A Common Sense Approach to Ministry
I was just talking to Sammy from Palm Addict via IM and besides always being intrigued at how he runs a very popular and visited webstie, today the context of our converstation had me thinking a lot about common sense. He is a public relations guy and has bascailly built his working life on principals of serving people out of a common sense approach. Its quite easy to see that it has paid off for him, as Palm Addict and the other websites and ventures that he does do very well.
But the key part of that conversation had been when I listened to Sammy tell me that it was just common sense that drove his successes. And while its almost nature to think that simplicity never is the answer, it sure is a common word used in the Bible.
How does mobile technology equate to common sense approach in ministry in communities and aborad?
Simply put, it has to solve a problem or enable communication that leads to relationship. For example, many churches think that its a great idea to have an advertisement for a youth group bible study to be mentioned on a church flyer. But if you want to attract youth, why not use text messaging alerts that youths and parents can sign up to recieve on their phones on the day of or day before the Bible study.
How about announcements on Sunday service that can be downloaded BEFORE going to chruch, instead of just having a handout. Even better, making a web accessible calendar capable of sending alerts via email and phone, or even downloadable to Outlook or other calendar programs.
How about a sermon podcast that is available for download to any mobile phone, from anywhere in the world. But then people are able to post comments, pictures, and even voice responses to the sermon right from a computer or even mobile phone. Creating a community over the use of mobile technology and the Internet, and at the same time fostering relationships where God can enter in, and create the kind of change that makes a better world ;)
Technology at its core should meet a need, and MMM wants to help you or your church do that. But in our way of doing things, it has to be a common sense (yet God directed) approach. People who look to meet needs not only just prosper in themselves but manage to prosper/change people all around the word (folks such as Sammy from PA).
But the key part of that conversation had been when I listened to Sammy tell me that it was just common sense that drove his successes. And while its almost nature to think that simplicity never is the answer, it sure is a common word used in the Bible.
How does mobile technology equate to common sense approach in ministry in communities and aborad?
Simply put, it has to solve a problem or enable communication that leads to relationship. For example, many churches think that its a great idea to have an advertisement for a youth group bible study to be mentioned on a church flyer. But if you want to attract youth, why not use text messaging alerts that youths and parents can sign up to recieve on their phones on the day of or day before the Bible study.
How about announcements on Sunday service that can be downloaded BEFORE going to chruch, instead of just having a handout. Even better, making a web accessible calendar capable of sending alerts via email and phone, or even downloadable to Outlook or other calendar programs.
How about a sermon podcast that is available for download to any mobile phone, from anywhere in the world. But then people are able to post comments, pictures, and even voice responses to the sermon right from a computer or even mobile phone. Creating a community over the use of mobile technology and the Internet, and at the same time fostering relationships where God can enter in, and create the kind of change that makes a better world ;)
Technology at its core should meet a need, and MMM wants to help you or your church do that. But in our way of doing things, it has to be a common sense (yet God directed) approach. People who look to meet needs not only just prosper in themselves but manage to prosper/change people all around the word (folks such as Sammy from PA).
posted by Antoine @ 1/30/2006 06:07:00 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
In the last congregation where i worked, another member had an iPAQ and I would send him my sermon outline and my Bible class outline via infared. We woudl sit across a table and I would transfer everything to him each Sunday morning.
One of the elders had a Palm and we would send material back and forth as well. It saved time by being very immediate.
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