Mobile Ministry Magazine

In some ways, this piece is framed as a part 2 to the post titled "Responding to the Pope's Message." Think of it as a call-to-action before action is needed kind of post.

In the summers of 2002, 2003, and 2004, I taught a few summer classes for the Upward Bound program at Millersville University. One class was about using PDAs as a function of time management, the other was a multimedia and web design class. In the last summer of my teaching, the PDA class was swapped out for teaching a class on developing and learning how to navigate the Internet. In this class, I walked the students how to do things such as evaluate web sources when they are doing research, how to use keywords for searching, how to setup and investigate domain names, and how to create simple web sites.

Now, I started teaching the classes because I wanted to see the potential of mobile in education. What happened though is that I began to understand what it was that students were getting in respect to the technological side of their education. And to be honest, I'm largely self-taught when it comes to tech; so knowing what they were getting would better prepare me for those whom I'd encounter in the world outside of me.

What I saw in that last summer is that students were ill-prepared to deal with the realities of a connected culture. The university library was still teaching - yes in 2004 - that you only knew a veritable web resource because it had a .org or .edu name on the URL. There was little to no understanding at all towards this sphere at all. And that was very scary.

Coming into MMM, one of the statements that gets thrown this way is the idea that learning and applying the Bible will continue in the same ways that it always has. That despite the technology, that there will be the same core skills. And to some extent that's correct and incorrect at the same time.

In this piece at the Britannica blog the question is asked if technology is going to evolve to the point where the written language will become obsolete? And if it does render the written language as such, what are the skillsets that would have to be understood - not only in education, but all of life - towards maneuvering this ultra-connected space?

A few items from this piece jumped out, but this one really nailed things:

...It's not enough for new devices, systems, and gizmos to simply be more expedient than what they are replacing... We owe it to posterity to demand proof that people’s communications will be more intelligent, persuasive, and constructive when they occur over digital media." When confronted by the statistic that fewer than 50% of high-school seniors could differentiate between an objective Web site and a biased source, Norvig replied that he did perceive it as a problem, and astonishingly suggested that the solution was to get rid of reading instruction altogether. "We’re used to teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic; now we should be teaching these evaluation skills in school," Norvig told me. "Some of it could be just-in-time. Education, search engines themselves should be providing clues for this...

Framed in the spirit of this site's mission (the intersection of faith and mobile technology), we could say (as framed in the reflective post some days ago):

So what does it mean to have believers who have instant access to multiple resource and communities, who seek answers to the questions of faith and life, evaluating sources in real-time through online and offline relationships, instead of waiting for a sermon or preacher to smooth the message.

I'm speaking of this connected space where the conversation is just as important as the reading itself. What are we doing to prepare religion/faith for that kind of transformation? Or rather, should be we preparing for that kind of transformation?

The Word of God - the Bible - is the probably most consistent piece of oral/written/digital communication used by Westernized nations. Its literally the thread that holds spiritual, moral, legal, and sociological bonds (am not debating whether a person is a Christian or not, only that the Christian influence has been that pervasive). When the fabric of how we transmit the message of the Gospel is purely digital (text, audio, and video) and native to the generation that is using it, does the way that we teach also get a new pair of clothes?

Let me be clear, I'm not advocating that we change the Bible, traditions of the faith, nor the tenants of local and para-churches. I'm asking - as I sat in a class with kids who are now graduates of college in many cases today - are we teaching Biblical literacy in light of the abilities of the generation, or holding fast to something older, and not so effective, because of some fear of irrelevance?

And if we are on-point in teaching Biblical points and principles correctly for this generation and the one(s) to come, should we be asking the same of the institutions and culture in which we live whom may not have adapted such?

The post quoted here is from Britannica's Leaning & Literacy in the Digital Age blog series. There's a lot more that can be said given the depth of materials posted in this series, but I leave it to you the reader to intersect with the entirety of this content.

Labels: commentary, communication, education, literacy, tech

Saw this over at Mental Floss the other week and it struck a good bit of a chord as to where we need to be thinking in respect to mobile/web use and adoption, and how to prepare for what's next:

The decade according to 9-year-olds from allison louie-garcia on Vimeo.

Having seen this, its important that we don't just think about mobile/web in the context of where it is now, or even where it will be in a few years. We've got to think about the longer repercussions and what that will mean for those kids who are playing with our work devices as simple toys.

Think about the tech context, where will they be and what are we building?

Labels: commentary, tech

Believe it or not, but I've not written a post in a few weeks. Ususally, I get on a writing spurt and do anywhere from 3 to 6 posts all at once and then queue them to appear at a relatively standard time. Usually speaking, this works well because there are themes and threads between posts that I see which would be beneficial, and it gives some room for the "life outside of MMM" that I tend to have.

The problem lately is that life outside of MMM has been getting in the way of MMM. And I've had this constant thought of doing a good deal more here. Since the VSN conference, I've had the literal question/challenge of "what could I do if I had more time and resources to devote to producing the kind of content that seems to keep MMM set apart from others sites? Truthfully, I'd not only jump at it, but I'd also beg God for the help to make sure that I'd not get burnt out by it.

You see, passions are a funny thing. If not measured, we will pour ourselves into something, and then when the time comes to show forth growth or more fruit, we will be too spent to do something of value. That's the fork of my road with MMM as I write this (at the end of a rest-filled Saturday). I see the passions that have gone into this resource, and see very clearly the areas that need attention. However, I'm also tasked with living out much of what's written here. Its a dual role that's a good bit harder than it would appear to some.

The challenge though is a good one. It keeps my knees dirty (so to speak). I've got to have those moments of resting in Him, prayer, and worship/yielding in complete devotion. After that, having a queue full of articles, a smattering of meetings and conference calls, and the releasing of wisdom/insight towards mobile becomes easier. But only when I'm not so stretched through myself that I'm too tired to abide in Him.

Behind the curtain of MMM, this is a bit of what makes this place tick. And - again - I'll admit, there's a lot of work yet to be done. But only as God gives the grace to do it, and life allows for moments such as these to peel back and see what's ahead. Thanks for visiting and I hope that you can keep this site and all those that contribute here in your prayers.

Labels: commentary

Still battling a cold, and this has given me time to rest and reflect a bit towards MMM and the kinds of thinking that happen here. When we started, it was about seeing all those streams of connections between mobile and non-mobile use. Then, there's devices and services that started allowing for more play within this space.

We moved to a common understanding of mobile devices, and understanding tendencies and behaviors about them. We looked at the implications of mobile earlier this year, and in a presentation next week, I get to bring forth another aspect of mobility that I think is important to consider - context.

When I looked at this new image-based search technology that IBM is developing called SAPIR (Search in Audio-Visual Content Using Peer-to-peer Information Retrieval), I started to ask the question of how do we interpret context when it comes to mobiles. There's context in devices, context in locations, and even context in the text that morphs and transforms how we then dialog about the connections we have to our faith. We see something happen, and our mobiles are there as a recorder to the event. We want to engage people or environments different, and our mobiles provide a context to the best type of communicative event.

This isn't to say that mobiles are the only elements of context, but as a media/technology, it plays a role that is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I wonder how future generations will look back on this mobile phenomena, and then ask how the Body was aware of, and then responded to the implications and challenges of mobile. And at the same time, I wonder what in these times will inspire others to reach forward in innovative spaces, creating a new context for faith to come alive and reach into the lives of others.

Labels: commentary

This Sunday, two things happened in my sphere that showed me something difficult and at the same time advantageous concerning mobile.

The first one was a list of 40 people who are considered to be today's most influential minds to watch in mobile. Now, while some of those names and companies I recognize, there were many areas that I did not. Being an analyst by trade, I started wondering about that list and where are some of those fields that are mobile, but not necessarily marketing and telecom. I think there's room at this inn ;)

But even in the mist of that, I got pushed to the other side of mobile. My pastor's son asked me to help him understand the T9 functionality of his mobile phone. Simple right? Well, to some. But to him it was a revelation in how to write and see words not just as letters but as simpler actions. He really got so bright in the face on that simple lesson that it brought perspective to all these things mobile, as well as the list noted above.

No matter what we are doing, there's always going to be some effected in a positive or negative way. But the really cool thing is to be an influencer, and to not get the widespread applause of an industry, but of a generation of users who will simply want to learn something new. For my intersection of faith and mobile that day, it was that realization that has me seeing clearer still how God positions us all over the Body to effect His people for His good.

Labels: commentary, mobility

Great article over at GigaOM talking about the differences between two styles of education. The really interesting this is the tie-in to web/mobile-based education and the ways that we have traditionally gone about teaching. This article highlights that there could be a better way if the technology was better utilized, and the focus taken off of memorization and scoring and put into contextualization, comprehension, and application.

I know that to me this is very interesting stuff. I personally tend to try all kinds of learning/teaching methods in order to see what works for me/groups and what doesn't. I've found out a lot about myself in doing so. I've also found that some people just don't like change, no matter how ineffective a current method is.

When we start doing things with web and mobile, there's a chance to reassess how we learn and teach, and then seek to find better solutions to common problems. In light of this, has there been anything that web or mobile technology has exposed to you as an issue in teaching/being taught by others? Or, has web/mobile been a solution for you where other paradigms weren't as useful?

Labels: commentary, communication, community, education, mobility, tech, Web

For some people in the Body, they are just learning about social networks, others are hitting a point of being burnt out, and worse yet, issues not within our control have caused some interesting reactions to the inability to access social networks (language warning). There's something up here, and we need to start asking core questions about the "why," "how," and "what" of social networks.

I initially had this as a scheduled post here, but caught a small rash of wisdom and put this over on my personal website. Nevertheless, I think that this is a very important topic that not only needs to be brought up, but there needs to be an sizable amount of learning towards the purpose, use, and effectiveness of the Body and social networks. Here's a snippet:

...When we absolve ourselves to use social networking platforms, as believers we have a responsibility to understand [this point], and then to bend the technology accordingly - as much as possible. And especially if we are leaders, we need to understand the entire scope of the technology - its positive and negative implications - and then react to it accordingly.

This doesn't mean that we shy away from it, but it does mean that we use wisdom and understanding before advocating it as the best thing since sliced bread. With these social networks comes a very powerful and targeted set of responsibilities; number one being that God has to be very present in our use and demonstration of it...

Read the rest of this post over at my personal site; use your own discretion towards where to place the comments.

Labels: commentary, Facebook, social networking, twitter

As much as I do enjoy those things mobile and digital, I have lots of these moments where I'm challenged to not just see things for what I'd like them to be, but to see them for how they are. For example, at the time of this writing (probably a good week before publishing it), I've got about 8 or 9 tabs open to different websites, and all of them are challenging my views towards what is happening now - not necessarily what is possible.

For example, one of the site's that I have open - Nex Gen Skeptic - has a ton of articles that simply refute many of the perceptions behind the term "digital natives." The author has expounded for page upon page asking that people not just take what some louder folks say at face value, but to skillfully, and comprehensively study, the claims being made. In a lot of cases, the research isn't well done, and then generalized in too wide a manner.

There's this other website - The Journal of Online Education - that I got to off of the previous website. The statement that got me to go there was "From Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom." In reading just the summary/introductory paragraph, I was forced to look at my personal tech, and MMM, through a lens that maybe often lost in the bling, social, and waves of this technology. I don't think that its an issue of mobile (digital) being narcissistic, but there is something of a lot of wisdom needed in order to make the changes that we oftentimes generalize too early before it happens.

I don't know what this means other than I've just been pruned a bit. I like these extended reading sessions where I go find something new, and then what I read challenges and forces me to see the world in a wider screen than what I usually do. I think this kind of meditation is healthy. At the same time, I do know that its vital that my views do line up with reality, so that in leading others to a glimpse of what happens after the intersection of faith and tech, that I'm not putting them in a place where they stop there, instead of continuing to press towards Christ.

Labels: commentary

Some weeks ago, and probably even as this post is going up, the MMM account was sent two emails, one was from a pastor in India, the other from one in Central Africa. Both looking for something that presents me with a significant challenge - they asked for someone to come teach them utilizing the mobile and biblical know-how that they have seen on these pages.

Normally speaking, emails of this sort come in and I'm quick to pray (read: forget) about them. But these two have stayed in the inbox, staring at me for a number of days. And I'm challenged. Challenged because for once, I'm not sure how to respond.

Yes, there's the literal going overseas and talking with people I've never met (but isn't that was a missionary does). Then there's also the challenge. Does MMM speak anything of relevance to those audiences that are already mobile and just looking to sharpen their edges towards what God has called them to do - connect, share, teach, and build? I don't know. And the challenge in front of me in this keeps me totally still.

And then I read this piece over at TechCrunch (Crossing the Digital Divide, Rwanda Style), and I start to see yet another challenge. That the comforts of the misplaced views of mobile-life here in the states has dulled my abilities to see what is happening in other places. I mean, this is the reality of it. Else reading this wouldn't be challenging me in the same wise that the OLPC challenge did for me the past two years.

God, I wish that I could just pick up from the day-gig, go to these places, serve Christ, and learn from people who are doing this a whole lot better than I am currently. Though God, I'm challenged with the thought that presented with the means to go, that I'll shrek back, fearful that I've been talking here a whole long time and don't really know what I'm talking about.

To this I'm challenged, to be really ministring via these mobiles, not just in those places that are comfortable.

Labels: commentary

I was asked a question a few times this past weekend. Mainly in regards to me, but also when sitting with a few people who are looking towards tech trends and don't want to be caught behind the 8-ball.

So, what is next? What will be the next defining trends that will push and prod people even further out of their comfort zones, and how can the Body adequately prepare and engage life then as well as now?

Let's start with what isn't next:

• social networking
• mobile web
• SMS-marketing and engagement services
• mobile devices that use virtual screens
• devices and behaviors which point to better energy resource utilization

I know. Seems like we aren't even to these areas and I'm saying that they aren't what's next. Well, they aren't. They are the present. And these are and will be for the forseeable future the areas where tech will mature and be fostered.

Next will include more emphasis on context (mesh learning, acclimation of resources, and purity of truth), automated personal computing (mobile devices and services which act automatically to environments), and interactions with communities and governments (laws, policies, economies, environmental, and resource issues which are interdependent of one another). If you will, people are the drivers and the focus on how to grow and teach will be next (just as much as we are the now).

So if you are looking for the next big thing, and the next major focus, start with people and getting them to understand the times and how to apply the knowledge in a way that befits the children of God (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Update: And this is another one of those adds after this has met the cutting room floor. In an article speaking about the newly demoed Google Wave platform, a statement was made that was very profound and fits the context of this discussion:

...The world of computing has changed, profoundly, yet so many of our applications bear the burden of decades of old thinking. We need to challenge our assumptions and re-imagine the tools we take for granted...

Let's talk next :)

Labels: commentary, tech

Christianity Today talks about technology and its positive and negative implications in an interview with Shane Hipps. Here's a snippet of that article:

...No, because it is impossible. It's like resisting the wind and the tides. Everything around me is a technology. It's silly to resist. But you can try to understand it. Christians are quick to critique it or adapt it or reject it
without understanding it. My interest is to have deep discernment, to understand the actual power of these things, and then decide whether or not a technology is useful. I didn't own a cell phone until five months ago because of the way I feared it would shape my soul. I have to be disciplined about how this thing shapes me...

Read the rest of the article at Christianity Today.

Its obvious that technology has positive and negative implications; what are you doing to enable you and your community to better understand it in light of the tech that has come before, and the tech that will come afterwards?

Labels: Christianity Today, commentary, communication, interview, tech

...it's important and right for us to think morally and attempt to use technology for morally good ends while also guarding against immorality like sexting. However, thinking Christians must resist the temptation to limit their thinking to only moral terms which so commonly leads to what McLuhan called “technological idiocy."

Otherwise, it will only be those outside the faith community who are limited in their categories doing all the hard, thoughtful work on technology and culture (see Nicholas Carr, Andrew Keen, Steven Johnson, and others). If we are truly concerned with "engaging culture," we will have to remove the morality throttle on our mental bandwidth so we can discuss media and technology at a deeper, more thoughtful level.

Context is important; read the entire post at Don't Eat the Fruit.

Labels: commentary, communication

Caught this news a few days ago, Laridian Bible Software has released four new titles:

• AMG Concise Introduction to the Bible
• AMG Concise Bible Doctrine
• AMG's Encyclopedia of Bible Fact
• Reese Chronological Encyclopedia of Christian Biographies

Resources such as these can come in handy in the mist of discussions or smaller Bible studies. For more information and to purchase and download for your mobile device, visit the Laridian Bible Software website.

Labels: Apple, commentary, encyclopedia, iPhone, Laridian, Palm, software, Windows Moible

The past weeks since BibleTech has seen me talking to a lot more peolpe about how important it is that the Body remains technically literate. Not that we need tod o everything under the digital sun, but that we do need to have an awareness of what's going on and then set an approach to understanding it so that later generations are not simple digital and naieve.

That being said, its sometimes more difficult to broach the subject of technical literacy (as aspect of the digital divide) because its not the younger or connected (digital imports and digital natives) that aren't on board, but those who feel that digital goes to fast and that they have no time to engage digital trends that are happening. Unfortunately, its this group that needs to be the voice of reason and accountability, else we end up with lots of shiny gadgets, but dull minds and hearts.

Howard Rheingold has been a huge influence in my life as he has been at the forfront of understanding digital communities and the implications of this technology. In a recent blog post at City Brights (via Smart Mobs), he says:

...only after confronting this issue for a long time did I become convinced that the difference between the haves and have nots, between education and disinfotainment, is not a matter of hardware or software or even (entirely) of being able to afford access to the Web. The most important critical uncertainty today is how many of us learn to use digital media and networks effectively, reasonably, credibly, collaboratively, civilly, humanely.

Its not enough to just use these services, we have to mature in our ability to use and understand these. As Reingold says also in that post, "don't assume [teens] know the rhetoric of blogging, collective knowledge gathering techniques of taggers and social bookmarkers, collaborative norms of wiki work, how to tune and feed a Twitter network, the art of multimedia argumentation - and, by far most importantly, online crap detection."

How then do we manufacture a better understanding of technical literacy? How do we not just learn what's new and coming, but also give those core lessons that other media and tech have done before?

Personally, I believe that we start at the cross and the stone. We start with the simple understanding that literacy begins and ends with knowing Christ. And even if a person doesn't subscribe to Jesus, we still walk in His frame towards displaying and being "Jesus with skin on" around them. Its not just bible software and filters, its teaching people to deal with the reality that their actions have consequences that will filter into eternity.

From there, teaching the tech becomes a matter of legacy for us, and survival for them. A point that everyone can agree with is more important to understand as the world around us drives itself into a more digital context.

Labels: Bible, commentary, community, education, literacy, mobility

I am writing this post a good 10 days before the date it publishes. Mainly because as BibleTech gets closer, I'm faced with several pieces of prayer and information that leads me to believe that something in me will change after Seattle.

Thing is, I'm not really sure of why I feel this way. Sure, it will be the first time in a long time that I'll get to talk about MMM in about as free a venue as can be. I'll also be engaging with several pastor-teachers, learners, blogger-journalists, and others who have pieces of this Body that are valuable to learn from and understand during these times.

In light of all of that, and the video posted yesterday, it feels a good bit like I (not necessarily MMM, but could be both) am feeling the call to again "move forward." Thing is, the only forward that I am certain of is pressing forth in growing in the knowledge and fear of God. Other than that, I'm a blank canvas canvasing the caverns of this crazy world.

When I touch a mobile device, I think that "there" is the ability to reach every living person (directly or indirectly) with the Gospel. I don't see the limitations of cost, availability, signal strength, or function. I just see "oooh, they can meet Christ if I handle this right." Or, "did you know that your life in Christ can mature, and this little thing can be a catalyst in that?"

And I feel like - 10 days before I even get there; 1 day before I get on a few planes and talk about this reality within our Body - that I'll be utterly convicted, and forced to look at life much differently than I can see now. I really hope that I'm pleasing God's heart for His people to meet Him with this work.

Labels: commentary

"You have a choice: you can either create your own future, or you can become the victim of a future that someone else creates for you. By seizing the transformation opportunities, you are seizing the opportunity to create your own future."

Vice Admiral Arthur Cebrowski, found in the article "Government 2.0: The Midlife Crisis" at ReadWriteWeb.

Labels: commentary, innovation

From time to time, I'll get a chance to speak with people about MMM, the idea behind it, and why its such a passionate area for me. Most people say they end up with a headache. I sort of apologize, but the scale of what is mobile/web and how that influences so many aspects of our lives is easily overlooked because of its pervasiveness.

So I'm trying to work-down my conversations to settle into some managable scales. If you will, some numbers that make sense, but don't belitte the utter size that is mobile/web and its implicaitons. Some numbers at a recent post at Communities Dominate Brands illustrates one part of this scale of thought:

Lets start with comparisons. Newspapers? the total circulation of all daily newspapers worldwide is about 480 milllion. Cars? There are about 800 million cars on the planet. Cable and satellite TV subscriptions? About 850 million. Personal computers including desktops, laptops and netbooks, about 1 billion. Fixed landline telephone connections, about 1.2 billion. eMail users about 1.3 billion. Internet users about 1.4 billion. Television sets about 1.5 billion. And credit cards? About 1.7 billion people carry at least one credit card in their wallet.

But there are 4 billion mobile phone subscriptions now in January 2009. More than twice the number of credit card owners, 2.5 times the number of TV sets or internet uses, approx 3 times the number of email users of total landline phones and yes, four times the number of personal computers. This is a monster sized industry, totally towering over all others.

I really implore you to take a look at this article in its enterity. But simply stated, mobile technology is bigger than anything else out there and endeavoring to understand what it means not only as a tool within The Faith, but the implicaitons of such devices and technology on a generation of people who only knew mobile and internet is huge.

At every intersection, you look down the road to get an idea of what's coming your way so that you can move on. Just think of that scale of things concerning mobile/web and faith.

Labels: commentary, communication, mobility

As many of you have probably read already, Google has released an enhancement to its Google Maps and Google Maps Mobile services called Latitude. Essentially, Latitude allows one to share their location with others (via an opt-in process; and not publically to all) via a widget or mobile application.

And while I do think that Google Latitude is a solid product - for example, for families on the go, this can be an inexpensive teather. I do think that it hearlds a change in mindset towards privacy that some people don't mind, and others (loudly) loathe.

So what is the problem? For some, they will tell you that such services are bad because they are open invitations to even less privacy. To that point I only agree if you believe that you have had total privacy to begin with.

For some, they might say that such services point towards singular digital identies that will make it easier for you to be tracked and monitored. This too is true, if you want to ignore that since the late 1800s that behavioral tracking has been a huge scientific, militaristic, and governmental practice.

But then there are others that will say that this is the inevitible end of technology, specifcally mobile and web technologies that are more engraned than ever. And I'll agree in part there too; just as paper, boats, written language, money, radio, TV... changed life as we knew it too.

I don't think though that we can just look at the negative connoations of this and then dismiss it. As I've stated in previous posts, we need to understand both the positive and negative ramifications of technology before completly accepting or dismissing it. Only with that wisdom can we say that we are really being good stewards of these creative juices.

Google Latitude has a lesson (or more) about privacy written all over it. There's the lesson of "who do you want to know your digital footprint (Google, friends, etc.)?" There's the lesson of "how does one manage location in a mobile context, under the constraints of power consumption and realisitc us?" There's the lesson of "reading the terms of service to determine what Google or its partners can do with my location data."

Then there is that obvious lesson: understanding the role of these presence-enabled services in a very loud, connected world - and maintaining privacy of some kind in the process.

Of this latter lesson, Google Latitude offers one of the best solutions, and the most surefire way to execute it - you can turn it off. Because you use Google Maps doesn't mean you have to use Latitude. Because you have a GMail address doesn't mean that you have to continue to push forward the Google ad engine. You can (and should) turn things off.

While it is that I am more connected than many around me, I've realized that if I truly want to keep private, I have to make the conscious and unplanned decisions to turn things off. Whether that is in a small way by limiting access to some digital assets, or the biggie of just turning off my mobile - privacy isn't so much just a right, its a choice. And one that not everything that we are invoved with will allow.

At the intersection of tech and faith, I yearn for that place where Jesus said that I can close the door and speak with the Father alone. There's nothing in that verse that said I needed to take my phone in there to tweet it. I choose privacy, even if the technology wants to impose something different.

Labels: commentary, communication, community, Google Maps, mobility

Olive Tree has released an electronic version of Dr. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology for iPhone and BlackBerry devices. As with other Olive Tree releases, you would need to also have the Olive Tree Bible Reader to read this.

Systematic Theology for iPhone and BlackBerry also comes with the complete Bible in ESV format with cross-references and bibliographies.

For more information and to download, visit the Olive Tree website.

Labels: Bible, commentary, ESV, Olivetree, software

First of all, thanks to AJay and Tre for holding things down during my slow week last week. Hopefully, life and tech will allow them to more frequently contribute so that there are a few additional voices here.

For me, there has been a whole lot of this "thinking differently" that has been a part of my days. On one side, there is this consistent reality that there is more than one mobile context, and on the other side, that I need to get things done.

I am still thinking about this and trying to process it through, but one thing is really clear: that mobile devices require a different kind of attention span that is not like anything else. Contextual computing, computing based on what you are doing and where you are, is a lot different when the device comes with you (notebook, smartphone, PDA, etc.). There are more variables and cultural things to consider. And at the same time, there are at least two generations in play: digital pioneers and digital natives. Both have a significantly different ways of looking at their world, and nether are wrong, just different.

Thinking about this in the relation of that intersection of faith and technology is a toughie, and I am sure that more thoughts will come in time on this wise.

Labels: commentary

Of those things mobile and ministry related that we think about, cost tends to be a big one. Whether its a device, service, or support, there is always some monetary cost involved, and usually our thinking considers this last, instead of first.

This is why I like what Nokia and others are doing with the website The Five Dollar Comparison. Its not just a case of saying "what can $5 get for you," but looks at $5 in relation to the needs and uses of people all around the world.

This weaves its way into mobile life when we think of statistics such as what additional cost will technology enablement burden a person or community with? Or, how can we lower those barriers to entry so that a longer-term aspect of spiritual and economic sustainability is gained?

The Five Dollar Comparison is not trying to answer the question, but to get people to think. And especially here in the "developed" parts of the world, where $5 is a lot for a tank of gas, but might not be nearly enough to feed a single person, thinking in terms of the costs involved makes any conversation of mobile and ministry one where we need to consider the costs just a bit more.

Labels: commentary, community, cost, economy, mobile, mobility

With most folks and websites taking the last bits of reflection towards 2008, I just want to encourage folks to continue on the paths of following the Lord and His heart for others as the year turns.

Here at MMM, I honestly have no clue of what 2009 will expect. Personally, I don't live on the calendar year-to-year kind of goals. My goals go from May of one year to May/June of the next (13months). This past May the goal has been to have a life that "walks off the pages." To that end, its been more than just observing and writing, but making sure that I walk out those things that are sound and profitable to the Body.

Where that leads with MMM in 2009 I don't know. We will be at BibleTech 2009, there will most probably a lot more mobile devices and services talked about, and there will (finally) be the addition of a consistent 2^nd writer. I really cannot say what else will happen. Nor do I want to. The future is God's to open as the present to us when we get there.

So I'll just point you to the bottom right side of all of the pages to the Archives for all that was posted last year. From the MMM Mobile Experiment, to the iPhone and BlackBerry posts, to just the intentional posting on spiritually-relevant ethical items such as stewardship, we will just keep rolling a life that walks off the pages when our use of mobile technology intersects with faith. What that looks like to you might be a different device or service, but as long as it begins and ends with Christ being on the throne, let's continue to innovate where others haven't.

Labels: commentary, community, devotion, innovation

I'm writing this about 4hrs before Nokia's big announcement; which I think at this point will be a lot bigger than the rumors that have abounded this Monday.

To spark some thought, and to get us thinking about a bit more than just 'mobile,' I want to touch on a subject based on the title of this article: Is Mobile Computing the Next Step for Churches?

No. Mobile isn't the next step. Its the current step. The next step is making sure that context will be utilized to the needs of the individual, the community, and the overall the world.

Mobile devices are tools used to enrich actions that used to be more tedious. We are seeing more people pick up on this as devices like the iPhone become popular. But they are not picking up on mobile, they are picking up on a need and running from there.

My pastor's discovery of mobile through his iPod Touch pretty much sets in tune this. Its not about mobile in the sense that a device has to do this or that. It has to do with mobile meaning that devices and services have to be responsive to the needs and goals of pushing the Body forward. Understand these elements, and then presenting Christ becomes easier. Understanding this and living Christ-centered lives becomes more noticeable.

Labels: church, commentary, community, mobility

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