BUTLER TWP — Between singing traditional hymns and reading from ancient texts of the Bible, many churches are also powering up slide show presentations and turning up the volume on microphones and music.

Both inside and outside of their weekly services, these progressive congregations are incorporating technology — keeping in line with members who read from computer screens sometimes more than from books.

Recently appointed the director of technology at Christ Community United Methodist Church, Don Boardman has already a spent several years helping the church acquire technology to enhance its services and make communicating with members easier.

"It's doing what I've been doing for three years," said Boardman of the newly created position.

Boardman became involved with adding technology to his church about four years ago when the Butler Township congregation decided to begin a contemporary service.

To enhance the service, the church purchased a digital projector, speakers and audio system.

Having installed the technology before the first contemporary services began, Boardman and other volunteers were able to project the words to the hymns and Bible readings onto a large screen, eliminating the need for hymnals and Bibles in the pews.

Using a computer program specifically designed for church services, Boardman can create a visual display with moving backgrounds that coordinate with the theme or tone of the song.

The program, called Sunday Plus, is one of many designed especially for churches, both for use in services or for the business aspect of a church organization.

Larry Click, the vice president of customer relations at Grass Roots Software, which created the program, said the development of church-focused software came from large church conferences and presentations, such as the Promise Keepers men's ministry conferences.

The resulting program incorporated the visuals of basic slide show programs with preloaded electronic Bibles in several translations.

Once a service is designed, a preview of all of the available screens gives the operator the option of changing the order of the songs, returning to a key point in a sermon or skipping portions at the whim of the pastor.

"Churches count on God's leading in the moment," said Click, describing the need for flexibility.

Though the program can be used for hymns, Bible verses, sermon topics or other presentations, Click noted most customers count on Sunday Plus for music.

Unlike hymnals, however, songs uploaded into the program don't include musical notation, a feature which he says hasn't been missed.

"People don't sing like they used to. They can't read music to begin with."

Another benefit is that churches can update their music to contemporary hymns without buying hundreds of hymnals to fill the pews.

Using a program called Media Shout to display their hymns and readings, the congregation of the Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church also has found that projecting text onto a large screen has been easier to read for members with poor vision.

In addition to the program's ease of use, the Rev. Richard Pearson, Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist's associate pastor, said the multimedia presentations are an attractive feature for a younger audience.

"The younger generations especially are very video driven," he said, noting in some services he has used film interpretations of the Bible to substitute for readings.

"It's the same timeless message, just presented in a way that's best for whatever the audience happens to be."

In addition to the visual effects, churches are noting the benefit of audio amplification.

At Evangel Heights Assembly of God Church in Buffalo Township, microphones are a must to convey a message from the front area to attendees in the back of the large sanctuary that could be mistaken for a small concert hall.

Even in midsized churches, audio support is helpful.

At Christ Community United Methodist, the pastor and other speakers are outfitted with lapel microphones. Hanging microphones pick up the complementary tones of the choir.

Another small microphone is attached to the baptismal font, picking up the often soft-spoken words of parents participating in the traditional ceremony.

In addition to enhancing the sound using speakers, sound is also transmitted to small radio-like receivers, so members with difficulty hearing can turn up the volume coming through an earpiece.

For members unable to make it to weekly services, each of the traditional services at Christ Community is recorded and can be made transferred onto compact discs by request.

Boardman also uses the recordings to extract the weekly sermon, which is uploaded onto the churches Web site.

Boardman said the online service is used mainly by college students who want to partake from a distance.

Though unsure of who is listening to his church's online sermons, Pearson has heard of some churches that have reached a worldwide audience with Internet technology.

"It's really neat to think that any given preacher can be listened to from all over the world," Pearson said.

To enhance their connection with the world, the Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church is now working to obtain and install a satellite service that would receive Christian seminars and programs, bringing people into the church for more than just Sunday services.

On a local level, Evangel Heights has adopted a system that reaches hundreds of homes with very little effort.

A new phone system, connected with electronic phone books, calls members of a selected church group and plays a prerecorded message, saving hours of time for secretaries who once called each member individually.

"It enables people to do more with less people," said the Rev. Jeff Bogacyzk, an assistant pastor at the church.

Technology has even helped members of Christ Community United Methodist Church communicate while still in the church.

In addition to intercom systems that broadcast services in several other rooms of the church, parents leaving their children in the nursery during services can take a vibrating pager, used by nursery workers in case the child is crying inconsolably.

Despite the excitement brought on by technological advancement, these churches continue to take the time to focus on their main goal.

"You're not using technology to replace the tradition," Pearson said. "You're really using it to enhance (the message)."

To accommodate the preferred worship styles of their members, some churches offer both contemporary and traditional services, with the traditional services using less of the visual equipment.

"We try not to encroach on that traditional desire for quiet reflection," Boardman said.

Even in the contemporary services, however, Bogacyzk said an effort must be made to not let gadgets be the focus of the service.

"It's very easy to get distracted from the purpose of the message," he said.

Like at Evangel Heights, Boardman said the members of Christ Community have made an effort to incorporate technology without making it the focus of the service.

In the sanctuary, the tall booth containing an audio soundboard similar to those used in small concert venues and a computer to control the projector's display are camouflaged by using a white-painted wood treatment that matches the walls of the room.

Both speakers and the projection screen were purchased in white to make them less noticeable when not in use.

Lastly, while slide shows are not in use, a photo of what is behind the screen is projected onto the screen, giving the illusion that the view is unobstructed.

The effort echoes Pearson's sentiment, to use technology to enhance the message. "If you're using technology simply to draw a crowd, then in my opinion, you are using it incorrectly."