i agree that using videos is generally imprudent. it is aimed at entertaining the congregation, when we don't need to be entertained, but rather to be taught truth. when the entertainment fades, will the message stick? usually no, at least that's my experience.

"We are trying to build a word-centered counter-culture in a vision-addicted age"

I'm not sure I buy this premise as completely true. What about Acts 21 when Agabus used a powerful VISUAL image to enhance his words?

That's not to suggest that one example should inform our practice, but rather to suggest that one exception should give us pause regarding what we deem "prudent" and "imprudent".

I do appreciate that you have attempted to use qualifiers in this post.

Dr. Dever,

I think your concern is helpful but would want to know what you mean "in church" - I am assuming you mean showing videos as part of sermons. I for one would show your 9 Marks Video (just to the right here) in a church service. I also like using video thematically to transition in a service to the sermon - See these for a few small examples - 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxPcX6m1_oo
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__94uoHdZGo

I understand the concern you have and believe it is needed. I am thankful that you push on these things in the direction you do.

When the message people come away with is "great visual" or "great video clip in that sermon" or "that illustration was awesome" rather than - I love God more, I see him more clearly, I am thankful for the gospel or I understand the Scripture which was preached...I too have concern.

Ravi Zacharias once said "The Scriptures do not say, in the beginning was...video" We must stay word centered, yet I do think video can be used in service of the word while never replacing it. In fact, I would say a good missionary to our culture would want to use technology to the glory of God - to redeem its use in God's service rather than 1)despising it or 2) making it an idol.

Thankful for IX Marks...and nice promo video btw.

Sorry for the length of this. James MacDonald said this at last year's "Straight Up Conference"

I hear constantly about preachers who use video clips, preachers who use dramas, little role plays or kinds of things like this to enhance their message...What I would say about this is that it’s a mistake...And I don’t think it’s wrong, I think it’s ineffective. I think it’s a cheap way...It’s like fast food. What's the preacher’s looking for? He’s looking for the “aha” in the eyes of the people. And when I show a movie, a cartoon clip, something that people have seen, you see it in their eyes. Their like, “I saw that too! Isn’t that cool! He showed that! I saw that!” And they see a connection, and they really want the connection. It’s good that they want that. The problem is that when you start to think about what [you’re] connecting them to—“I’m entertained by the same things you are”—It really isn’t what it appears to be. And I think there’s something a lot more substantive than that and that’s at the point of the application of the text. You can meet that person at a different place. Instead of meeting them at the—“I saw the same movie too, yea there was an interesting principle there that has application in the Scripture”—I don’t think that’s nearly as good as the “aha” of “Wow! I see my life in the Bible. That is a mirror to me. I can see myself right here in the text, and the pastor understands what my life is like, and God’s Word is answering the question. I didn’t even know how to articulate (the question) but now he’s framing the question...I had been asking that! And there’s the answer right there in God’s Word. I think it’s a lot better way—I think it’s a lot of work—I think it’s a way better way to connect with people.

I think that, as with anything, we should not use video just for the sake using video. However, I think the right video for the right purpose at the right time could be edifying to the congregation.

I think that, as with anything, we should not use video just for the sake using video. However, I think the right video for the right purpose at the right time could be edifying to the congregation.

Thanks for the quotation from James McDonald, Matt. It's gold.

In other ways, I do think that our practice will vary because our beliefs about the Sunday morning meeting will vary. For some, it is strictly "worship," understood solely as the contemplation and celebration of God and his Word. For others, it is a broader fellowship time that is centered on the communal experience and expression of life in Christ. To give a practical example of what I mean by the difference here, the former is left trying to figure out what to do with announcements because they don't fit in worship (the vertical relationship). For the latter, the announcements can go anywhere as long as they aren't just a laundry list of events, with dates, times, and locations. They must reflect the God-centered vision and passion of the body of Christ reflected in its activities.

Application: If your church is the former, then video is probably going to be absent from your Sunday morning meeting, like CHBC. For others, you might occasionally show a video of your teens' experience on a mission trip, a promotion for an upcoming conference, etc. I would expect that neither would do videos of pop culture products for the sake of demonstrating some hipness or street cred. [Refer again to the JMcD quote above.]

The church I attend has used video during the sermon and to be honest I found it very disruptive to the word being preached. My fear is using video regardless if its a clip from Together for the Gospel or Ligonier, it becomes more of a entertainment source than a preaching tool. Plus it has been established the brain uses different parts when learning visually over listening as a medium . Plus in my expereince the more the preacher relied on video, the more it was apparent the gift to preach was not there in the first place. Keep video to special services or adult Sunday school but for worship keep it simple and word focused.

I would generally agree. I do, however, use video but only very rarely, maybe once or twice a year. As we say in French "une fois n'est pas coutume" (doing something once does not a custom make). In the past year we've used this wonderful clip (http://tinyurl.com/3md5px) because it made a point in a way I couldn't make myself (not being African-American and all), and once we used one of the Modern Parables video lessons in the absence of a qualified preacher (http://modernparable.com). Videos work for us because we choose them carefully and we use them so rarely.

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, but you're all right and you're all wrong. Trace the origin of the sermon and you'll find out it's just as pagan as the videos you are critiquing. The greeks established the sermon to attract the masses to induce them into Christianity in Constantinoples' time. If you're going to not justify using video or audio visual aids, then you'll have to throw out the sermon too!

Deacon & Usher.......

My biggest concern with using video is that is teaches us to move away from being "word centered". Paul told Timothy to "preach the message".

Video by it's nature will tend to impact the emotion first then the thinking. I believe the biblical model is thinking(mind) then emotion.

New technology is great, just a few years ago we wouldn't be having this conversation via this format. But we must always remember the danger is that the method will overshadow / obscure or become the message.

Deacon & Usher,

This claim is simply specious and without biblical or historical warrant.

"Video" can be a video of someone preaching or it can be computer-generated Finding Nemo (which I have personally seen shown in church). I think the term "video clips" isn't really helpful in this discussion. And truthfully, watching a video clip vs. watching a preacher behind the pulpit --- both are watching and listening. I think the topic ought not to be if we should use video clips or how often, or if we should make use of modern technology or not ... I think that if something truly supports the teaching (as opposed to the entertainment value of watching Finding Nemo on Sunday morning - and neither do I remember the point it was to have made) ... then watching it on the big screen is fine. This discussion is about something that is amoral ... it's the content, not the video.

Even though I am very sympathetic to the thesis, the supporting reasoning is most unhelpful. The only thing concrete and useful beyond what was really a drawn out elegant way of stating "I just don't like it and that's it" was the very true idea that our teaching must be word - centered ... words engage the mind which involve the heart where images allow us to be detached voyeurs that actually desensitize us from the depravity of man; that cause us to become fascinated with and ultimately worship evil while hating good. But apart from that, even though I agree with you, reading this does not help me understand - or articulate - why I agree with you. I am fully content to say "I am just old fashioned" and leave it at that ...

Using videos during a sermon, in my experience, has led to the slow integration of a church becoming seeker-friendly/sensitive, which I deeply oppose.

Though not all churches may desire to become a purpose driven church, it certainly could provoke leaning towards this type of work, because I cannot really call it (PDC) ministry.

Whenever the pastor stands behind the pulpit, he should be able to communicate what the Spirit of the Lord has spoken, in a manner that is concise, effective and passionate enough so that the congregation begins to see what they are hearing.

I would rather it be, "Thus saith the Lord," rather than "thus what the video shows."

In North American culture there is a transition from spoken word to visual in the last 100 years, beginning with "silent movies" and now accelerating with the "You tube" generation. The church however lags behind and resists changing. The visual age will not go away and we will continue to lose people is we don't realize it.
Now before you jump on me, this is my point. The videos won't save people, neither will the preaching. Jesus set an example, followed up in Acts, we need to live it out day by day with people to have a lasting impact and real change in lives.