people in the message I believe it can be positive.
March 24, 2011 at 4:43 pm
preachersa2z
Mike
Good to hear about someone giving it a go. How did the non-tweeters react?
March 24, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Dana Byers
Great topic! I am in my early 30s and have been involved in online ministry for a few years now (both related to evangelism and discipleship). While I don’t think I’ve heard any sort of rule mentioned about this, my observation has been recently that it wouldn’t be appropriate to live tweet the comments or interactions of a small group setting (as accountability, personal stories, and more are being shared), but live tweeting in a corporate setting is acceptable.
I would feel it’s a compliment to see someone live tweeting what I’m sharing if it’s meant to encourage, help, or train others who cannot be present at the event.
March 24, 2011 at 5:44 pm
Dave Roberts
As far as I can see, people are talking about tweeting from the pews But how about another group?
how about those who arent present in the building who are listening in live and tweeting as they do? lots of housebound and isolated peoples can then be seen to be engaged with church… this generation of such people may or may not be technologically savvy, but sure as eggs are eggs, the next generation will be! how does the church engage with these folk? its my contention that it is through using online services…
March 24, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Yinkster
I am part of a newly-formed Social Media team at my church and sometimes we attempt live tweeting during a sermon. We thoroughly believe that Twitter is one of the best tools to help accomplish Mark 16:15. And we are grateful that our Senior Pastor believes it too! So not only do we tweet during a service, we encourage others to do so too!
In fact my only slight annoyance is when one of our tweeps beats us to tweeting a “gem”! 🙂
And to address the question of whether it means less concentration, I believe that to fully digest the entire content of anything heard, it should be heard more than once anyway… So what about making your sermon available to hear online during the week for the benefit of your congregation (who may or may not have been tweeting live), and then encouraging them to share some more stuff throughout the week!
Great topic though, thank you for bringing it up!
March 24, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Drbexl
No one can digest the entire content of a sermon anyway 🙂 God speaks through different bits… Definitely want to hear about what your church is doing for big bible blog please!!
Meantime, I’d like to say it’s great to see a conversation which allows people with so many different viewpoints to discuss something that is clearly contentious… And in a graceful manner (as Krish Kandiah in particular I have heard encourage us several times)… /with grace!! Differing opinions will exist in churches – we are imperfect human beings who need to live alongside each other.
March 24, 2011 at 6:19 pm
preachersa2z
Wow! Would love to hear more about your church and how this all functions. You may find my other posts on “circular preaching” and “digital fellowship” of interest
March 24, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Will
Just to get a different perspective tale a look at this article http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895463,00.html
March 24, 2011 at 7:16 pm
maggi dawn
when we had a live twitterfall (is that what it’s called?) at the CNMAC conference I found it very disconcerting while speaking.
If it’s going to be a continuing trend it will, in fact, not be merely a way of recording or interacting, it will change the way we speak in public. Remember Douglas Adam’s imagining of what interactivity would do to the TV?
So maybe we need to keep a close analytical watch on what twitter interactivity does in live, public settings, but also have the courage to ask for “phones off” in some situations. Multiple modes of communication would surely be a good way forward? And you surely wouldn’t tweet during a personal conversation (or if you would there’s a problem…. !!)
March 24, 2011 at 9:40 pm
drbexl
I thought it was interesting that the Twitterfall was running, but we weren’t yet at a stage where we were ready to do anything with it. It does actually take a little getting used to… and to ignoring it – I’d love to learn next time how to actually interact with it.. but I guess I’ve been getting used to speaking from the screen (and less from a script) a lot more recently… so maybe I’m getting ready for it!!!
Definitely times where it’s good to have phones off, but the default condition IS currently phones off, so at present it’s putting it into the mix!!
People have been known to tweet after their wedding vows… but I sincerely hope that this is with prior knowledge of the other party, and appropriate in that both parties were known tweeters or some such…!! Otherwise, no, tweeting should not become as phones can do.. with people taking the phone over the conversation!! Etiquette is still building…
March 24, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Rogerthetrainer
Although I fully see the benefits of Tweeting, I think the danger is that distraction from some other “interesting” topic may drag one away from the purpose of Sunday – focussing on God. We have six other days to pursue other things and I think it is highly valuable to avoid bringing them into reach whereby we then have to resist them e.g. If you watch a Sunday worship programme, can you turn the TV off when the Eastenders omnibus comes on?
Our primary objective, especially on Sundays, should be to see that the Lord is glorified. If something gets in the way of that “cut it out”
March 24, 2011 at 7:33 pm
preachersa2z
There comes a point where turning OFF the phone, tuning IN to the more localised and intimate discussion may be just the counter-cultural thing which is needed. As ever, technological advance may bring the need for greater self-discipline.
March 24, 2011 at 7:44 pm
maggi dawn
What about thinking through a “phones-free, tweet-free” live speech-plus-debate as one form of “preaching”. And a speech with a twitterfall as another kind. And others too – play with the form. King Canute took his people down to the beach to show them he couldn’t turn back the tide. We can’t either, but we might need to learn to build our castles in different places.
March 24, 2011 at 7:47 pm
preachersa2z
Be interesting to tackle the same subject in both ‘formats’. Of course if King Canute had been holding his phone it might well have shorted out when the water struck – meaning he couldn’t tweet the result to his distant followers!
March 24, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Ben
I’m a preacher and I am very much into social media. I’m also very much on the fence here. I have some real questions that I don’t think anyone has adequately answered here.
It seems to me that most people (if not all people, despite our claims) send tweets for others to read. It’s a publishing platform. It would be akin to speaking through a megaphone to a giant crowd of people and then claiming that you don’t care if they listen or not, you’re just leaving yourself a message. It may be possible to think that way, but I find it very difficult to believe. I think most of us are tweeting with our audience/followers in mind – at least on some level. Because of that, I think it is difficult at best to listen to a sermon that you are tweeting without listening in a way that is on the lookout for tweetable comments, soundbites, cool phrases, etc. that our followers will find interesting. We begin listening for others and not for ourselves. If this is happening we become more like journalists, not engaged people ready to be transformed by what is being preached.
Before you get your knickers in a bind, understand me. I’m not saying it isn’t possible to tweet during a sermon and have it be not be a distraction to the tweeter. I just don’t think it’s easy, and I don’t think many people are actually doing it. Am I close minded on this? I really don’t know. I’m asking an honest question here.
Secondly, Tim Keller’s comment has merit here and I think it got too easily dismissed earlier. He says (quoting Martin Lloyd-Jones) that he’s happy for people to begin the sermon taking notes, but his goal is to preach so well, for the Holy Spirit to so capture people’s hearts with the truth, that they forget to take notes. By the end of the sermon he longs to see people so moved that they have stopped note taking notes and are looking ahead or with eyes closed in prayer.
His point here has nothing to do with note taking! He isn’t saying he doesn’t want people to take notes. It’s that he wants them to be so impacted that they forget to!
I wonder (and c’mon, it’s a legitimate wonder that really should give us pause) if all of this tweeting, tweet-reading, etc. during the sermon is making it harder (not impossible, but harder) to have this sort of impact during Holy Spirit anointed preaching.
Taking notes (on paper, or on a device) does not have the same temptation to listen for others, to disengage from the truth, to think of all of the other people that should hear this instead of really listening ourselves, and to subtly compete with others for the best (and fastest) live tweet.
Taking notes and tweeting are not the same thing.
March 25, 2011 at 12:20 am
drbexl
Thanks Ben.
Interestingly, if I write on paper – I can get distracted by doodling, I can start outlining a lecture, making a shopping list, etc… It’s all about having a certain amount of discipline when using the tools, so if I use my phone as my notebook, ignoring any notifications that come in and focusing on the sermon… I do very much use Twitter to make notes FOR myself, so I can look back over them during the week 🙂 It’s my notebook… On other occasions I am using it as a broadcast medium, but sometimes it’s just my notetaking device.
And yes, totally took on board the point that if the sermons are inspirational, then we may stop engaging at such an intellectual level, and that would be great, but many don’t…
March 25, 2011 at 1:45 am
Ben
I suppose you could say, then, that it’s a human problem more than a technology problem.
Perhaps, also, this is a cultural/generational issue. In order to tweet without personal distraction and disengagement a person has to have a certain “2nd nature” comfort level with the device as well as the mental process of composing and sending a tweet. I readily admit that though I tweet often and am very comfortable with my iPhone, it isn’t as a second nature as it is for some.
I guess where I am tending to land on this is that there are two ditches on either side of the road that we should avoid. Ditch 1 (left side of the road) is banning social media from our services because we have antiquated views of technology that make no sense. Getting stuck in this ditch results in alienating the culture, halting progress, and wastes time and energy fighting a losing battle that’s not worth fighting.
Ditch 2 (right side of the road) is creating a church culture where all the “cool kids” tweet the message and the losers don’t. In order to be hip, or just a savvy member of the community, you feel pressure (even if subtle) to tweet during the message. Now you have people tweeting, and being distracted by it, but feeling good because they are connecting via social media. Both ditches are dangerous.
This is why I don’t feel good about banning it, and I also don’t feel good about promoting it like a “feature” of the sermon or the Sunday experience.
March 25, 2011 at 6:24 am
preachersa2z
Ben. These sound like two ditches worth avoiding! Richard
March 25, 2011 at 8:04 am
Emma
Really engaging subject, I’ll respond in both church guises.
As a member of congregation
I can switch off very easily when listening to a sermon, it’s not interactive enough for me a lot of the time. Interestingly I’ve realised that preachers who get eye contact “speak” to me much more than others. To counteract the “what am I doing this week” thoughts, I take notes. I occasionally do so on paper but mostly on my phone. It helps me connect, absorb, think about, process and remember the message better. Sure I might miss something, but I know the HS gets me what I need, and I reckon it’s always more than when I’m passive.
I have occasionally tweeted during a sermon but find that process distracting. Instead I like to take notes and then tweet/blog/think/talk about/meditate on during the week.
As a preacher (quite a new one)
I am very interactive and I like to engage and observe reactions. I know I would automatically assume I had bored someone if they were looking down. But that’s more about me than about the sermon or the HS at work or the listener. I would be thrilled to hear anyone had taken notes of my sermon, discussed it later by tweet or otherwise, that is what I am hoping happens.
Think that’s enough 🙂
March 25, 2011 at 10:45 am
Bryony Taylor
Professionally I’ve used Twitter a lot at conferences and really used it both as my notes of the event and also for networking.
I decided a few months ago to not use social media on Sundays. This was in response to a sermon I heard about sabbath rest – the preacher asked you to think of something that you do every day that you couldn’t imagine not doing and consider not doing that on Sundays to make Sundays ‘holy’ – ie. different.
I am a total social media addict so it is a spiritual discipline for me not to engage with it on Sundays. By not doing it on Sundays I am not, however, saying that it is wrong – I’m just trying to find ways to ensure God doesn’t get crowded out of my week.
On tweeting in sermons I would see it as quite similar to taking notes but with the added (possible distraction) of also joining a conversation during a sermon. If I were to tweet during a sermon I think I would have to ignore replies or responses because I would then not be able to concentrate on the message.
I think this is more about the style of sermon than anything else. Many churches have started doing cafe style services where discussion and questions are welcomed. Twitter and Facebook are perfect for helping to facilitate this. If it’s a short 20 minute Sunday morning sermon, however, – the type you sit and listen to rather than interact with, Twitter’s probably not the best idea.
Choose the tools for the activity you want to do – that’s what I say!
March 26, 2011 at 9:31 am
Dot
as a preacher – when I see people taking notes it doesn’t distract me, as I know the congregation and who makes notes and who doesn’t. If however, someone started suddenly bringing writing implement and paper out who doesn’t normally write, I would become very suspicious!!
As a lecturer I hate it when certain of my students have their laptops out as again I know my students and know who is using it to make notes and those who aren’t!!
As someone who tweets and uses fb occasionally I would like to tweet something or at least make a note, but when I am sitting on the platform – I’m curate in a cathedral – it would not be possible! Fortunately(?) I make a recording and put it on my blogsite which is attached to the cathedral website so if I really wanted to I could go back and listen or even read it again. This is only for the main service though!
The other week I was in compline and needed to keep my mind occupied on the person doing the homily and so I took notes on the back of the service booklet and with a pencil that was in my stall as that way I was stopping my mind from being in a space that was not a good space!! Tweeting or making notes on my phone would have been just as good. It would also be great for recording some of the beautiful music we have…
However given that some people have spoken to me about my phone and me making notes on it – thinking I was texting when I was in a conversation with them, (even though I said I would be making notes!!!) I now avoid using my phone when in the cathedral unless I am on my own!!!
March 26, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Weekly RoundUp: Tech, Death, and Pole Dancers | The Church Sofa
[…] Richard Littledale wonders if its ok to use Twitter in Church. […]
March 28, 2011 at 11:17 am
Sam Peckham
Having read through the great number of comments it seems to be a hot topic, but from my perspective there seems to be a few issues that have not been addressed with facts, scripture or research. For my 2 cents, three points spring to mind.
Distraction (what the experiments say)
Whilst I understand many tech savvy people feel they can tweet without being distracted from the preachers message, the research shows exactly the opposite. When people are given the opportunity to use tech to ‘supplement’ their learning/listening all the evidence points to poor comprehension. A study on this using lectures at Cornell showed people “performed significantly poorer on immediate measures of memory for the to-be-learned content”.
There is also the effect of people who choose not to tweet having these tweets flash up beside a preacher, adding distraction. What you’re presented with is not the preachers carefully constructed sermon, but a series of sound bites in a fairly random order, that may well be missing the point.
The Foolishness of Preaching (what scripture tells us)
Preaching is God’s chosen method to help us understand him, learn his ways and spread the gospel. It’s stood the test of time. Far too often I see churches try to dress up their Sundays with new ideas and fads when, perhaps, the stark reality is they’re not that great at preaching – or at least don’t spend enough time preparing for it. Granted a lot of people may feel they don’t like this form of communication or don’t feel they learn that way, yet the churches with excellent preaching are often the ones growing and thriving. Taking God’s chosen method and running with it. Tim Keller’s point about being drawn in is spot on.
The medium is the message. (what research shows us)
New Media already invade our relationships and with mobiles offering us all these tools in our pocket we spend far longer on the loose and oftentimes shallow relationships with followers and online friends than we do with the real people around us. Why is that when the bible calls us to not stop meeting together, do we feel the need to resort to doing it via mobile? The one time we get to have face to face, in person dialogue and we ‘have’ to add in the virtual.
Twitter only amplifies and prompts this instant quick and impersonal approach to ‘meeting of ourselves together’ (church). When for a bit more time we could be having meaningful face to face conversation and in depth language, rather than reducing everything to sound bites.
March 28, 2011 at 9:29 pm
barrykennard
I am a preacher and was sitting listening to a sermon yesterday. During it, I found that I just had to tweet about it…. Say what you will, but that one tweet has allowed more discussion since tweeting it (and subsequent post on facebook) than it ever would have generated from a piece of paper stuck in my Bible.
March 28, 2011 at 9:30 pm
barrykennard
I am a preacher and was sitting listening to a sermon yesterday. During it, I found that I just had to tweet about it…. Say what you will, but that one tweet has allowed more discussion since tweeting it (and subsequent post on facebook) than it ever would have generated from a piece of paper stuck in my Bible.
March 29, 2011 at 10:25 am
Flocking to comment: An online debate regarding Twitter in the church (@richardlittleda)
[…] pigeons, or possibly the mouse amongst the small blue birds, when I posted on my blog about the place of Twitter in the church. Based on research published this week by Digital Clarity, I drew attention to the fact that 80% […]
March 29, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Worship Christ- Worship For Christ News » To Tweet or Not to Tweet during Church?
[…] pigeons, or possibly the mouse amongst the small blue birds, when I posted on my blog about the place of Twitter in the church. Based on research published this week by Digital Clarity, I drew attention to the fact that 80% […]
April 1, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Our Text for Today?
[…] Richard opened the debate as to whether what is happening (and it is happening, so we can’t just bury our heads in the sand and hope the issue goes away) is a good/bad thing, however disconcerting it may be for the speaker: “People tweeting about it means that they are engaging more of their brain with the process of listening, which has to be good. On the other hand, the sight of people looking down at their phones whilst I am preaching, as if uninterested, could be distinctly unnerving.” Full blog post. […]
April 4, 2011 at 4:34 pm
To Tweet or Not to Tweet during Church? – Christian Outreach News
[…] pigeons, or possibly the mouse amongst the small blue birds, when I posted on my blog about the place of Twitter in the church. Based on research published this week by Digital Clarity, I drew attention to the fact that 80% […]
April 7, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Carl
As someone who is often trying hard to ‘be in the moment’ (i.e. to listen properly to those who are talking to me, and focus on what I’m doing rather than having my mind elsewhere), I’m not a fan of tweeting during a sermon. ‘Take notes during; tweet straight after’, would be my advice.
May 5, 2011 at 6:49 am
World News Tweets » Blog Archive » To Tweet or Not to Tweet during Church?
[…] pixellated pigeons, or presumably a rodent among a tiny blue birds, when we posted on my blog about the place of Twitter in a church. Based on investigate published this week by Digital Clarity, we drew courtesy to a fact that 80% […]
August 30, 2011 at 7:38 pm
brad
And then Jesus said unto him, it never really was about you, now was it? It’s always been about them.
August 30, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Meredith Gould
Whatever informs, educates and inspires is fine by me. If tweeting during services and the sermon helps anyone focus and retain the message, then why not let folks do that!
August 31, 2011 at 7:54 am
preachersa2z
Yes yes – its all about engagement and retention, as you point out
September 13, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Edward Green (@EdwardBGreen)
I often take brief notes in meetings and talks. Not so much in sermons. But sometimes. I often look up bible passages, or confirm information too.
Obviously I use my Laptop or Smartphone to do so.
It really makes no difference to me if I Tweet my notes or write them down. I love to follow other people live tweeting events, and enjoy the discussion when sharing an event.
Some people, frequently the less technologically enabled (those who don’t have access to or understanding of the technology) do feel threatened by this. I wonder if people in the past who were not writers felt threatened by those who could write?
Meat sacrificed to idols perhaps, but in general I am not keen to sacrifice the cloud for a filofax again …
October 17, 2011 at 10:08 am
Bubbles and habits « Richard Littledale's Preacher's A – Z
[…] this year, in the most popular post this blog has ever seen, I wrote about the possibility of tweeting in church, and maybe even of […]
November 20, 2011 at 7:57 am
Jon Butler
I can’t believe I missed this article or the conversation afterwards. But thankfully Richard re-tweeted this post.
When I’m in the congregation I make a concerted effort not to use my phone as I am aware that when I preach both at youth groups and in church that the congregation using their phones can be distracting. Even if they are using their You Version Bible or similar – it is a distraction to see phones out illuminated in hands. That said maybe I should move with the times and accept others using their phones in church aren’t necessarily distracting themselves playing games/texting.
When I hear a good message/sermon I will tweet afterwards using the #sermonnotes.
Just thought I’d add my opinions into the mix, now I’ve seen this post.
January 30, 2012 at 12:31 pm
The BIGBible Project | Blogger Beware #digidisciple (@richardlittleda)
[…] Social media stories (tweeting from the pew) […]
February 4, 2012 at 9:56 pm
The BIGBible Project | Join the great Twitter #sermon debate with @vickybeeching
[…] Tweeting, posts from Richard Littledale on ‘Keep Calm and Tweet #Sermon‘, and ‘Tweeting from the Pew‘. @vickybeeching has got the discussion going again on Facebook & Twitter…. […]
March 24, 2012 at 10:16 pm
When the little screen needs littler help « Richard Littledale's Preacher's A – Z
[…] I mooted last year that second screen interaction might be appropriate during preaching it provoked a veritable storm […]