Wartburg College is offering a digital ministry class that can help ordained and lay leaders use technology to enhance all aspects of their ministry.

The course, which will begin in January 2018, will be offered on campus, with an online option for those not in or near Waverly. The Rev. Wil Ranney, a professional “digital minister” who provides consultation services for churches and church organizations nationwide, will teach the course, which was created in partnership with the Rev. Brian Beckstrom, Wartburg’s campus pastor.

Ranney said the church is poised for a digital reformation as more of people’s lives move from the analog into the digital, yet the church is slow to adapt to these new technologies. This class is designed to help church leaders get up to speed and keep running.

“Digital ministry encompasses all the ways the church can leverage technology, with a strong emphasis on social media and a strong sense of theological purpose,” Ranney said. “The class will use techniques pioneered by internet start-ups to demonstrate how churches can leverage that technology to create exciting new ministries and enhance existing ministries while managing the risk associated with change.”

The course will cover everything from Facebook Live to search engine optimization to Martin Luther’s technological legacy.