"If it keeps getting better and better, oh Lord! I don't know what I'm going to do." Those lyrics express my feeling about computer technology. John 1:3 says "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." The Lord is the Creator of technology! Christians, especially pastors, should recognize what a great tool technology can be in helping to do "the work of the ministry."

Personal computers continue to get more powerful and more affordable. Software programs continue to improve, the cost has remained about the same or gone down and the Internet is opening up vast new opportunities for ministry. Technology is only a tool, but when used well, it can make the pastor more productive than ever before. The purpose of this article is to give encouragement and information about technology that will help the pastor/preacher.

Thinking About Hardware

If you are just now considering buying a computer, be sure to shop around and to make sure you are getting the most for your investment. Depending on configuration, you can buy a PC from $900 and up. I priced a 486DX/4-100 with 8MB 72-pin RAM, 850MB Hard Drive, 1.44MB Floppy Drive, 14" SVGA Monitor, 104 Enhanced Keyboard, MS-Compatible Mouse and choice of Windows 95 or DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11 for $899. Printer prices start around $300.

Additional hardware that is important to have is a CD-ROM (a device which allows for greatly expanded data storage on a single disk) and a modem (which helps you communicate with other computers over phone lines). Almost all the products reviewed in this article are available on CD-ROM. The great advantage to the CD-ROM is capacity. A single CD-ROM can store up to the equivalent of 500 high-density floppy disks. This kind of storage and delivery capacity allows software companies to provide their users enormous amounts of resource material. If you were to buy the same amount of resources in print form, it would require a bookcase and would cost hundreds of dollars more.

If you presently don't have a CD-ROM drive, I encourage you to get one. There's still very useful software on floppy disk, but don't expect to find the wealth of material that's available on the CD-ROM.

With the Internet becoming such an important part of today's world, Christian ministries, churches and organizations are establishing a strong presence on the World Wide Web (WWW). There are thousands of Christian web sites on the web. If there is an affordable local access provider, I encourage you to "go online." To do so you need not only a computer, but also a modem. When buying a modem, always buy the fastest available. Today's minimum speed for a modem should be 14.4. You can buy a 14.4 Internal Fax/Modem for about $100.

Going On-Line

The past year has seen online services change because of the Internet. CompuServe has announced that it is completely changing its format and America Online is constantly upgrading its customers access to the Internet. Cost is also coming down. Online services provide Christians a number of resources, such as the Christian Interactive Network on CompuServe and Christianity Online on America Online.