10:00
Unknown
In the last couple of years, much has been made of the drive to use technology to reach people. In church affairs, the subtle undertone has been to use technology to bring people in.
Count me in amongst the shameless adherents.
I believe the church needs to move at the pace with most of society at worst, and leads the pack at best. There are numerous ways we can use technology to help us fulfill our spiritual goals, and I get a lot of satisfaction in finding out new ways.
One big point of pause should be the fact that old concepts should not necessarily be discarded. While we feel driven to share our messages on Sunday from our smartphones and/or tablet devices, there is nothing wrong in acknowledging the fact that some congregants may be reassured by seeing a physical Bible.
Hearkening to the past is not necessarily a sign of weakness.
In taking my current position (and by default, becoming the church "digerati"), I have come face-to-face with a fact that startled me: some of my church family won't ever visit the church website I take so much time to keep updated. It has taken me longer to understand that that is okay.
As soon as I start creeping into ministry, I begin to displace what should be the true Source. There is also a real danger in allowing a ministry conduit become THE ministry. And that is what technological pushes really are (or should be): tools.
You can use all the flash-bangs in the world and hit air if you don't have an overall focus on people. We can play the numbers and unseeingly witness our ministries will go awry. We might have full auditoriums and sweet testimonials, but we might not be truly changing hearts.
My point is to vocalize what I have been cautioning myself with... love what God is doing, not the tools that are harnessed to effect it. When my BlackBerry freezes during a witness, should the witness stop?
Let's not leave folks behind if we can help it. In the mean time, I am off to download yet ANOTHER minstry tool to my smartphone.
I never said we should stop using these tools, did I?
You see,
Count me in amongst the shameless adherents.
I believe the church needs to move at the pace with most of society at worst, and leads the pack at best. There are numerous ways we can use technology to help us fulfill our spiritual goals, and I get a lot of satisfaction in finding out new ways.
One big point of pause should be the fact that old concepts should not necessarily be discarded. While we feel driven to share our messages on Sunday from our smartphones and/or tablet devices, there is nothing wrong in acknowledging the fact that some congregants may be reassured by seeing a physical Bible.
Hearkening to the past is not necessarily a sign of weakness.
In taking my current position (and by default, becoming the church "digerati"), I have come face-to-face with a fact that startled me: some of my church family won't ever visit the church website I take so much time to keep updated. It has taken me longer to understand that that is okay.
As soon as I start creeping into ministry, I begin to displace what should be the true Source. There is also a real danger in allowing a ministry conduit become THE ministry. And that is what technological pushes really are (or should be): tools.
You can use all the flash-bangs in the world and hit air if you don't have an overall focus on people. We can play the numbers and unseeingly witness our ministries will go awry. We might have full auditoriums and sweet testimonials, but we might not be truly changing hearts.
My point is to vocalize what I have been cautioning myself with... love what God is doing, not the tools that are harnessed to effect it. When my BlackBerry freezes during a witness, should the witness stop?
Let's not leave folks behind if we can help it. In the mean time, I am off to download yet ANOTHER minstry tool to my smartphone.
I never said we should stop using these tools, did I?
You see,
