About Me

Meet Christian Whitmer

Church technology, communications, AI, and ministry operations from someone who's spent a lot of Sundays somewhere between the server room and the sound booth.

I'm Christian Whitmer, and I've spent over 20 years on church ministry staff — most of that time living somewhere between the server room, the communications calendar, and the Sunday morning chaos.

I've run cable, built networks, managed websites, created graphics, supported volunteers, fixed broken livestreams, and yes, rebooted equipment during a service more times than I'd like to admit. If you've ever had a printer, projector, access point, or announcement slide choose violence five minutes before church starts, we probably have a lot in common.

Ministry Through Technology

I'm not just a tech guy who goes to church. I'm someone who has spent two decades doing ministry through technology — and I've learned that the best tech decisions are still fundamentally people decisions.

At Blackhawk, much of my ministry happens behind the scenes. I'm responsible for:

Managing the church website
Creating printed materials and publications
Designing graphics and videos for services and events
Supporting church communications and digital tools
Providing technical support and troubleshooting
Helping keep Sunday morning systems running smoothly

If you spot me moving quickly on a Sunday — even if everything looks normal — there's a decent chance something somewhere has decided to become a discipleship opportunity.

Why This Blog Exists

ChristianWhitmer.com is where I write about the intersection of technology and ministry — not from a theoretical standpoint, but from the trenches.

Real churches. Real budgets. Real volunteers who just inherited the Wi-Fi password and have no idea what to do with it.

If you're a pastor trying to understand why your livestream keeps dropping, a communications director drowning in tools that don't talk to each other, or a volunteer who got voluntold into being the church's IT person — you're in the right place.

What I Write About

AI & Automation

Practical ways churches can use AI tools without losing their voice, their judgment, or their mind.

Church Communications

Email, social media, announcements, branding, and the art of actually getting your message through.

Network & Infrastructure

The unglamorous backbone that makes Sunday morning work — or explains why it doesn't.

AV & Production

Support for the volunteers and staff keeping the lights on, the slides moving, and the livestream alive.

Ministry Operations

Behind-the-scenes systems that let your team focus more on people and less on preventable problems.

Volunteer-Friendly Tech

Clear explanations for people who want to serve well without needing a networking certification first.

The Tools Serve the Mission

I’ll occasionally weave in a scripture reference or a pastoral thought, because after all these years, I can’t separate the tools from the mission they serve.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
— Colossians 3:23

That verse has followed me through a lot of server upgrades, Sunday morning scrambles, and late-night troubleshooting sessions. It still holds up.

A Little More About Me

I'm not married and don't have children in the traditional sense — but I do have a small dog named Ollie who has firmly established himself as the child of the household.

When I'm not serving at Blackhawk, you'll likely find me:

Flying my drone
Creating with my 3D printer
Listening to audiobooks and podcasts
Experimenting with tools that may or may not make life easier

Faith Journey & Background

Though born in South Georgia, I spent most of my childhood in upstate New York after my family relocated when I was 18 months old. Ministry runs deep in my family — my grandfather, father, and great-grandfather were all pastors. At one point we had approximately 14 family members serving in full-time ministry.

I was saved and baptized at a young age in a small rural church in Elmira, NY — a special moment, as my father baptized me in the same church where my grandfather served as pastor.

After graduating from high school and college in Kentucky, I began my ministry career there over 20 years ago. Following a brief period in Georgia, I moved to Fort Wayne on February 14, 2017 — my birthday and first day on staff at Blackhawk.

I've fallen in love with both this city and our church community, and I look forward to many more years of service here.

No Jargon. No Fluff. Just Practical.

I write for the pastor who needs the big picture, the staff member who needs the how-to, and the volunteer who just needs to know what to do next.

If something on this site helps your church run a little smoother or gives you the confidence to tackle that tech problem you've been avoiding — that's exactly why I'm here.

Have a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Reach out anytime.