Godcasting helps churches reach Christians on the go

When religious broadcaster S-VOX launched its myGodPod Christian podcasting service last month, it claimed that spiritual podcasts are burgeoning. Given the often-tenuous relationship between religion and technology, it wouldn’t be surprising if some doubted this assertion – but the evidence supports it. Late last year CNN reported that religious podcasting, or Godcasting, was the fastest-growing segment of the podcasting community. And at podcasting website PodcastAlley.com the 1,709 religious/inspirational podcasts available put Godcasting behind only music/radio, technology and general for the most well-stocked genre. At the very least, Christianity appears to have found its online pulpit. "We perceived a real need in the marketplace for people who were devotional Christians to have a convenient way of doing their daily devotions," says Suzanna Mandryk, VP of communications and marketing for S-VOX. "Normally there are readings that have to be done and bible readings and music to listen to… and this was a way to have people sort of put it all together and listen to it on the train on the way to work or at lunchtime." The myGodPod offering costs US$19.95 a year and includes five podcasts a week. Each 40-minute podcast includes a daily devotional reading, featured artists, a music segment, guided meditation, and New Testament and Old Testament readings. It’s available around the world to anyone who has access to the Web, but S-VOX had a more targeted audience in mind. "For the most part we’re imagining that it’s….males, aged 20 to 40, that have growing families and have busy lives, and can find this a convenient way of doing their devotions," says Mandryk. Some might argue that a "download-on-the-go" approach to religion is an affront to the concept of devotion, but Mandryk says spiritual podcasting hasn’t faced any backlash that she’s aware of. "One of the biggest markets that’s making Godcasting grow so fast are a lot of the Sunday sermons that are ," she adds. "So I think there’s more of a trend towards supporting the new technology and getting the word out to people through whatever means possible." According to Wikipedia.org, even Pope Benedict XVI has begun to record podcasts, which would seemingly be an invitation for all Christians to embrace the technology. For a company like S-VOX, whose properties include VisionTV and digital television services One: the Body, Mind & Spirit channel and The Christian Channel, podcasting is the next logical step in delivering content in the digital age. S-VOX says their service allows Christians to "dock and walk," synching their iPod or other player with their computer, downloading the content, and listening to it at their leisure throughout the day. Considering VisionTV brands itself as "Canada’s multi-faith and multicultural television broadcaster," it seems rational for S-VOX to offer podcasts for other faiths down the road. "I think it’s entirely possible that this could go beyond the Christian marketplace," says Mandryk. "This is a test of one particular religious aspect but I think it really does have a lot of growth potential." It also seems likely that the growth potential for convenient spiritual content is attached to flagging church attendance. Mandryk says figures on declining attendance may be misleading, but either way Godcasting simply helps religions reach more people: "I think people are looking for other ways of pursuing their spirituality, so especially for the audience that we’re aiming for, it may be that this is just an easier way for them to do that."

Godcasting helps churches reach Christians on the go

News | 06/26/2006 4:00 am EDT

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