Worship at your fingertips with the iPhone

These days you go to church to find big-screens, sound systems, interactive text messaging, giving kiosks in the lobby and you have to wonder what's next. Well, what's next has happened. Just a few weeks after Apple released its iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 update, New Hope Christian Fellowship became the first church to do a live broadcast of their worship services on the iPhone.

Once Apple announced the release of this new software, New Hope Christian Fellowship, based in Honolulu, HI, was inundated with requests from church members for an iPhone feature. Believing they could do something great, the church staff delivered. New Hope's Technology and Innovations Director, Michael Sharpe states, "Typically, churches are years behind other organizations when it comes to technology and innovation. We have tried to reverse that trend and pioneer new ways to spread the Gospel using the most current tools available." With a test run for selected users the last weekend in June, New Hope went live with worship services available to all iPhone and iPod Touch users over the July 4th weekend.

With all of the excitement surrounding New Hope's initial live stream service, it is safe to say that this very well could be the next step in using technology to spread the gospel. New Hope's Interactive Developer, Peter Thourson says, "We are always looking for ways that we can leverage technology to reach people where they are at. Through live streaming video on iPhone and iPod Touch, users across the globe will be able to continue to attend church regardless of where they are."

The impact is amazing. There is already news that churches such as Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas and LifeChurch.tv will soon follow suit. LifeChurch.tv, based in Edmond, OK, has long been a pioneer in "church online" or worship services via the internet, and with this new technology the possibilities for services anytime, anywhere are limitless. On vacation, business trips, at hospitals, or even at home, you choose the service you attend. And it is right there, quite literally at your fingertips.