Area Church Takes High-Tech Approach to Communication

Editor's Note: This story was edited at 2 p.m. A previous version stated that Morning Star is in O'Fallon, but it is actually in Dardenne Prairie. 

When it comes to issues of faith, the answers in church don’t always come easily.

But at one local religious institution, they are at least coming a bit more immediately--thanks to assistance from technology.

“I always try to mention it, especially for new people, and remind them we’re doing this today,” said Mike Schreiner as his flock files out of the sanctuary after services.

Schreiner is pastor of , a house of worship located in Dardenne Prairie, he founded a dozen years ago, and the “this” he refers to is texting, an activity not normally encouraged in most churches.

At Morning Star, however, texting is a part of the routine. About three years ago, Schreiner began setting aside several minutes during each service to address questions texted to him by congregants during the sermon. It was an idea that a local worship leader picked up during a visit to an Arkansas church, Schreiner said.

“It’s been a great way of creating engagement,” he said. “There are lots of churches that say we welcome your questions, but we really never give people the forum to be able to ask those questions.”

Generally, as many as four or five questions are addressed from the pulpit during services at Morning Star, which run four times every weekend. Collected through a dedicated number attached to a Google Voice account, they run the gamut from the silly to the serious.

“Sometimes we get jokes like, ‘Did Pastor Mike forget to shave?’” said John Carrington, who screens the questions to pick out those most appropriate for each service.

The chosen queries, which are read anonymously, appear on a computer screen in front of Schreiner. Carrington said that some sermons have topics that generate more texts than others. Occasionally, they may not even get any questions, but even then, he feels it’s the accessibility that’s important.

I think people knowing the service is available is nice, he said.

Kelsey Swanson seems to think so. The 15-year-old said she texts a great deal in daily life and feels her worship experience is enhanced by the opportunity. Recently, she texted to ask whether people can be lured by Satan even in heaven.

“As a teenager, you have a lot of questions about God, and you just want the answers. So it is an easy access to ask the question and get answers,” she said. “It just helps me connect more with God and be closer to him.”

Andrew Fisher, 23, said Morning Star is the first church he’s been to that has such a texting program.

“I think it reflects the fact that a lot of younger people are more on the go, and they may not take the time to write it down on a communication card or send an email,” he said. “They can send it right then at church while thinking about it.”

Seventeen-year-old Chase Bascio recently asked why people continue to forecast the end of the world, despite the fact that the Bible says that such predictions are impossible.

“It’s one of the things I love about this church,” he said. “We love the opportunity to be able to get closer and text in and get an answer right then, instead of going through the trouble of seeking out the pastor after the service, waiting until he’s done talking to somebody and then asking him. It makes it so much easier. Since teens already have their phones out anyway, why not just text in a question?”

It’s not just teens using the texting sessions, though.

“I think it really helps people realize that if there is a question they have right at the moment, they can text it in and get an answer,” said 61-year-old Anna Tripp. “That doesn’t usually happen in a church setting.”

The Winghaven resident recently texted in with a question about God’s role in disasters such as the tornado which killed dozens in Joplin.

She said it’s an innovative form of communication.

“It seemed kind of far out there when I first heard about it. But then I thought, what a cool thing," she said. "Because there are times when you are sitting in the service and something just doesn’t make sense, so we text that in and get an immediate answers.”

Schreiner admits that he had doubts in the beginning.

“I was afraid of people asking questions I didn’t know the answer to,” he said with a smile.

But his concerns quickly faded as the queries which came in showed that participants wanted answers that were relevant applications of church teachings to their own experiences.

“One of the things we did in the beginning is to say this is not ‘stump the pastor’ or try to find the most obscure Bible verse, and that was one of the fears I had about doing it,” he said. “Instead, people ask questions like ‘Hey, tell me more about that’ or ‘How does that apply in this specific instance of my life.’”

The texting sessions are done most weekends, assuming the service doesn’t have a sacrament such as Holy Communion or baptism. Schreiner said that so far, the response from the congregation has been positive.

He regards the idea as a way for the church to meet people where they are.

“We always say we don’t know all the answers but we know the one who does,” he said.