A person recently asked me “how do I keep up with the latest technology and its pace of change?” The answer that I gave them was simple, “I don’t.” I have specific goals that I look towards in regards to how I use and understand technology, and do my best to not overwhelm myself with knowing or having the latest this or that.
Now, that’s something that I’ve learned over time. And certainly, this is something that anyone who is involved within IT in ministry will run into. That’s while I like this recent article by Tre Lawrence at Church Mag. Here’s a snippet of the wisdom towards tech on a minimal budget:
…First, I try to satisfy the congregation’s love of media. Pictures, videos and music. I have albums worth of music on my Android EVO all the time, and a few more on Dropbox. With a good sound guy (and ours, Jay, is the best in the world), we could run service from my phone if needed. The Android OS “Share” functionality allows me to instantly upload videos to Youtube, and I have started using the cloud capabilities of Google+ to store Church pictures. I can get pictures on the Church’s Facebook page and further disseminate via Twitter. Even the two free navigation apps are useful, as anyone who has traveled half a dozen hours with a van full of spirited teenagers can tell you…
Note that he’s not simply using products becasue of a minimal budget, there’s a strategy there that makes the best use of the time, resources, and people available. The products and behaviors mentioned in that article I would say are great to keep in mind, and even make sure that you are emphasizing if you are in the realm of being the IT-person of your ministry/organization.
An easy way to get started here is to simply make a spreadsheet of those devices you have, the abilities they have, and the abilities you need. This means more than mobile, social networks, email systems, etc. Look at it all in one place, and be honest with the needs of your department or organization. The next step would simply be setting a priority towards those organizational needs. After that, you can easily make the decision towards devices, services, support, and even upcoming strategeic engagements. The last step there is once you have your top items, get a plan to get them accomplished with what you have in your hands. Nice and simple.
I think the quote goes something like, “those who fail to plan are those who plan to fail.” Being efficient and effective is simply planning with what you have, and using it to God’s glory and to your best ability. This article proposes several products and wise behavior. What have you put forth in your ministry or organization?