Mobile Ministry Magazine

Back in the early times with MMM, we had this feature where you (the reader) was able to submit articles, and then we'd post them. Its been a long time since we've had any submissions, but this is something that I'd like to open back up. Part of the reason is that there are aspects of mobile tech and ministry that we haven't or don't cover enough in depth that you might like to; the other part is that it enables this site to be less-driven by a single voice heard here.

Thanks to the MMM partners who do write in here from time to time. Its a huge help when you come in with posts and have things to say that might be similar to things I've thought, but have a distinctly different perspective. Keep it up (please :D ).

Now, if you want to submit something, then just send it to us. I should mention, not everything sent will be published, and everything that is sent will see a round of editing. Thanks for reading and visiting, and lets open the doors here to those things you'd like to see.

Labels: commentary, content

Hey all, I've not fallen off the face of the earth. I've just not had as much time to create content lately. I am getting back into the swing of things and will hopefully start up some articles in the next days.

In the meantime, definitely take advantage of reading articles from the archives. Also, Brian's latest article (Theology Technology) is a really nice piece that highlights some of the challenges of introducing a new way of doing things to people who might not share the same perspectives.

So, stay tuned. MMM is still here and kicking, and hopefully, we'll pull off something to make you think or consider all the more what your response to God will be when your faith intersects with technology. Blessings.

Labels: commentary

Since I first learned about PDAs in 2000, I've been a big advocate of using technonlogy in ways that push the status quo. Especially back then, doing so put me in a position where I was not just misunderstood, but caused a resentment to the adoptions of technology in ways that would have been a huge help to many.

I've since grown from that zealousness (to a degree). And with the starting of MMM in Oct 2004 (we went web in April 2005), the idea that expectations and understanding have to have a common meeting place (Romans 15:1-7) became more real than ever.

To that end, I want to extend a bit of an olive branch to users, developers, marketers, and believers alike. When it comes to finding a suitable place for technology, there are indeed different needs and expectations that we have for our corner of things. We are unique in our lives and what we experince, this will happen. What we lose though is that ability to move forward together when one part of the Body slants their approach or view towards another. These are not the times to go at it as the only keepers of secret knowledge.

Hence I find myself at the four year mark with MMM. I'm constantly trying new things; pushing my own preconceptions in various areas; seeing the connections at times, and missing the obvious markers in others. There's indeed a lot that can layer this life, and on the side of MMM, we've sought to leverage a healthy understanding of mobile technology as a tool within the solution of corporate/communal empowerment.

I'm not sure if MMM has been totally successful in making those bridges though. Just speaking as a leader, there's much we could have done here to pull together publishers and developers better; things we could have done in the parterships we have in terms of enabling more people towards a digital understanding. We've made some successes and failures. Its been something to behold.

That all being said, and reflected upon. Reading this article at Ars Technica just shows me that MMM has a niche towards understanding this tech that others might not. Nah, we aren't flashy (I kinda refuse to be). And though we reach - person to person, website to website - with this goal of just slowly increasing the understanding that this ground - the internet - is useful for ministry and community engagement; we don't want to stop there. The possiblities to better steward all that we have, and present a view of Christ that is unquestionably Him remains our focus.

I've got no clue of how to move forward. I only know that we keep doing so. Through courses, elections, jobs, illness, and whatever else, we just move forward. Hoping that at some point we understand what God meant by allowing us to connect like this, hoping that we'll me Him because we didn't slack in taking the time to connect like this.

Welcome to 4 years of MMM, seeing life at the place where faith and technology intersect. We've got some more understanding and wisdom to grasp if you've got the time to learn with us.

Labels: commentary, community, devotion, education, faith, mobility

This post isn't going to be that hard, to write. It will be very hard to keep short and to the point. You see, an increasingly difficult issue has presented itself to me, and while I recognize it, its also quite hard to fix it.

The issue is relevance.

In speaking with some people, I'm excited about what technology can do. I am excited about the mobile, the web, the GPS, the web 2.0, and the divergent points that all of these are looking towards. One could say I am a bit of a furutist in that respect.

But I'm not. I've got a goal. A simple one really. I'd like for the whole world to know Jesus.

My lens happens to be those things web and mobile (well, one lens). I learn and use this tech, and hope that in example and output that I can represent Christ honestly, and plainly. Its a challenge, ego and covetiousness abound as constant buffets. This is one of those things that I am tasked with. And I wear this lens proudly.

Making it relevant to others is the challenge. Its one thing to say you have a mobile device that can do everything. Its another thing to do it. I take intentional hits to productivity in order to see what's possible. To many, its too far, and not relevant. I understand the views of some in that respect. I think I can touch my dreams. What I do with tech just happens to make the trip possible.

I'll read about companies and studies such as this and there's a joy in me that resounds of a kid putting together Lego environments. I see it. I dang near live it. But its too far out there to be relevant. And so I've got to come back.

A foot in the present, a foot in the future, and a heart with Our King.

It was my ex-fiance who set the seeds in motion that became MMM. I had to make the choice of either figure out how to minimize tech for us, or go all out techie and that would be it with her. I turned my eyes towards seeing how tech could be relevant to her. How does it address her needs. She caught a piece and it became easier to have that relevant perspective. Easier, but still a challenge.

I would love for every post here to be a striking the flames of those things I dream about. But this isn't the place. I've admited to myself that doing such for long periods here would not at all benefit the Body I love. I do that thinking at my own site, where the canvas is deliberatly open for such things - though keeping in mind that its a canvas for ideas that eventually do come here and outside these web-walls.

This canvas, seeing technology as an enabler for God's glory to be seen by all, is my dream. There are small steps to be taken until that point. And smaller still are those moments of relevance that everyone can catch regardless of bias.

Relevance is my challenge, and this is just my confession of what makes me tick.

Labels: commentary

Change is a weird thing. Its one part exciting and another part very uncomfortable. Jesus's life was marked by these challenges to general conventions and perceptions that were sometimes received with gladness (for example, forgiving the sins of the lame man then healing him) and other times mocked and scorned (the Pharasees, council, and Pilate questioning Jesus' divinity).

These challenges to change mark our very lives though. Whether we are the agent of change, or being subjected to it, at some point, we have to accept that the way we think, do, percieve, etc. must adapt, or we die.

I'd like to believe that Body has done an impressive job of eventually adapting to whatever the world has done around it. When there was a need for educators, the church stepped up. When there was a need for doctors in war-torn areas, people in the Body formed organizations to address those needs. It would see that the Body always has had the right, if not late, reaction to change.

However, I've not see us as proactive (instead of reactive) to change. If you will, pulling a card from Jesus' life and being an agent of change, even in respect to the fact that people won't get it until we're gone to glory. It seems to me that we've lost that edge a bit, and that edge is something that could have mitigated several items that we react and fight against even today.

I've just finished reading an article titled Of Cell Phones, Maps and Mental Models: Why Doing What Was Right Is Sometimes Wrong. This article is aimed at those who analyze the trends and their impacts; those in the technology field who get blinded by their light of what looks good and successful now, but they miss the little thing that signals the change that will overturn things sooner rather than later. Here's one of many quotes from that piece that stood out:

..Thus, the first and critical point about why we fail to see the need for change stems from the fact that we stand blinded by the light of successful past mental maps. The longer these maps have worked, the more it makes sense to hold on to them and the more difficult it is to see beyond them to recognize the need for changing them. This applies not only to companies and macro issues like strategies or technology, but also to individuals and issues as small as how to communicate or provide feedback to someone.

Placing this in the context of the Body, church, and technology, it would seem that we'd be wise not to rest on our laurels, or even fight against the change that is happening right under our noses. We'd be better learning how we can be apart of what's changing, and then be like Jesus and prepare those who will be taking the mantle to the ends of the earth with the tools and Gift needed to do so.

Labels: commentary, community, innovation, tech

A day late with the news because of our posting schedule, but nonetheless wanting to highlight another solid Bible reader application that has made it to the iPhone/iPod Touch world. Olive Tree has released its Bible Reader application for the iPhone.

As reported on the Olive Tree blog, "This version has a three tap verse chooser, continuous scrolling, and the books are store locally on your iPhone so that you don't need an internet connection to read them."

There are two versions of Olive Tree's new reader, both available from Apple's App Store: BibleReader (free) and the ESV Study Bundle for BibleReader ($24.99)

Here are some very important notes about this version of Bible Reader:

• Downlad and installation of BibleReader for iPhone and purchase of iPhone-compatible Olive Tree resources can only take place through the Apple iTunes store at this time. iPhone BibleReader and iPhone resources are not presently available through Olive Tree's online store. Go to Apple iTunes to find resources for your iPhone or iPod Touch.
• iTunes sells resources in bundles. To use different books together (looking up a verse in two different Bible translations without exiting the program, for example), books must be purchased in the same bundle. Individual titles cannot be added to or subtracted from a bundle. Olive Tree will offer periodic updates to the bundles sold on iTunes. If we update a bundle you have purchased, you can download the update for free at iTunes.
• BibleReader for iPhone is a completely new program. Items in your Personal Library purchased for other platforms (like BlackBerry or Palm) will not transfer to iPhone. Olive Tree resources for iPhone are only available through Apple iTunes.

That all being said, there are some neat things to look forward to with Olive Tree's new Bible Reader. This is from the list featured on Olive Tree's iPhone page:

• Greek and Hebrew Bible translations, lexicons, reference works, and fonts
• More commentaries, study tools, and Christian eBooks—Olive Tree plans to release over 500 titles for iPhone
• Phrase Search
• Bookmarks
• Auto-Scrolling
• Hyperlinked Table of Contents for eBooks
• Personal Notes
• Support for Images
• Highlighting
• Split-Screen, to view multiple documents at once
• Notes and Cross-References

For more information, visit Olive Tree's iPhone page; to download/purchase, visit the App Store via iTunes or on the iPhone/iPod Touch devices.

Labels: Bible, commentary, eBook, iPhone, iPod Touch, mobiles, mobility, Olivetree, reading, smartphone, software, tech

I've spent the better part of the last few weeks thinking about the idea of a Bible Notes application and have been drafting some ideas about how such an application can work out. However, I want to throw some questions out there as I am pretty sure that I am not considering everything when it comes to something like this. If you could be so kind as to respond to these quetsions in the comments to this post, it would be greatly appreciated - and possibly help any developers who are looking at doing something like this.

• Do you use a browser that has the ability to view/save/edit content when you are offline?
• Is tagging and searching of notes more important, as important, or less important than the notes content itself?
• How do you feel about being able to link to content from other websites easily (verses, commentaries, Wikipedia terms, etc.)? Would you prefer the application came with preset resources, or was a user-added feature?
• If you are a pastor, could you see an application like this assisting both in sermon preparation and study follow-up?
• How would you feel about using this kind of an application on a laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc. during services, studies? Would you encourage the use of mobile tech if such a program is used?

These are some of my thoughts, do you have any others?

Labels: Bible, browser, commentary, community, developer, notes, resources, software, tech, web application