This is Part 2 of a series proposing a methodology towards implementing and understanding the implications of mobile tool-sets within ministries. It is deliberately shortened, and at the same time, should assist the understanding behind MMM’s specific expertise offerings.

Defining Mobile Strategies
While it is many times helpful to look to other industries to define and implement strategies around new technologies, mobile is one of those clear areas where everyone is still trying to develop a sense of what works and how. MMM is one of many groups at the front of this intersection between faith and mobile, and proposes a framework which might assist many of you towards not just seeing the value of mobile (devices, services, etc.) and discerning the impacts personally, locally, and globally.

Mobile as Context
Once you have gathered and organized the base data (Mobile as Content) to your approach, the next step is to understand the gaps and build a contextual profile. Or, to put it more simply, understand what all the data you collected means.

Again, here you haven’t implemented a solution, you are still building the framework to a solution.

By definition, context is the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. When you are regarding mobile as context, you are making an assumption (hopefully based on the data you collected or already understand) that mobile is a profitable strategy for your endeavor. Or, at the very least, mobile provides a means for a greater goal to be met more efficiently.

Context regards a few constants: (a) you have content that is valuable to someone else; (b) there is enough infrastructure and behavioral tendencies that your method will cause/disrupt change; and (c) you have the means to carry out your plans.

Once you have understood your data and further refined the context of your strategy, it is time to start cross-referencing your goals with existing (similar or near-similar) approaches (part 3).