The first Mobile Ministry Forum, held this past December 2-4, assembled 16 missional, technology, and media-focused persons (representing 15 organizations) to focus exclusively on building a shared understanding and use of mobile within the context and application of the Christian Gospel.
Conversations and working-sessions developed plans for mobile-oriented objectives such as training curriculums, expanded collections of research and analysis, and the establishment of a global practitioner community that shares this understanding of the world’s fastest growing communications media.
This forum was the result of understanding the unique channel that mobile continues to carve in our developing understanidng of digital faith initiatives. In representing the two-way nature of mobile, this forum, and the activities of its participants, seeks to demonstrate innovative and contextually relevant avenues for conversation for all persons looking for the place where their faith intersects this new digital paradigm.
A Few Highlights
There were more than 10 organizations represented at this meeting of the hearts and minds of those movers and shakers in the mobile ministry space. Organizations represented included:
- Campus Crusade for Christ International
- Christian Broadcasting Network
- CyberMissions
- Distant Shores Media
- Frontiers
- International Mission Board
- Global Short Film Network
- Kiosk Evangelism
- Missionary Aviation Fellowship (Learning Technologies Division)
- Mobile Ministry Magazine
- Role Model Software
- visionSynergy
- Visual Story Network
- Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC) International
- Mobile Advance
- Wycliffe Bible Translators
The two day meeting was composed of several working sessions which aimed to put a consistent voice to activities in and around mobile-enabled ministry practices. Activites aimed to clarify the reasons for and definiton of mobile ministry; put some structure around what a global Christian movement – mobile-enabled – would look like; identify gaps, obstacles and opportunities; and finally leave from the session with some action-items (assigned and prioritized to the session participants).
In addition to these sessions, the people gathered fellowshiped in several side conversations and meals. There was also a few hours set aside for praise and worship with members of the local community.
Session Takeaways
There were numerous facts and opinions shared, but here are two that should stick out the most:
Working Definition of Mobile Ministry
Connecting and engaging the lost with the life-changing message, community and mission of Christ through personal, mobile technology.
Vision Statement for a global Mobile Ministry movement
[Within] ten years, every unreached person will have had a chance to encounter Christ and His kingdom in a compelling, contextualized fashion through their personal mobile device.
Full Report, Media, and Connect
A formal report covering the entire forum as been published on Google Docs and is available to read/share.
In addition, the Visual Story Network as put together a photo gallery of the Mobile Ministry Forum.
We encourage you to connect and reach out to the participants of this first Mobile Ministry Forum. All of these organizations connect via websites, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networks. So, not only would you be tapping a resource that’s at the leading edge of the mobile space, but also one that’s wholy relevant to digital faith initiatives.
Tags: conferences, definition of mobile ministry, Mobile Ministry Forum, social networking, workshops