Mobile Ministry Magazine

Caught this post earlier today and kept it up till I could write on it. It's a great example of where a specific device, and its accompanying software, can meet a purpose that can have far reaching effects. In this case it is the Nokia E90 Communicator and the field of Journalism. The device is a good bit more capable than many (its larger than the enV to those who have or have seen one) and in the right capacity could be really useful.

Personally, I have been looking at this device for sometime as a replacement for my Treo and desktop. There are a few wrinkles in the device, but other than that its solid.

Labels: E90, Nokia, tech, Treo 680

I hope that you have had had a good week. Mine is going well, and this week I've probably had a lot of mental fun just going between my Treo and the N95 on loan from Nokia Blogger Relations trying to see which device works best for me, and where are some areas of applying and doing mobile tech/ministry can be. I'll admit, its kind rough as most of this I am just experimenting with, and from there making accounts and recommendations of what can or could work.

When I think about where we are in terms of the Body though, mobile tech seems to be the perfect intersection towards where we are. Between using social networks, mobile phones, and even IT summits; the ability to be a support or communication aspect to ministry is exciting.

I even get excited when I read about where mobiles are going. Just knowing that a "phone" device can serve as a computer, or creating a system were people can use their mobiles for communication and finacial services, its exciting.

Being in a new area of the US though, I am looking for ways where living by mobile can assist in the mobile outreach side of things. Whether that is something as simple as a bible study, or as needed as a mentor/mentee relationship, I'm looking for those ways were I can live in ministry, and what I do on a mobile device can really foster that healthly.

I think that items such as the Internet Ministry Conference and Church IT RoundTable are great because they really give some boundaries to where things are and where things can go. I'd really like to know more of what is happening around the world in this respect so that more "Body encoruagement" can happen in this world of tech.

So as you can tell, I'm one part loving the move, another part just watching and learning this new place. There's bound to be many areas where we move to or move from where some aspect of mobile tech has helped us to stay in touch with life around us. But when that mobile tech intersects with our faith, how we respond to the call will determine if we are really being challenged to live as vessils. I'm choosing that my mobile tech use should make me into a vessil of His glory. How that will effect the world around me, I can only hope it will be something that leads others to growing in their relationship with Our Lord.

Labels: ChurchIT RoundTable, devotion, Internet Ministry Conference, mobile, N95, Nokia, Treo 680

I started to post this on my personal blog, but considering that I am 30-some odd minutes late for going to bed, I wanted to get this idea out of my head before the bed got the best of me :)

So today I decided to contine the slow down of my life from DC Metro speed to NC/SC speed. Suffice to say, it really is a refreshing and jarring change. But I am adjusting and am finding all types of things that I used to worry about doing immediately, that there really doesn't need to be a pressing for.

I decided to use the N95 (thanks Nokia Blogger Relations) instead of the Treo 680 after church today for webbing and what have you and ran into a really good idea: Instead of sitting at my dekstop and just doing the computer thing there, I would use the multimedia computer (the N95) and play with it as a computer and media accessory via the TV-out interface.

So after plugging in the A/V cables and turning on the TV -- boom, the N95's display was right on the screen in front of me. Now, at this point I was doing my requisite wows and oohs, but then I got serious and said that I wanted to get into some level of browsing and see just how long I could take this "multimedia computer" before running back to the Treo or my dekstop.

As I began to surf the web at EDGE speeds (note: the N95, while a 3G phone, does not support US bands of 3G speed, hence EDGE is as fast as I could go), I noticed that there was less of a need than ever to have a computer, or even cable for that matter. I started by going to sites that I had already saved RSS feeds for, and from there started going to various links. It was pretty cool.

Then I got a few out of memory messages. This kinda miffed me. Here I was with possibly the best feature that a phone could do and the browser was giving me an out of memory error with two browser windows and music playing in the background. Oh well.

I continued my run and it was really fun. I played System Rush (one of the games that came with the N95), and even read a few emails. I did not like that the screen would always orient itself to which ever way I was holding the device. Sometimes, I wanted to keep the wide screen on the TV, but use the keypad to type a few things for example. But overall, I started to realyl dig this kind of computing and began plotting of how such a computing setup could be usable for me in the near future.

Before I settled down for the night, I grabbed a bowl of leftover Chinese food and began to watch some videos that I took from the Cross Movement concert in Woodbridge, VA. This concert was a part of their HIStory Tour and I was really blessed to get to it before I left the DC Metro area. Besides rocking out to a group of fellas who magnify the Lord and produce great music, it hit me how such a setup would be a fast and easy way to attend to teen ministries when resources are low.

You see, the N95 has the ability to not only take video and pictures (5mpx at that!). But can also edit video clips right on the device. Right there one would have the ability to create programs where clips of teens, things that they like, and music could be used as an outreach/inreach mechanism. From there, I had the thought of recoding sermons or talks (I had about 1.5hrs of recording on a 2GB micro SD card) and replaying them at a later time for fellowships and other gatherings. If you will, the N95 made me think of ways where I could take the recording of when ministry happens, and turn it into an avenue for teaching others how to walk like Christ.

Ok, so I am now on my desktop with the N95 playing modem. I don't have a BT keyboard that would work with all of my devices, and so I needed this much in order to type this. But in looking at the N95 and playing with it as I have today, I not only think that it is possible for me to get by without a full computer for everything, but to use my mobile as a door into getting others to see Christ moving in anyone.

Labels: community, mobile, N95, Nokia, Treo 680

While it is that I have really enjoyed the n800, especially as a weekend computing device, I don't think that I have maximized it just yet. Now, if my treo keeps actin' up, that will not be a prob.

Nevertheless, here is a post I did earlier which was written on the n800:

Right now i am in the mist of using three phones at once. I have the SIM from my 680 in the N95 so that it can be updated by the internet connection being served by another. Of course, all of thus is being done via the desktop and so there is at least one more comp in the mix. This does free me to get some good time in with the n800 and bemoan the lack of a really well done touchpad bible.

Yikes, i fell asleep in the mist of typing this. The n800 is a good bedside device indeed.

Really, there are not too many missing items from this. Some better logic from the keyboard would be good as well as some wireless profile settings. And a really good hybrid bible app. That would be icing on the cake. the cake. the cake.

Labels: Bible, internet tablet, N800, N95, Nokia, Treo 680, usability

Just a few notes as we are entering the top of the hump (EST time anyways).

The ESV Blog reported about the podBible, a ESV downloadable reading Bible for your iPod. Very neat.

In using the N800 and Treo 680, I am having similar thoughts to others of whether the laptop needs a revolution. But if you look at another story, it just might be that the revolution has happened already (it's just not priced right everywhere yet).

One thing is for sure, if we do see that revolution continue towards mobile tech, the change to how we approach community and worship cannot be far behind.

Which, if you think about it, would be neat. especially if we can have praise and worship parties regardless of location.

That's all for now, but isn't it neat to have a though of how God can and will influence tech at this point of the week?

Labels: Bible, church, community, ESV, mobile, mobiles, music, Nokia, praise, Treo 680, worship

I posted on Saturday that I had received a Nokia N800 via the Nokia Blogger Relations program and have since had it in and near my hands for a lot of good use. This is the first time since CES that I am getting a bit more than just a few moments with the N800, and so my play time is one part learning the device, and another part seeing where it fits into one's device portfolio.

Positive First Impressions
Aside from the fact that it's a new device in my stead, I can say that most of my first impressions have been quite positive about the N800. Seeing also that I am not PC based, meaning that I do not center my computing around being on a PC, but rather everything comes thru my Treo 680 and from there I do computing, having another device that does well without being attached to a PC is kinda neat. Now, there is the Nokia PC Suite software, and I shall get around to loading that and working with it, but for now, I am enjoying being untethered.

So, Any Negatives?
Just a few. Mainly in that some of the programs are hard to find as the interface is unlike anything that I have ever come across. Also, while the touchscreen does an amazing job of knowing when you are using your finger versus a stylus, sometimes the point of my finger registers as a stylus and all I want is the big keys so that I can type IMs and go places. Speaking of IMs, Google Talk keeps cutting out on me, even when on a BT connection to my phone. I am wondering if that is a firmware fix (for which I'll need to get on a PC and do).

So yea, things are going well with the N800 and I am throughly enjoying my time with it. I haven't found one simple Bible reader program for it though, and that has been a considerable downer as the UI and device are well suited for a real Bible study machine.

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, N800, Nokia, Treo 680