Church and interactive pads

By Ian | 24 June, 2010

The church I was sitting in had a new sound system with various microphones, sound inputs, a mixing desk, loudspeaker systems, all connected via wireless. How long had it taken before the church was willing to invest in a system that would improve the “service”. The technology has been around for a long time. Years.
How long will it take before iSheet are overall? 10 Years?

What’s an iSheet you may ask. This is just a name I coined up for an interactive tablet (iPad type).

Okay a couple of presumptions and believes

I believe that we will have a technology that will allow the multiple use of physical “iSheets” units (similar to the iPad). Just like a chair (function “sitting”) can be used by multiple uses, an iSheet can be picked up and be used. Technologies involved are automatic user recognition (via wireless personal key, fingerprint, face recognition, id/password), individual worktops configuration (stored on the personal key), user data and process state stored in the cloud.

Assumption: By 2015, due to mass production, the cost will be about 50 Euros or less. Even free with advertisements.

In a church, the church go’er sits in the pews, picks up an iSheet and is automatically fed with the actual hymn. He can select if only the text or notes are shown. The vicar can remember the people who have died in the last month and the pictures of them are shown on the iSheet. He talks about the church missionary and videos are shown of him working. The worshipper can browse/select on the side, a picture of the organist, can read info on the church, on the vicar, next community dates.

How can the church finance such stuff? 200 seats each 50 EURs plus the technology to feed the systems = 16K.

Via the interactive information, the congregation in integrated more tightly into the community.

The church goer can be more intimately asked for money.

If 30 churchgoers give more more for charity, ie. 5 EUR more per month, that is equivalent to 1800/year + special anniversaries, 2k/year or 8 k over 4 years.

Plus the better integration in the community - which can’t be expressed in money.