This is Part 4 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 Creed
Mobile as Creed means simply the process of implementing your mobile strategy. And just as creeds when through a period of testing/debate, acceptance, and then reteaching/refinements, so does your mobile strategy.

By this point, you’ve identified the content you are trying to deliver (content), you made your assessments of the environment you are launching into (context), and have observed possible positive and negative impacts (cross-referencing).

Therefore, what’s left to do is build and test. This starts internally, then can move to an outside testing group, then finally is released.

All the while you are gathering data towards what’s working and what isn’t, and setting plans in place (sometimes publicly) for what’s to be refreshed or refined later.

To those groups/persons you’ve launched and promoted your mobile strategy towards, you will want to watch your reaction. For just as much as it is that you believe in your approach, you also have to take the posture of a teacher, guiding others who might not share your same perspective. You might use social media, increased employees/volunteers, or even different language/regional models in order to keep the conversation alive and fresh, while following after that core vision.

The core vision is most important. And it is in this core that mobile ministry strategies find their differentiation from other types of mobile strategies (part 5).