So here’s the deal, about a month ago, on July 4th, New Hope Christian Fellowship, a large Foursquare Church in Hawaii, launched the first iPhone church services.   DJ Chuang did a great job of covering the story at Digital (Leadership Network’s “tech for laypeople” blog).  The last time I was at New Hope I blogged it here.

Here’s what the press release, looked like – Hawaii Church Becomes First to Stream Live Video to iPhone:

Less than two weeks after the release of Apple’s iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 update, Honolulu-based New Hope Christian Fellowship (http://www.enewhope.org) has announced that it will begin streaming its weekend worship services live to iPhone and iPod touch users.

Live streaming to the iPhone was one of the most requested features from church attendees, and is now possible with the inclusion of HTTP live streaming in Apple’s iPhone 3.0 software. New Hope’s addition of live streaming to the iPhone is significant in that it is the first non-profit organization to offer this type of service. “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.”

Leveraging standards-based HTTP streaming technology, New Hope will deliver high quality video over either a Wi-Fi connection or other carrier network, providing for a truly portable experience.

After successfully testing the service this past weekend with hundreds of users, the church is now planning to offer the live streaming video of its services to all iPhone and iPod Touch users starting July 4th.

The church currently streams all five weekend services live on its website for computer users and created the streaming for the iPhone as a free service for those who may not have access to a computer.

“We are always looking for ways that we can leverage technology to reach people where they are at,” said New Hope’s Interactive Developer Peter Thourson, “through live streaming video on iPhone and iPod touch, users across the globe will be able to continue to attend church regardless of where they are.”

New Hope Christian Fellowship on Oahu is one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation according to “Outreach Magazine,” with over 12,000 people in regular attendance at 6 locations. “Outreach Magazine” also named New Hope as one of the most influential and innovative churches in the United States.  New Hope also has an internet campus with streaming video and an interactive online community.

But here’s the important thing, on that same weekend Northland Church, (home-based in Longwood, Florida) also launched.  Additionally, LifeChurch.tv has an iPhone mobile option… and there’s more……. so all this week, I’m celebrating iPhone church services.  Tomorrow, I’ll post an interview with Peter Thourson, New Hope’s Interactive Developer.   In the meantime here’s a list with the first 3 innovators of iPhone services.

Can you give me the names of more?

• New Hope Christian Fellowship
• Northland Church
• LifeChurch.tv

Looks like our tech-savvy friends at YouVersion.com have hit a home run with the release of YouVersion for the iPhone.  Having an interactive online Bible in your hand seems almost hard to believe – only the LifeChurch.tv digerati team, headed up by Terry Storch, have made YouVersion.com a reality.  And just in time for the Apple 3G iPhone release.

At the time of this writing it was number 35 in popularity, beating out hundreds of other free apps in the new app store!  In the brief minutes it's taken me to post this, I've already downloaded it. You can too, free.

Now you can have the scriptures with you anywhere plus your journal notes, photos and other uploads to your Bible cache.  And – no more turning our phones off in church.

You heard right.

Ingenious, Christian image-sharing site, CreativeMYK.com, is giving away a new iPhone to a winning artist.

To participate, CreativeMYK.com invites artists to submit their original works in the form of images that will be re-digitized and used and distributed through CreativeMYK.com as free or pay-for-use images.  How easy can it get?