Mobile Ministry Magazine

Since I first learned about PDAs in 2000, I've been a big advocate of using technonlogy in ways that push the status quo. Especially back then, doing so put me in a position where I was not just misunderstood, but caused a resentment to the adoptions of technology in ways that would have been a huge help to many.

I've since grown from that zealousness (to a degree). And with the starting of MMM in Oct 2004 (we went web in April 2005), the idea that expectations and understanding have to have a common meeting place (Romans 15:1-7) became more real than ever.

To that end, I want to extend a bit of an olive branch to users, developers, marketers, and believers alike. When it comes to finding a suitable place for technology, there are indeed different needs and expectations that we have for our corner of things. We are unique in our lives and what we experince, this will happen. What we lose though is that ability to move forward together when one part of the Body slants their approach or view towards another. These are not the times to go at it as the only keepers of secret knowledge.

Hence I find myself at the four year mark with MMM. I'm constantly trying new things; pushing my own preconceptions in various areas; seeing the connections at times, and missing the obvious markers in others. There's indeed a lot that can layer this life, and on the side of MMM, we've sought to leverage a healthy understanding of mobile technology as a tool within the solution of corporate/communal empowerment.

I'm not sure if MMM has been totally successful in making those bridges though. Just speaking as a leader, there's much we could have done here to pull together publishers and developers better; things we could have done in the parterships we have in terms of enabling more people towards a digital understanding. We've made some successes and failures. Its been something to behold.

That all being said, and reflected upon. Reading this article at Ars Technica just shows me that MMM has a niche towards understanding this tech that others might not. Nah, we aren't flashy (I kinda refuse to be). And though we reach - person to person, website to website - with this goal of just slowly increasing the understanding that this ground - the internet - is useful for ministry and community engagement; we don't want to stop there. The possiblities to better steward all that we have, and present a view of Christ that is unquestionably Him remains our focus.

I've got no clue of how to move forward. I only know that we keep doing so. Through courses, elections, jobs, illness, and whatever else, we just move forward. Hoping that at some point we understand what God meant by allowing us to connect like this, hoping that we'll me Him because we didn't slack in taking the time to connect like this.

Welcome to 4 years of MMM, seeing life at the place where faith and technology intersect. We've got some more understanding and wisdom to grasp if you've got the time to learn with us.

Labels: commentary, community, devotion, education, faith, mobility