This has been one academic week with two talks about MMM and mobile ministry in university settings. In both sets of talks, there’s been the setting of expectations around mobile as it relates to ministry and media. So far, they’ve poked a few thoughts.

Stealing a bit from the second talk, mobile seems like a three iterative layers of communication: there, I described it as speech (communicate to interact), tweet (communicate to broadcast, not necessarily targeted), and text (communicate with intent to re-engage). With mobile, there are layers that we use it, and many people sit (stop) with the first. Its that second layer that many of us are seeing more and more, and the third that we have the most problem with. For the most part, communicating with intent to be re-engaged is a bit much.

These layers also seem to play their part in matters of faith. Speech (prayer, small groups, etc.), tweet (sermons, mailings, larger-group teachings), and text (conferences, fellowship, communion, etc.). Simplified, but maybe you can see what I am looking at here. Mobile has its space in which its usable, and others where it facilitates something bigger. The key is understanding the difference, and then going forth (whether in ministry or addressing culture) from there.

Due to the various perspectives (faith) of the audiences that I’m speaking to, I see this as a better route to talk about mobile ministry and digital faith efforts. What I’d probably want to do here is become a good deal more informed towards what’s happening in other faiths in respect to mobile and web (of the latter, its a ton). Those perspectives can help, and at the same time will have a viewpoint unique to their faith cultures.

Interesting thoughts to end the week aren’t they? Poke us if you have any insights, or would like to have us speak to your class/group. There’s much more to explore at this intersection, and from there we can send and receive – and occasionally pull something out that is in a different space that what you might be used to thinking about.