Mobile Ministry Magazine

Via Church Relevance:

OneMillionWitnesses.com "is a website looking for one million witnesses (Christians) to share their testimony while helping fund non-profits like Living Water International.

For a minimum donation of $10, you can create a block featuring your testimony. The first 100,000 blocks go to helping Living Water International build about 100 wells."

This is a great project, and a notable way to not just give a gift, but display an aspect of the legacy that we are to leave as followers of Christ. Visit OneMillionWitnesses.com and leave your testimony and gift for certainely a worthy casue.

Labels: mission, tech

When people are out and about in a place that they have never been, its pretty much normal to consult a map. Occasionally, people will look at a map before they even take a trip, getting an idea of the lay of the land and important places.

But what about those of us who just do things on more of a whim. Where we use our GPS and mobile devices to find not just what is around us, but where we are in relation to those places/people? Take a look at the updated Google Maps Mobile application today had me asking the question "where are you in relation to me" rather than just "where are you."

The latest version of Google Maps Mobile acts a lot like a GPS, except it is not extra hardware, and it uses your mobile phone. The MyLocation feature is the new aspect and basically its a "blue dot" that shows roughly where you are. It basically uses cell tower information to approximate where you are. Cool right? I like it, and for the cost of free it is a great way to get out of a jam.

There's a discussion at GigaOm that's talking on this, and why it is great for consumers and the mobile industry as a whole. But what if you are a ministry that is looking to attract people who are looking for a place to fellowship, or a place to call a solid, Christian church-home? Is your contact information updated and easy to find on your website so that search engines such as Google can pick this information up and make you findable on such a mobile map? Have you invested in any directory services that will assist you in putting your information on search engines for churches and other non-profit organizations?

Because, as it stands now, if you are not easily findable on the map, a person might not make your "blue dot" a home for them.

Note: The MyLocation feature of Google Maps Mobile is available in version 2.0 of the Google Maps Mobile application. At this time, not all mobile devices are supported. To download the latest version for your mobile device, visit http://www.google.com/gmm.

Labels: mobile accessories, mobiles, networking, software, tech

Would a common digital format used in all Bible readers solve the issue of using Bibles on various devices?

Or, is that even an issue that readers care for Bible readers to address?

Edit: I had this question sitting for a while, but did not publish it for a few days. Just bumping it up a bit so that the discussion can continue some.

Labels: Bible, tech

ChristianMobile, creators of VirtualBible, have created and announced a mobile phone Bible download service in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Snippets from the two press releases:

For the UK:

the whole Good News Translation (GNT) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible, Old and New Testaments from Genesis to Revelation - are available for download via a text message request in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Mobile phone users can download the Bible by sending the words GNTOT or CEVOT for the Old Testament or GNTNT or CEVNT for the New Testament to 60999 at a cost of 6 GBP per Testament.

The service enables pre-paid and contract mobile phone subscribers across all mobile networks in the United Kingdom to purchase the Bible via text message and download the full Bible by sending the words GNTOT or CEVOT for the Old Testament or GNTNT or CEVNT for the New Testament to 60999 at a cost of 6 GBP per Testament. Welsh, Afrikaans, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian-Portugese, and the Catholic apocryphal books are also available for download at www.christianmobileuk.com as well as a number of Christian ringtones, Christian wallpapers and daily Christian inspirational text messages such as prayers, devotions, Bible verses and Christian quotations.

For Australia:

...the whole Good News Translation (GNT) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible, Old and New Testaments from Genesis to Revelation - are available for download via a text message request in Australia. Mobile phone users can download the Bible by sending the words GNTBIBLE or CEVBIBLE to 19724253 or 197BIBLE at a cost of £ 20 perBible...

...The service enables pre-paid and contract mobile phone subscribers across all mobile networks in Australia to purchase the Bible via text message and download the full Bible via a text message request in Australia. Mobile phone users can download the Bible by sending the words GNTBIBLE or CEVBIBLE to 19724253 or 197BIBLE at a cost of £ 20 per Bible. A number of other Bible Versions are also available for download at www.christianmobileau.com as a number of daily Christian inspirational text messages services such as prayers,devotions, Bible verses and Christian quotations...

Pretty good news for those in Austrialia who don't want a smartphone but need the Word with them. For more information about Christian Mobile go to www.christianmobile.co.za; www.christianmobileuk.com; www.christianmobilerussia.com; www.christianmobileusa.com; www.christianmobileau.com or wapbibles.com on your mobile browser.

I really encourage those of you whom are pastors and missionaries to make this option known to people as well. Sure, we'd like for them to have a bound copy in hand when we are teaching/preaching, but in the case that this is not available, let them know that there are other options out there that are suitable for reading and studying.

Labels: Bible, ChristianMobile, mobile, reading

Trailblazin Ministries presents its 2007 Holiday Giveaway (sponsored by WORDsearch Corp. & Sphere of Hip-Hop)!

To enter, fill out the contact form with the subject "Giveaway" and your name, age, and email address. On Dec a random drawing will be held to pick the 5 grand prize winners and 3 runner-ups.

Five grand prizes featuring:
WORDsearch 7 Thompson Chain Reference Bible Library
13 Letters CD
and a bonus CD of our choice

Three runners-up will receive a package of 2-3 holy hip-hop CDs.

To enter, submit your entry via the Trailblazin Ministries' contact form.

Get your entries in by Dec. 20th. Announcement of winners will happen on Jan 1, 2008.

Labels: contests

We posted a few times on the OLPC and made a case on how it would make for a great means to jumpstart tech-based missions efforts via the Give One Get One program. Well, it seems that the program has been extended to Dec 31, according to Ars Technica.

From the Give One Get One Website:

Since November 12th, OLPC has been offering a limited-time Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. During Give One Get One, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. Thanks to a growing interest in the program, we are extending Give One Get One until the end of the year. Through this extension, and the increasing public interest in OLPC, we hope to give many more children the opportunity to grow, explore, learn and express themselves.

I know it is the holiday season, and there are probably a boat-load of other charities that might be nipping at your heels, but think of this from the perspective that you are not going to just be able to donate to a solid cause, but there will be opportunities for you or your kids to be able to work alongside other receipents to help enable others to sustain their communities in tech-based fields. Doing so with the mind and heart of Christ as the motivation should make for a lot of solid engagement.

Labels: mission, OLPC, tech

I was reading an article on my Treo a bit ago and it made a whole lot of sense to me for reasons that were not totally related to the article itself. First let's brief on the article, and then get into the application.

The article was a piece published at Publishing 2.0 that spoke on innovation. The premise of the article simply states that disappointment leads to innovation. Not necessarly need. An example was given of a developer who has been disappointed at how the mobile web is used and is developing a different solution that one that has been commonly gone for. If you will, the problem is the same, and yet the road to the solution was justa bit different.

Many times, I look at Bibles and Bible software and really wonder why it is such a stagnet field. In light of this article, its dawned on my why I think the way that I do, but why others might not. For me, going mobile was a means of lightening my backpack and making me more organized. I was disappointed at the adivce and means that others had used, and took another route. That disappointment led to where I am now with mobiles and Bibles. However, I am still not satisfied. Because, for as much as the tech has gotten manageable, there is still no easy means to tie all of the information from online and offline sources together on various devices.

Others don't have this issue. In fact, adding tech to the equasion is the disappointing aspect. From adding notes, to adding a particular Bible version, to doing something totally different, the technology is an issue that many don't want to deal with, and they are disapointed enough in it that they will not use it. If its not used, then why develop it more, right?

Therein lies a good reason why Bible software remains in the rut that it is in, and will remain there for a long while. The tech is too complicated, and therefore BIble publishers will not be forced to change if the tech cannot make it easier. With books you have a system (people want to read, the text has to be mobile and legible, and then problems solved). The same thing needs to happen with tech before we can address why digital Bibles are not popular.

Unfortunately, I don't see enough disappointment in mobile tech to change things on this end. And so we just might lie in a digital dark age for a bit longer.

Labels: Bible, mobiles, tech

I cannot speak for most, but I tend to do a lot less shopping during this time of year. Maybe it's because I tend to shop online and get the deals all year around. Nevertheless, this is a great time of year to go shopping, especially if you are looking at mobile devices.

If you are looking for a smartphone, start by looking at all of your needs. I like to use the smartphone compairson tool as a starting point. And then from there look at whatever deals a carrier is offering (if you want to go that route).

On the laptop and tablet PC side of things, I tend to use the resources at Notebook Review.com and TabletPCReview.com. Both of those sites have price compairson pages and tons of product page info that can just make a nice difference in making a solid purchase.

From the software side of things, I recommend you take a look at the various newsletter offers that might be going on. While there are sales everywhere, there might be other offers that can be combined for better savings.

Lastly, the who...
Give to those who need, not just to those who already have. Its great to get new things, but its also better to give a piece of tech to someone who might have a greater use for it than you or I.

Labels: mobile accessories, mobiles, tech

On a comment to a recent post, it was mentioned that some similar discussion about Bible makers getting together to make a single standard had been dicussed elsewhere.

What I found was a usual treasure trove of goodies in the latest issue of Christian Computing Magazine.

During the early years, CCMag’s main purpose seemed to be to just convince people that the computer was a vital tool for ministry. Over time, that mission has changed as churches began to accept the use of computers and technology. The new mission of CCMag was to help its readers, "Apply Tomorrow's Technology to Today's Ministry." CCMag seeks to provide information to help churches accomplish their mission (purpose) by using new services, software and tools as they become available..

So while you are sitting around the table this Thanksgiving getting in football and food, grab an issue of CCM and help some of those family members who ask you about those things tech and faith to gain some additional insight.

As for the discussion about Bibles using the same formats and then making the readers the point of emphasis, well that's been discussed for some time now. Time for myself and others to do the research and support for those making this software so that we all can benefit from a shared effort. And maybe from our example in tech, the rest of the Body can follow.

Labels: CCM, tech

The crew of websties that makes up Smartphone Experts has been rolling along with a Smartphone Round Robin for the past three weeks or so. I initally had not thought to post about it here, but after a quoted comment in a look at the BlackBerry 8310, I just had to post this:

...Let me adapt an idea from Italian writer and semiotician Umberto Eco, writing about the DOS vs. Mac divide in the 80s:

The fact is that the world is divided between users of the Macintosh computer and users of MS-DOS compatible computers. I am firmly of the opinion that the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant. Indeed, the Macintosh is counterreformist and has been influenced by the “ratio studiorum” of the Jesuits. It is cheerful, friendly, conciliatory, it tells the faithful how they must proceed step by step to reach - if not the Kingdom of Heaven - the moment in which their document is printed. It is catechistic: the essence of revelation is dealt with via simple formulae and sumptuous icons. Everyone has a right to salvation.

DOS is Protestant, or even Calvinistic. It allows free interpretation of scripture, demands difficult personal decisions, imposes a subtle hermeneutics upon the user, and takes for granted the idea that not all can reach salvation. To make the system work you need to interpret the program yourself: a long way from the baroque community of revelers, the user is closed within the loneliness of his own inner torment.

In this case, the Catholic smartphone is the BlackBerry, the Protestant Smartphone is Windows Mobile. Basically, the BlackBerry takes all the work of setting email up and moves onto the priests of BlackBerry - the BIS servers. You punch in your email address and your password, wait about 20 minutes (actually, I never waited more than 5), and your email magically starts getting pushed to your BlackBerry. Compare this to most Windows Mobile setups - where everything is handled device-side. Sure, WM can often (usually) auto-detect your email settings, but everything is pretty such client-based...

Not that I would ever call anyone who doesn't use a Palm OS Treo a heretic or anything, but I just loved the quote. The contest is still underway and the prizes are pretty good. Even if you are not interested in winning, getting an idea of what changing a device does to folks who know only how to use one or two devices well does make for some great news.

Catch the rest of the Smartphone Round Robin by visiting WMExperts, Treocentral, Phone Different, and CrackBerry.com. Or subscribe to the RSS feed of all of the latest entries.

Labels: mobiles

When I was rolling with MMM in the summer of 2006, there was a person that I had been going back and forth with on some tech emails at the time. He found me via MMM, and asked for my assistance in setting up a PDA for one of his members (he was a pastor) who was bed-ridden and elderly. I can remember the energy that he had as he spoke about how delighted she was that he would visit with her, and even more than she had something to do when in the bed that was more than the normal crossword puzzle.

This Monday, I was reading about the new N810 at InternetTabletTalk when I clicked on a link to a poster's personal blog. At the time of writing this, I had not gotten past this post, but what I read there was pretty encouraging, and yet showed me in another light an area where mobile tech could be effective in keeping one encouraged when not-so-mobile.

Here is a piece of the post:

...I know I talk about my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet a lot, but I must tell you: It is a life-saver. (In fact, I'm blogging from it right now!) While in bed, I have internet, email, IM, games, FM radio, music, video, etc., all in the palm of my hand. If I had nothing else, my N800 would probably be quite sufficient...

The rest of Tim's blog is pretty neat (both in design and content). Check it out when you get a chance, and see if you can take opportunities towards making mobile devices a spot of encouragement for someone.

Labels: internet tablet, N800, Nokia, tech, usablity

If my history on the printing press is not obscured, one of the first books printed for mass consumption was the Bible (the NT I believe). Books and Bibles have pretty much had a solid relationship. Much like newspapers though, Bibles have felt the digital pinch to be more streamlined, digital, and versatile for all types of studying/reading and users.

Today, Amazon has released the Kindle. This is an ebook reader designed to usher (again) the idea of reading eBooks to a wider audience. While this follows a subscription-based model, one has to wonder what the advent of such "book services" means for the Bible.

- Will Bible publishers move towards subsctition-based publishing methods (like iPocketBible) for connected devices?
- Will Bibles ever adapt a common format for those electronic books (making reader applications the differing factor)?
- Will the Bible be the last major basteon for paper books?

As much as I am a digital nut, just visitng a church this weekend reminded me about how far ahead of the minds of many that having a digital Bible can be. This is not to say that there is a long road ahead, but before devices like Kindle can catch any fire, there needs to a good deal of education and collaborative work.

- thanks to Mobile Read for the tip

Labels: Bible, Kindle, Laridian, mobile, mobiles, tech

I am sitting on a few issues right now, but really had the thought in my head of asking us to conduct a multifaceted discussion on "the intersetion of faith and mobile technology."

The first part comes from a question that is placed at the MMM channel at Jaiku:

How can mobile technology be improved for your faith endavors?

The second item comes from the OLPC side of things, and something that I posted in response to a post addressing its possible inroads at Gear Diary:

I really like the idea of using technology as a means to open the door of education to developing and developed nations alike. I've personally been pushing for churches and missions organizations to get behind the idea of the Give One Get One project because it takes the idea of missions from being an aspect of "just sharing faith" to "sharing faith in word, but also giving an action to associate with it."

The key thing is that one must realize that there is no "one stop" solution to mitigating the issues that plague developing and developed nations. As long as there is ego, there will always be a case of the lower class having to fight for the same opportunities that upper class peoples and nations get. The question lies though of us that have: do we really beleive that we are better without making someone else's life better, or is humanity at its best when we give a part of ourselves to help those that have no voice of their own.

Where is our response as a Body of believers, and how much more should we be doing to address both of these?

Labels: Jaiku, mission, OLPC, tech

A little while back, I posted that I had purchased a new laptop and was going to pretty much use it just the same way that I was intending to use the now defunct Palm Foleo mobile computer. Essentially, because I work from a smartphone all of the time, I do not need all of the processing power of a laptop or desktop, and in the same vein, I do sometimes need the ability to type on a larger keyboard, or have a larger screen at my disposal.

So how have things been going? Well, for one, I am actually on my smartphone a bit less. Because I have the larger screen, I have reserved much of what I use it for (writing articles and posts) for this device. However, I have been looking for more mobile applications and services that would enable me to keep the same type of information on both, but not have to worry about syncing.

Probably the most used applications and services on the laptop has been Opera and Google Docs. Before this experiment, I have not had as much of a reason to use Google Docs; but now, I find that it is a bit freeing to have some documents stored there.

What is really missing on my mobile's side is the ability to just pull down documents to share and edit via Documents to Go, rather than the one way create and leave in DTG on the smartphone, then upload to GDocs, then have to reupload from the smartphone if any changes. A few less steps there would be a lot better.

I am noticing that sharing some documents seems to be a whole lot easier than adding attachments. Also, knowing that I have a copy locally on my smartphone, and then another on a server also easies the mind just in case something goes awry. I am not sure that everyone is ready for such a kind of life, but it seems simple enough to move from attachments to links that I think sharing information like this, even over a text message, is pretty neat.

That's all for this update. I am looking for other ways to break into using browser-based applications on this laptop. Seeing that I am in a study of the OT now, I am in the hopes that something could be worked out with one of the several online Bible services out there. But the key is mobile, if it doesn't work on mobile, then its a good bit behind what is needed.

Labels: mobile, mobile accessories, tech

"It's been 20 years since the first version of WORDsearch delighted users with its speed and accuracy in searching the Bible--just one Bible, mind you, the King James, on 5 1/4" floppies! The great-great-grandson of that program, WORDsearch 8, will delight you even more as it taps an available library of over 2,400 volumes and the resources of the internet to refine the tons of raw ore into the few ounces of pure gold you need for your sermon, lesson, or study."

WORDsearch 8 has finally been released, the latest version of WORDsearch Corporation's flagship software application. There are many new features that have been incorporated into this upgraded software application, such as: Instant Verse Study, integrated web browser, cross reference & topic explorers, faster & more accurate searching, Turabian style footnotes, user interface changes, and much more. In celebration of their new release, they are having a half-price sale on their electronic books for those who are purchasing or upgrading to WORDsearch 8.

This is a very solid and easy-to-use application for every Christian, new believers and pastors alike. If you're looking for a desktop application that is infinitely expandable, then WORDsearch is worth checking out. Be sure to visit their website @ WORDsearchBible.com for more information and screenshots.

**Disclaimer: LaRosa Johnson is a WORDsearch employee, but any questions or comments regarding the software should be given directly to the company.

The 99th Carnival of the Mobilists is now up at Ubiquitous Thoughts.

Of particular interest is the section talking about mobiles and education. Having explored this topic myself in times past (yes, that article is really old), I find it really neat that devices and educators are readying the change in paradigm of learning tools and the ability to acquire and parse knowledge.

I am having a hard time titling this post. Mainly because it is a public writ of some personal thoughts that I have had for some time.

I have been on the road since Tuesday of last week. Between a new laptop and my Treo (and mainly the Treo), I have been able to stay up to date with various news and notes from around the web and with people around me. Because of the accessiblity I have with this tech, I was able to reconnnect with a lot of people in the DC, Annapolis, and Phila. areas. From phone calls to text messages, it sure seemed that for all the mobile that I was doing by driving, that my tech was doing a lot of the same, just stretching the ability to connect a bit further than I was driving.

This morning, I got into Charlotte after driving the entire night from Philly and went straight to church. I am one of the persons who helps to set up for service and this was my week to be there early. After we finished setting up, I pulled out my laptop to email one of the guys some notes from my trip that I had taken. Another member stopped me and began asking questions about mobile tech (that I use) and RSS. He expressed at one point that he felt he was being a bother, but he wasn't. I was happy to share what I know with him. It was there that it hit me (again): does mobile ministry really matter if the things that I take as being simple are not yet understood by the many.

In the conversation I had with Mobile Cowboy this past week, we talked about really getting out there and challenging the way that churches respond and use tech. And we both have a great idea as to how to do it. The question stopped at the "how and where's the relevance" end of things. Sure, we are passionate about it, but without sounding geeky, how do we translate this appropriate use of technology into something that can viably be called a ministry.

I am thinking about this past week and what I was able to do personally, but how little of it had relevance to anyone else until I was able to sit down with them. Mobile tech is shaped like that; its personal by design and has to have personal relevance before it can become even a blip on the radar. I've been at this blog/magazine for sometime now and feel like I fall short in encouraging/teaching where tech becomes a personal enough matter to enable the right kinds of change when it intersects with our fatih.

Now, this is the right kind of change. Its the kind of effect that I wish that MMM had/has (changing a paradigm of use, as well as galvanizing communities whom otherwise would be left out of those things tech). I am not sure that it does, and therefore I question its relevance and effectiveness. Sure, expressing God's heart for tech and and innovations of what is here is great, but to date, I just haven't been able to turn that corner to where all those things typed get practiced more often than sometimes.

I hope that by going to BibleTech 2008 that I'd find what I am looking for in terms of that further kick, motivation, or something. I just don't know if mobile ministry will be relevant enough as a pursuant in my own life for me to take the best advantage of it. Unless a personal connection is made with the people who would most benefit by it, mobile ministry is more talk than action, and in effect missing the point of doing all things to the glory of God.

Labels: BibleTech, mission, mobile, tech

I was talking with the Mobile Cowboy tonite while back in the DC area and he mentioned an idea about using the OLPC project as a possible opportunity for orgs/churches to enable their communities, while also fulfilling missionary opportunities.

I'd refer this thought to the previous post made here speaking on the OLPC as a missions' door. But with an extended thought: how do you make tech matter, not just as a personal technology, but something that opens the door that you willingly walk thru, for ministry at home and abroad?

Labels: mission, tech

Today, the US hit the backend of Daylight Savings Time. Being that it is Fall, our clocks move backward one hour. Well, I thought that all was well for me when I woke up and saw that message on my phone that my clock had been changed. Little did I know, seeing that message twice meant that my clock was pulled back two hours, and I was nearly late for volunteer work.

This brings to light that other side of being mobile and technological that is not always talked about. Depending on factors such as your needs, the device maker, and other services, getting a handle on mobile tech in such a way that it is not a pain can be difficult. And moreso that with other tech, with mobile things are so personal that what might work for one person is not always going to work for another.

Bob at Mobile Read posted an article this weekend on just that issue. Sure, we get these devices in order to make things easier. But sometimes, that administration side can be a good deal of pain before things work out.

So what are some ways to minimize some of the pain of using mobile tech? Here are a few things that I've come to learn:
- know both the abilities and limitations of the device firsthand, and work within those constraints.
- the more you have to purchase to make it work, the less that it really does work; do your homework before moving to a new device or service
- if you spend more time setting and tweaking things up, you might be better served by hardware or software that is simpler in action; while you might not get things as detailed as you would like, you will be able to be more productive with it
- and remember that the latest and greatest is the best, just not usually for you; devices and tools that have just come out need time to mature not only in ability, but in their goals for you

After that, everything can be a bit of fun, and you just might find that things aren't so painful after all.

Labels: tech

Greetings all, I hope that you all are having a bit of a good weekend. I am currently about to run out the door, but decided to take some time on a new-to-me laptop that I just purchased ($100). In looking at the specs (2.02GHz Celron, XP Home, 384MB RAM, and no wireless), I pretty much looked at this device as something that I could put Linux onto and then have a sold, yet mostly disconnected working device when I am out and about.

However, in the mist of my getting it setup today, I had the revelation that I would be better off if I added my Bluetooth USB dongle, and then only added a browser (Opera 9.5 Beta) and just used web services on the laptop. If you will, I want to put to test a lot of what I have been reading about various Web 2.0 services being better than their disconnected counterparts for various things.

Now granted, I will not always be disconnected. My Treo will be nearby to play modem. But considering that this is an additional computer, I do not want to deal with information on yet another device. So, my experiment is for the most part simple: I want to see how much that I can do from just a browser-based environment, that will translate to my smartphone, desktop, and anywhere else.

To do this, I would like to ask for suggestions from you as to what kinds of applications and services that you would like for me to check out. I'll be doing the Google Office bit for a lot of things, but I am looking for subjects that will be relevant to you.

I'll still be posting from my Treo, but this will be an additional area for me to try out several things.

SO buckle up, becasue this is going to be a lot different than any of us use computing (well, some of us). And will hopefully give you some ideas of where to take aspects of web and mobile user to parts of your life.

Labels: mobile, tech