One of the many features of iPhones and the iPod Touch is to accommodate video streams. And today, a church will become the first group to experiment on streaming their services via video. The New Hope church thus becomes the first non-profit group to feature such a service, something that is cheered on by many of New Hope’s church attendees.

“Typically, churches are years behind other organizations when it comes to technology and innovation. We have tried to reverse that trend and pioneer new ways to spread the Gospel using the most current tools available,” explains New Hope’s Technology and Innovations Director, Michael Sharpe. “We don’t mind the long hours and stress that comes with innovating because we know that if we can come up with something useful, it can be used by other churches around the world.”

All of this was made possible with the inclusion of HTTP live streaming in Apple’s iPhone 3.0 software. The streams will be available via their website starting July 4. The live stream requires an iPhone or iPod touch with the 3.0 software update and an active Internet connection.

(Source) Press