Texting and getting audience responses in worship services

Ever since How Wants to Be a Millionaire came out, I have wanted to ask questions of the audience and get their response and post it on screen. Before texting this would have involved some pretty expensive equipment, but with everyone able to text on their cell phones, this is now able to be done without additional equipment.

In our interactive world, we need to be more interactive in our ministry and in our worship. And isn't the assembly supposed to be around a table, which is by its nature interactive? This would be a bit of a way to regain a sense of community and sharing.

So, do any of you tech guys have some ideas of how this could best be done? I think that written answers could just be posted to an email. But how about polls? Is there some automation program like for American Idol so that you don't have to hand tally the results? I would like to be able to put on screen something like:

65% - Answered A
15% - Answered B
10% - Answered C
10% - Answered D

Here is a chance for our tech guys and girls to shine (or mere mortals like the rest of us who know about these things)! Or if you don't know, who could find this out? Thanks!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Eppinette on December 1, 2008 at 4:18pm

As Randy Harris spoke at the ACU Lectures, he had a running poll over his head that he would glance at to see how he was persuading the audience by what he said. He was talking about the roll that Israel played in modern theology. It was amazing to see how an audience would sway by one statement. One would have to announce to have cell phones on instead of off but in silent mode. Sister Thundermuffin would hurt someone after her initial tech experience.

Permalink Reply by James Nored on December 1, 2008 at 4:24pm

Mike, I heard about Randy's use of this technology. Maybe someone could get hold of those ACU guys. Douglas Fair is on this site, lives here in the area, and works for ACU as a church laison. Maybe he could help.

Anyone else have thougths on this or can take this up?

Permalink Reply by Lynn S. Nored on December 1, 2008 at 11:09pm

All,
In the university world, there have been devices sold for some time (with software) that would do exactly what James is wanting. In fact, what he is indicating is a device that automatically tabulates "frequency of occurence" of answeres. The plot of these results is called a Pareto Chart. In fact, I had these manually plotted for certain exam answers to indicate which questons were most often missed. To do this automatically, each person had to have a hand transmission device where they indicated their answers. Whether this software technology has been transferred to inputs from cell phone texting I dont know. But likely it has.

Permalink Reply by James Nored on December 1, 2008 at 11:16pm

Hey Pops. Cool tech lingo and background there. You want to do some research on this?

Permalink Reply by Kevin Brockus on December 2, 2008 at 12:19pm

There is a company out there called OnePoint that offers what I think you are looking for. http://www.onepointsurveys.com/web/default.aspx I like the idea. Pulling it off correctly will take some planning and testing but I think there are enough of us "Geeks R Us" types to figure it out

Permalink Reply by James Nored on December 2, 2008 at 12:46pm

Kevin, sounds like a good lead. Can you check on this for us and round up some good "geek power"? :)

Permalink Reply by Greg Ziegler on December 3, 2008 at 5:01pm

James, some of the replies below may be more likely to meet the desire you've expressed...but if you run into a wall, I got Brent Lacy's phone number for you. 816-263-0586 I think you would be best off speaking directly to him, should you so choose, explaining what you'd like to do. I'm out of the loop in this regard :) Are you sure you want continual feedback? :)

Permalink Reply by Lynn S. Nored on February 7, 2009 at 6:11pm

James,
In my discussion with David Worley today he indicated that ACU is supplying I Phones to all of their students. So, I thinks the interaction of cell phone technology is going to be integrated in the university classroom interaction at some point. Apple may have something going on here as well.

Permalink Reply by Douglas Fair on February 9, 2009 at 2:06pm

Lynn S. Nored said:

James,
In my discussion with David Worley today he indicated that ACU is supplying I Phones to all of their students. So, I thinks the interaction of cell phone technology is going to be integrated in the university classroom interaction at some point. Apple may have something going on here as well.

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