The gospel has spread far and wide over many centuries with far more primitive technology than we have at our disposal today. Times like these, when the world is battling the global pandemic of COVID-19, force us to examine what is essential for the task to which God has called us. Throughout history, God has worked to effectively accomplish His purposes through simple means.

This is not a time to overthink or complicate the mission. It is a time to engage in the mission, and while technology might provide us with some new and different avenues we can use to further the gospel, those who lack those technological tools need not be prohibited from hearing the gospel.

The lack of technology need not hinder anyone from engaging in the mission.

Below are a few ideas from pastors across the state for ways to reach those who do not have technology during this time:

CD, USB or Print
Share sermons through CDs, USB drives or printed transcripts with those who do not have the ability to livestream your services.

CD players are extremely inexpensive and the church may want to provide some for members who do not have access to the internet. When the pandemic is over, you can repurpose these for shut-ins.

Telephone
If you have the budget, look into conference call options through services such as conferencecalling.com, Zoom or other paid services. Take some time to research alternatives that may work for your church.

You may wish to set up a telephone number specifically for members to be able to call in and hear the service live. Directions for how to do this are in the graphic below.

A free option is to use a cell phone (in speaker mode) to set up a conference call, then place the phone on the podium as you preach. While this won’t give you the best audio quality, it is a free way to reach a few people who do not have advanced technology.

Don’t give up if your church doesn’t have the right equipment, or the age of your church precludes technical solutions. The Bible says the Word of God will not return void. No matter how you get the message out, God can and will still speak to His people.