"Beam Me IN, Scottie!"

That may not seem like the most spiritual way of announcing an opportunity for your church to have me speak on a Sunday or a weekday evening. Nevertheless, it's a blessing for those of us who love instances for good stewardship.

On two occasions recently I had the privilege of speaking to a fellowship in Miami, Florida. The best part was that they didn't have to pay for my airline ticket or my accommodations. Everything, including a lengthy Q&A session after one talk, was accomplished right from our office here in Bend, Oregon.

The computer program, with which many are already familiar, is called SKYPE. In its simplest form, a camera records sound and video images that are sent from one computer to another in real time. In a church situation, everything received by the computer (i.e., the speaker and his power point) is projected onto a large screen for the congregation to see and hear. A camera at the church records the audience so the speaker can see how people are responding (e.g., enthralled, falling asleep, or heading for the doors).

We are still in a developmental phase with this, but it has worked quite well so far. Technically speaking, a church needs to have a computer with a camera and internet connection, a projector, and a large screen (or a blank wall), but these seem to be standard in most churches. Our procedure is to run a test with each interested fellowship to see if a SKYPE program is compatible with its current equipment. Once that's squared away, a date is set and the announcements can be sent out.

If this is something that your church may be interested in, you can call Sally at 1-541-382-6210, ext. 119, to arrange a facilities test and to schedule a date.

T. A. McMahon
Executive Director