WAVERLY -- Despite the fact many churches use technology and use it well, nationwide houses of worship are as much as a decade behind the times.

Bill Withers, chairman of the communication arts department at Wartburg College, said most businesses have a presence on the Internet. But only 57 percent of Protestant congregations have a Web site, according to the Barna Group, a research group. Withers notes many churches maintain an online presence with limited information.

Technology, however, isn't limited to the Internet. Technology is also what happens inside church walls -- which is where related tensions sometimes arise.

Should parishioners use hymnals or follow along on screens with pictures and graphics? Should the pastor read announcements about summer camp from the pulpit or play a video of last year's adventures?

It's a debate that requires sensitivity and care, Withers said.

For some, "icons of worship should be where they need to be," he said.

"Dropping screens and dimming lights, it can be disconcerting for people."

Others don't find such methods of communication invasive, Withers said. Historically, technology and religion walked hand-in-hand, he added.

Martin Luther in the 16th century relied on mass production of the Scriptures.

"If there had been no advanced technology, there would have been no Reformation," Withers said. "Religion, historically, has kept a pretty good pace with technology. We are finding us having to catch up now … "

Leigh Zeitz, a professor of instructional technology at the University of Northern Iowa, views the modern inventions as supplementary tools.

As a member and webmaster for the Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County, Zeitz notices how religious communities embrace -- or shun -- alternative ways to communicate.

Technology, he said, isn't something to be feared. Technology for an individual, he added, is anything invented after their birth.

For some congregations, cost is a concern. Others simply don't know where to start, said Juli Camarin, a Web designer for Advanced Computer Engineering Solutions in Cedar Falls.

"I think people don't know the process that's involved," Camarin said. "It kind of scares them."

The cost to establish a basic Web site without sophisticated features runs around $2,000, Camarin estimated. She recommends those considering taking the professional route request a customized quote.

Withers said online resources also can help churches get started.

Audience matters when congregations and faith groups consider how to use technology.

"In 98 percent of cases, it's people who are 30-somethings. They've got the kids you want to bring them in. This is how you continue to grow your congregation," Zeitz added. "And the 20-somethings and the 30-somethings are the digital natives."

Benefiting from e-mail, the Internet and podcasts doesn't have to take away from traditional forms of communication. Zeitz's congregation still sends out printed newsletters, for instance.

"It's nice to have a piece of paper," he said. " … Personally, I'd rather have it printed and sent to me."

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.