Mobile Ministry Magazine

This is worth the time it would take to read. Not just because of the perspective - and how much it will snap reality into the Western-side of the Body, but in the explanation of Technology, Rising Middle Class, and the Future of Evangelism in Africa in Africa, we can see even more why the mobile lens is so important to understand for its abilities and it implications. Here's a snippet:

...Utilize Africa’s New PC to Preach the Gospel...Rather African Christians had better utilize their "New Mobile Phone PCs" to effectively evangelize and mobilize for the Gospel. I recall a New Testament Teaching Seminar I helped organize in Uganda, Africa about three years ago; much of the mobilization was through Text Messages to the many Phone numbers given to us. Interestingly, we did not need to put up radio advertisements and posters, rather we wrote a few letters inviting Pastors and relied on SMS Text messages to the many individuals who then passed over that information to others...

Read the rest of Technology, Rising Middle Class, and the Future of Evangelism in Africa at Yesu Mulungi.

Labels: Africa, education, evangelism, mobility, tech

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

Was pointed to this via the Communities Dominate Brands blog. It would be a worthwhile endeavor for ministries/orgs to engage in as another missional exchange using mobile tech and education:

What is 1GOAL?
1GOAL is a new campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to ensure that every child worldwide has the opportunity to go to school and learn. 1GOAL is collecting names and support from the public, footballers and celebrities to make a united plea to all governments to meet their target on 'Education for All'.

What is 'Education for All'?
'Education for All' is the international commitment that world leaders have signed up to - to provide a good quality public education to all children and adults by 2015. The commitment includes prioritising those who are currently missing out on an education, getting them into school, and making sure when they're in school they get the chance to learn, with qualified teachers. They goals include giving adults who missed out on school, the chance to learn to read and write.

For more information and to link up with this initiative, visit the 1GOAL website.

Other education initiatives, such as Handschooling are also picking up steam as a means of closing the educational gaps in various regions. If you are engaged within other initiatives which promote education, community engagement/development, and the use of mobile tech to help facilitate these aims, drop us a line so that we can draw some awareness to your initiatives.

Labels: 1Goal, education, mission

This is pretty neat for those of you looking to put your programming knowledge to some good use: Nokia's Calling All Innovators 2010 application development competition is underway.

This year's categories – Life Improvement, Eco/Being Green, Productivity and Entertainment - are bolstered by a teamup with the Sesame Workshop "to help support education related apps in the Life Improvement category with a view to encouraging developers to craft creative and exciting apps (possibly using Sesame Street characters) to teach early literacy on Nokia handsets to people anywhere in the world."

We've talked about before how the Body can put some of its gifts to good use, and this is about as good as it gets. And even if you don't enter the competition, folks like Mobile Active could use enterprising individuals who are willing to devote their technical knowledge to community and education-building causes.

Visit the Calling All Innovators 2010 competition website to learn more and to submit your applications to this worthy cause.

Via Nokia Conversations

Labels: contests, developer, development, education, innovation

As if I were not excited enough about mobile. In a recent conversation at VSN was shared the link to a presentation titled Using Mobile Technologies for Outreach and Education. This is a great topic, and something that I am personally putting into action within various places and events in my life. Check out the resources here. Also check out the site Golden Swamp that has a ton more resources on handschooling and other mobile-education topics.

Labels: education, 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

Here at MMM, we spend a lot of time talking about mobile technology education. And there's a good reason for that - there isn't much talk about it out here. At the same time, the idea of what makes up various learning methodologies tends to change all around us. After taking a spin through the archives here, and thinking about my own workflow methods, I started asking the question if in this more-digital time, that we are taking the time to reassess how we teach and learn various items.

One of the rabbit trails led me to looking at the group called Sugar Labs. These are the folks responsible for the operating system which is on the OLPC device. I immediately gathered from looking at their website is that effective teaching requires one to constantly reevaluate how they are learning.

For example, in a small group that I lead, we talk through the subject "how to study the Bible." However, that "how" becomes a very wide question in the context of learning styles, economics, and even attention spans. In our current study, I'm challenged with helping the team learn about different methods of utilizing cross referencing in order to understand and learn Scripture and to this I'm challenged towards really paying attention to what they are learning and then presenting the lessons in ways they can grab and excel with. To this point, I don't know yet what will be successful, but I do know that if I'm not careful to consider their eyes, then they'll miss seeing the point.

The other part of this is that I've got to look at how I'm learning. Today I'm making decisions regarding different screens that I use in my personal workflow. Those screens describe a bit of the spatial way that I learn and parse information and my environment. In this, I see that the environment isn't under my control, but I do control how I learn from it. For those things mobile, this is a key point that separates it greatly from other media.

Labels: education, OLPC

This is another great post series that has been going on and has recently concluded. Over at Challies the topic of discussion is simply titled "Don't Take Your iPod to Church." The series is in multiple parts (Part 1, Part 1.5, and Part 2), but all are some great reading.

And you can bet that I've made a post there. Here's my comment towards what was written in Part Two. Hope to see you commenting there (and here) :D

Labels: communication, education, iPhone, iPod, study, tech

Great guy I met at BibleTech (Gave Taviano) published part four in a series called WWJD With Technology. This piece is called Contentment, and while its something that we've spoken about a few times here, its great to hear it said a bit differently. Here's a snippet:

...We're not really familiar with making do with what we have. At all times there's at least one things we DON'T have. The idea of just needing necessities is foreign to us. Paul gives us a dose of advice in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, reminding us that all we really need is food and a place of shelter. No matter what circumstances we are in, like Paul in Philippians 4:11-13, we usually have more than we need...

Read the rest at Gave Taviano's blog.

Other items in this series include: Piracy, Popularity, Social, and Pornography. All great topics, and some solid wisdom being passed along here. Definitely should be bookmarked for memory and lessons.

Labels: contentment, education, piracy, pornography, tech

I read this interesting article over at Time just a little bit ago. I think that the post could have dug a bit more, but it still had a measure of good points in there. One of points that stuck out sits at the center of my mind pretty often, especially these days:

...These political interests have chosen to avoid the nearly intractable problem of giving tools to those who are inadequately trained to do any skilled labor. Even if they are lucky enough to find something at the minimum wage, they will still live just around the poverty level...

Simply put, just putting things in people's hands doesn't make them better off. You need to work on things at the foundational levels so that when they do get those tools, they end up actually improving their situation.

I think of this here and there when it comes to me and mobile tech. Not just the statement, "technology is only relevant when it is personal," but the other pressing side that if it is relevant, what can I do to emphasize the foundational skills (reading, writing, comprehension, analysis, etc.) that will not just endear folks to like the shiny, but to actually live and improve the lives of others.

Thing is, I don't know if this has to mean that people need to take classes. For some things, yes, there should be some measure of a workshop and introduction into whatever that "new" is. But I wonder what this could mean if we went to the core items, and then started working on things from there. Then, doing things like infrastructure and technology improvements can have a suitable goal/aim.

There's a friend of mine who wants very badly to use mobile tech in the same way I do. He asks questions, and even tries to get similar devices. But to date, he's not gotten there yet. Besides not understanding how to handle a budget, he doesn't have the handle of Scripture in order to be able to use that mobile device/service as a mechanism for teaching. So we sit often and talk about "how" to read and study Scripture. And we do simple things like talking about budgets, lifestyle choices, and making sure to not forget appointments by putting them into the phone he has. Its a long process, but whether its me or someone else, he will end up in a place where he has a stable foundation, and will be able to do a lot more because he got a real(er) foundation than just another piece of tech - he got an example and a lesson on how to live.

Labels: education, tech

Not a lot of feedback in our last post about how folks share notes and part of that is probably because most of you don't. I mean really, how many teachers think that their notes would be valuable to others - especially in light of the fact that many that are being taught have not the resources or background to parse the same conclusions that you have?

This made me think a bit, sharing is good, but there's this friction. Friction is the resistance to current motion imposed by and external influence. And if we want people to learn, we have to reduce their friction towards doing so. I think that sharing notes would be one way of doing so (of course the wider reaching things of schools, trainings, etc. also apply).

I assume - and this is purely based on my experiences with the guys I've discipled over the years - that many people don't know where to begin. We see the problems - lack of reading Scripture, inability to understand passages, etc. - and usually loudly identify these week after week. But in terms of solving these problems, what are we doing to reduce this friction?

And if we aren't for some more elitist reason (we don't want to become insignificant because of position, power, economy, etc.), does then the tech that could enable this reduced friction point to something more damming - our own pride keeps others from realizing the hope in Christ we say we wish them to reach?

Friction. It causes change, and exposes the weaker points.

Labels: community, education

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

Keeping with this week's meme, how can the Body establish better learning resources and principles for those who wish to engage with electronic and printed resources?

Specifically because we are in a time where old tools are not able to keep up with current jobs and needs, how we approach learning in a way that better molds youth and adults alike to keep firm foundations?

Avenues such as Golden Swamp and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills have some ideas and actions happening now, but what are some things that you are doing locally to encourage better utilization of tech and tools for this digitally-enabled age?

Labels: community, education

There's a good bit of push back that I get from time to time when it comes to the subject of electronic bibles. Ironically, the issue so much isn't with the bibles, or even their electronic nature, its more often than not about us and our behaviors.

For example, I was speaking with a friend he mentioned that the senior pastor has told all of them that they cannot use electronic bibles (specifically those on a mobile phone) while in service and sitting before others (these are ministers and deacons sitting before the people). He didn't get into details, but apparently it was the behavior of some people while in service that was the reason for this call.

Now, I know that pastor, and I know that they enjoy the brevity that electronic bibles give, but she doesn't know how to deal with the training and behaviors attached to them. And that seems to be the biggest issue with electronics as a whole, we know the tech, but not how to manage it.

So how do we manage it? I mean, there has to be something of a guideline that we can use in this age where print and digital are converging much faster than most can take. What could we use as a better measuring stick to see and better use these resources in ways that speak towards maturity, rather than towards anarchy?

Just teach the basics.

We teach people Godliness in actions and deed, and then emphasize that the technology needs to be used along the same guidelines. Yes, the pace is different, and surely the knowledge-base is totally off the wall compared to previous generations, but we just simply teach the basics, and from there, we build behaviors that speak towards managing these resources healthly.

When i was in college, I ran against this mindset. I was zealous towards mobility and web, and because I moved so fast, it was like I was speaking another language to people who would have benefited if I would have spoke slower and clearer. When I slowed down (a bit), and began to just work from the mindset that I should be serving God and others with this, it made a considerable difference in how I presented tech. I still grow in this area, but the key has always been listening to what the needs are, and then using the tech in a way that faciliates better connections and more fuller interactions.

Now, this is the way that I handle things. How do you go about modifying and maturing your behaviors so that your use and teaching of technological tools remains something that builds the Body?

Labels: community, education

A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project looked into how libraries will have to adjust given the rise of freely available digital resources. And while many cannot dispute that fact, it might be true that libraries would have another reason for existing besides just "holding old books" that should be explored.

One area that I can see libraries fostering is that aspect of community Internet. That is, becoming a place where people are necessarily needing to get the resources for connecting, and then becoming that place where those folks who are digital natives can learn about healthy computing.

I also see libraries as a place where the traditional "quiet time" could be passed for the occasional teaching on discourse towards technical matters. Making the library a place where one can talk and prove on the spot issues relating to net neutrality, digital convergence, economic and cultural gaps, etc. Basically, making the library more than a resource, but a jumping off point towards how we mold one another in these mobile communities.

Of course, I don't say all of this to mean that paper should go away. We should also utilize libraries as a place to teach literacy, first with paper and then with digital. Offering services so that no person is left in a situation where they cannot get at least the basic levels of literacy and knowledge for this changing world is kind of the role libraries have always had, and I think that just because we are more mobile with how we attain this information, we just need to adjust how we view libraries in light of this change. What are your thoughts?

Labels: community, education, information technology, resources

One of the more difficult conversations to have with people about MMM follows along the tagline:

To educate and edify at the intersection of faith and technology

Within addressing that tag line, I'll get questions from people from several walks of life about how to best integrate mobile technology into ministry and life. And while I don't sit in the areas that many of these people sit in, there are some general aspects towards integrating this technology that can be shared in all areas:

• Christ has to be the center of your use: not meaning that you have to have a Bible trinket or cross on it, but that you are modeling your use after Christ in the same way you would your car, business, or lifestyle.
• The technology has to meet a need, not an itch: easier said that done with the focus of marketing being so pointed at purchasing this or that; but this is another area where once you make a purchase, seek to be content and get the most value out of that piece of hardware/software or service.
• Do not be afraid to challenge yourself: you will be surprised at what you are able to do with many devices and services that might be directly stated in the marketing materials and user manual; refine your basic usage, and then see where aspects of using mobile tech might be a benefit to other areas of your life.
• Finally, be honest about your limitations: if your need says something other than your budget does, walk with your needs; if your use says only 10% of what that device or service does, step down with the device or service to something more fitting. Be aware that many times, 3rd party software, or competing services might offer something simpler and at a better targeted need, even if they aren't what you just read about in a major publication.

The key at integrating anything into one's life is to understand contentment. Sure, its hard to know when to want and when to step back, but this is what we as believers are encouraged to do (Phil 4:11-13). It is by this example that we show that even with the changing technological and economic landscape, that Christ is Lord over this. Then, as in at all intersections, having seeing all the traffic coming and going around us, we can move forward and take others with us.

Labels: contentment, devotion, education, mobile, mobility

Outside of game systems and High School Musical, it seems that mobiles have arisen to being near the top of the list for many kids. They see the ability to text, game, personalize, and connect online as being fruitful elements to how they enjoy childhood. Their parents might even see mobiles as an extended safety net, a means to teach sound financial principles, or an area that their kids need to show maturity before being given a rope.

No matter how parents and their kids are seeing mobility, both groups understand that its not a question of "if" kids will get their mobile life rolling, but "when" and "how" will it effect parents and themselves

So lets talk some about the benefits: applicable communication and technical skills building, grace versus allowance, and sound financial discipline.

The biggest benefit of a child getting involved with mobile communications today has to do with the immediate future value. Sorry parents, the way you communicate is a lot slower and more antiquated than how your kids will. Engaging them towards using mobile devices and services now prepares them for that soon to come paradigm shift when they are leading things. Besides just learning the technology, they are learning it as it relates to how they communicate with others, and this is a decisive advantage over any other media and lessons that they could be learning right now.

Another benefit has to do with the idea of setting boundaries, or what I like to call "grace versus allowance." As we learn as adults, there are many things that God has given us the grace to be able to do and achieve. At the same time, there are many roads we have wandered due to our ignorance that God has allowed us to travel, and may later have proved to be valuable lessons to share with others later. Mobile devices and technology can become a speaking point for you (parent) and a learning point for them (children) towards these areas of grace and allowances that lead them into a better understanding of how to fit within the world around them.

The last lesson is probably the most important, the issue of financial discipline. Mobile devices can be used as a jumping board for teaching sound financial discipline. For example, if a youth wants a mobile device, you ask them to research it. Having done that, you then ask them if they can afford it? If not, you ask them how they can go about purchasing this with what skills they are able to do (chores, outside work, etc.). You then get into teaching how to give and save, with the mobile device as the backdrop to this lesson. If there is a mobile phone involved, you can use the idea of putting money on a pre-paid mobile plan (I never would recommend a youth do a post-paid mobile, its pain for the parent). Using the model of pre-pay, you can teach them the difference between credit and debit budgeting, giving them a heads-up when they get into college and are bombarded with credit-only marketing.

This is a lengthy topic and so please stay tuned to part two (Wednesday) where we will talk about the negatives and an appropriate view of this technology with our changing times.

Labels: children, discipliship, education, Internet, mobility, parenting, Parents and Mobile Kids

I was in a conversation with a bro over IM and said this in response to a piece of our conversation talking about mobile devices and trying out new operating systems/devices:

...there are positives and negatives to all platforms, and none are perfect...but you can and should get to a place where the strengths of the platform becomes your strengths to show Christ with it.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? And for those who are looking for a new gadget, is this something that factors into your decision process?

Labels: education, function, Hardware, minister, software

I'm seeing the global economy do its dip like everyone else. However, I feel optimistic because there are areas that have not been taken advantage of that should be. And of course, many of them have to do with mobile tech. Ironically, some of these areas are places where the Body can and should become leaders in.

Communication is one of those fields that just tends to morph. It doesn't really dim or go away (outside of catastrophic events). So how can we take mobile tech, and apply it here?

Churches can push towards using renewable energy resources (wind, solar, etc.) to fuel their buildings. Besides cutting energy costs, this will allow some larger churches to become 'green' information centers where communities and businesses can gather without incurring a larger resource hit.

Churches can use the idea of satellite campuses to not just be 'church on the Internet' but create points of information, ministry, and interest that work alongside tourism industries. Religion being the hot topic, the Body becoming a hub for 'what's happening in this community' can provide IT direction, ad revenue, and community engagement on various levels.

Educational plants. Yes, with all the intellectual capital in many churches, we should be creating more schools where we are teaching our communities how to live efficiently, and effectively, given the technology in our hands. Whether that is teaching a community how to do mobile banking, or just facilitating lesson planning and dissemination with the school district, there are some solid opportunities here that can be done.

So what thoughts about what we can do as the Body do you have? And if you've put any of these things into practice, what are some of the positives and negatives that have been seen?

Labels: church, economy, education, mobile, mobility

Most people get on me because I am so focused on mobile. And they do have a point, I do and push things that in a lot of cases just don't seem feasible to most folks. But then again, it is. Check out a snippet from this story and think about it:

...The story goes something like this: Vic was out for dinner with family and friends. The adults were on one side of the table, the kids on the other. The adults were debating some issue, and Vic said, in response to a question from one of his friends, "I don't know."

His four-year old daughter Samantha, whom everyone knows as "Tiger," piped up from the other side of the table: "Daddy, where's your phone?"

"What do you mean, where's my phone?" She explained that she'd overheard the question. Why wasn't he just looking up the answer on his phone...

There's a lot that people are doing on a PC that would be a lot better served on a mobile, and by interacting with one another. As the Body of techies, how are we teaching and enabling this simple observation from a child, to change how we approach tech and ministry?

Labels: education, innovation, mobile, mobility, teaching

Earlier this year, we pointed to Abilene Christian University's mobile initiative. The university would be the first to offer incoming freshmen iPhone and iPod Touch devices, and then integrate them into an entire mobile-culture.

An article at Network World peeks into what has happened at Abilene Christian University, and some of the blessings and challenges of going mobile in a university setting. Here's a snippet:

...When iPhone was released, the school bought nearly two dozen to test out. By December 2007, campus officials decided they had what they needed.

Well, almost.

The university decided to focus on just the incoming freshmen, rather than try to equip and support all nearly 4,000 undergrads. Even so, IT staff realized the campus Wi-Fi net had not been designed to support a fully and constantly connected population. "As I thought this through, I realized these [handhelds] were wireless-only devices, and much better positioned than laptops for doing all kinds of things like quick lookups," says Arthur Brant, ACU's director of networking services. "That meant these devices would be used a lot more than laptops..."

Read the rest of the article at Network World.

What can we gather from initiative that is beneficial for the Body at large? Specifically, from an implementation standpoint, we can see that there was a vision for use that had a lot of hands towards making this mobile-enabled culture happen. There was an acknowledgement of limitations, and a quick response to issues (where possible).

What ACU does as well as point towards a response to technology as the Body has has to understand. There are elements of use and culture, but moreso there is a methodology of equipping for the world at hand that needs to be done if we are going to live in this changing world.

As one who wanted to pull this off with PDAs while I was an undergrade (article written in late 2001, I graduated 2002), there is definitely some interest in me seeing the successes and failures here. But it also is encouraging to see that mobile tech can be used as a part of the education and Christian-life-skills processes.

Labels: community, education, information technology, iPhone, iPod Touch, mobility, tech

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

I'm a huge proponet of education. And especially when one can design their educational pursuits around tech and faith.

One of the newer blogs that have entered my reading queue, Mental Floss, is sponsoring a $50,000 scholarship contest. Here are the details (directly from the site):

• The Contest: In 750 words or less, explain why you (as the most deserving person on the planet) should win a $10,000 prize for tuition/books in the fall of 2009. The contest is open to full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada in the fall of 2009. Essays must be original work and should reflect the tone of mental_floss magazine. Winning essays must be truly memorable. They should be easy-to-read, funny, quirky and creative without being pretentious. Just (we hope) like mental_floss magazine. The prizes will be awarded on the overall quality of your essay.
• Eligibility: You must be 18 years of age or older (by August 15, 2009) and a legal resident of the United States (except Puerto Rico), the District of Columbia or Canada (except Quebec) in order to enter.
• Grand Prizes: Five $10,000 (U.S.) scholarships will be awarded for full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada in the fall of 2009. The prizes will be paid directly to the schools. Winners will also receive a Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Dictionary and a two-year subscription to mental_floss magazine.
• Runner-Up Prizes: The First Grand Consolation Prize is a dinner at your college or university during fall semester 2009 with a co-founder of Mental Floss LLC, namely Will Pearson or Mangesh Hattikudur, and five (5) of your closest friends or a cash award of $250. Four other Runners-up will receive a one-year subscription to mental_floss magazine, a mental_floss T-shirt and a Merriam-Webster dictionary.

For more information and to read the official rules visit the Mental Floss blog. I'd also recommend adding this site into your daily reading, there are some excellent things discussed here that can add to discussions on tech and faith that you might not have assumed previously.

Labels: contests, education

The Nokia Conversations blog has highlighted an article and its source post speaking about internet etiquette education in [South] Korea. Being that mobile and internet use is very high in terms of use and lifestyle in [South] Korea, its almost appropriate that they would be one of the first to take a whole sale approach to addressing use and ethics for parents, youth, and culture.

This quote speaks to why this matters and why as a Body we need to jump in and learn/apply these same lessons:

...many children including myself go through the phase when they relate their identity to imaginary or fictional characters. i am no expert in this area so i do wonder how future children would discover and exploit the fact that they can be the imaginary character to a certain extent if they want to, aided by other ‘people’ in the digital world, not just by their own imagination while they are going through the blossoming age of developing their social perception and individual identity. it is up to whether the child will be able to master the delicate skill set of constructing and maintaining the perception of a world in a non-physical form...

This is a subject that begs discussion on so many levels, not the least of which is because the technology moves so fast that education can sometimes be seen as a chore and something that holds it back. I disagree with this notion, and therefore discussions and policies like these are needed so that we don't end up with a culture that has a jaded sense of what is real versus what is virtual - or in other words find their identity in more than just the social programs they are engaged in.

Check out the posts at Nokia Conversations and Nokia Design Researcher Younghee Jung, and then the original Korean article (its in Korean) speaking about these policies for more insight and backstory on this.

As leaders and parents, how do you teach ethics, while allowing the technology to be a place where imaginations can form maturely?

Labels: children, church, communication, community, computer, education, parenting, teaching, tech, teens

There have been a few items sitting starred in Google Reader that I've been meaning to post. Sharing some of those, and hopig to spark something that will get you and I to think a bit more as the week goes on the place of mobile and tech in faith.

• ESV and NJKV for MS One Note (Bible Studies nad Technological Tools)
• When Should Parents Purchase a Mobile for their Children (Just Another Mobile Phone Blog)
• Research and Note Taking Tools, and the follow-up article Bonus Items for Research and Note Taking (Bible Studies and Technological Tools)
• Mission Field Money Crisis (Chruch Relevance, Charlotte Observer)
• Blogging Ministries (Church Communications Pro)

Got any news that would be of value to the Mobile Ministry Magazine community? Use our Contact page to send it to us.

Labels: annotating, Bible, church, device, education, mission, reading, review, software

Welcome to the third and final installment of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report. In Part One, we talked about the general setup and the reasons for doing this experiment. In Part Two, we spoke on the day to day use of it; and then started talking about why its not yet an accessible solution, but it is a versatile one. In Part Three, we talk more about what is possible with the Mobile Web Server and come to some conclusions towards its potential use.

You see, for most end and power-users of mobile devices, the Mobile Web Server is not yet a solution. There are a few too many niggles with it before it can become a solution. What it is however is a canvas, a very empty canvas. When one wants to think of what is possible with mobility, this section of the report hits on that. And specifically for the Christian church, what we do with technology will go a long way towards making divisions along digital lines a thing of the past. Innovation requires that we think outside of the box before we jump into a new one. By the end of this report, I hope that you can not just see why doing the MMM Mobile Experiment was a paradigm shift for me; but also where and why Nokia sees this as a profitable endeavor.

This section of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report contains:

• Lessons Learned
• Current and Future Applications
• Why This Is A Model for the [Digital] Church
• Appendix/Additions

Lessons Learned

At this point, the MMM Mobile Experiment seemed to be a solid idea that is just a bit further than where people want to go with interacting with websites and at the same time, its not far enough in terms of how organizations and ministry can reach out to one another. What I saw in the first few days was that in order to get people to come to MMM Mobile, I had to be proactive about advertising and up front about limitations such as loading speed and the log-in issue. After getting used to it from a lifestyle perspective, I had to come to grips with the ability of attainable technology not being up to snuff with the demands of a web server being backed up by a social network. The frame work is there, but there is a gap before this can be applicable on a broad scale.

I did learn some things that were quite positive, and gives me hope that maybe the Body is better equipped to use near-solutions in effective ways. For example, in talking to my pastors about the MMM Mobile Experiment while it was going on, they had a genuine interest in how it would pan out and how it could be relevant to them. One of the smaller experiments was to live-blog during one of the sermons and then forward them the link to get their thoughts. Live-blogging the sermon on a mobile phone brought stares from people unaware of what I was doing, despite knowing my technical bent. Getting my pastors to be able to log in without issues became a problem because I did not noticed the case-sensitive issue for logging in under the guest account. And even during the sermon, I was not prepared for the out of memory error that running the browser and mobile web server would cause, preventing users from even accessing the site. it was advantageous to try, but in light of things, could have been better planned out.

Other parts that proved positive were in just the evangelism of mobile devices and the Internet as being tools of connectivity. I found that with the MWS active that I had more time to spend on mobile devices, thereby getting me in places where I could engage people and allow various aspects of using mobile technology open the door for conversations. In one instance, interacting with a child in a coffeeshop was made more fun when I took his picture via the Web Camera feature and then showed it to him and his parents from the screen of my N800 Internet Tablet. This showed to them that technology has a way to touching us even more than we think without having to have a Star Trek moment.

Current and Future Applications

Having done this experiment, it is easy to say that it can be used. However relevance for the mobile web server has its place in only a few areas, mainly because of the hardware and connection requirements that would necessitate more affluence than the market can share at this time.

In terms of a software platform, having a web server on a mobile phone can present the opportunity to remove a few middle layers of device management and information management software that has been slow to catch on in some areas. Normally, we think of this as syncing, backup, and personal information management (PIM) software; the structure of this mobile web server platform offers a few aspects of use that previously were harder to get newer users to adopt:

• If the smartphone is online (cellular broadband or Wi-Fi) accessing it though an IP address or domain name assigned to the device (or SIM card) give the opportunity to do things such as add and remove applications, connect contacts to social networks, backup contacts to an offline storage area, or even lock down the device in case of theft;
• If the device is not online, these same tasks can be done through a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi ad-hoc network where all that a person needs is a browser with a larger screen in order to extend the functionality of their device;
• Adding an email component would essentially make the MWS platform a replacement (on the consumer level) or products like MS Exchange as the device is the server and there is nothing that needs to be additionally added to the device.

This is thinking about the mobile web server as it can have present relevance in the way that people want to get the most of their devices. For this to work best however, unlimited data plans, and seamless connectivity needs to be the norm and not the exception. Also, quality of service in terms of mobile operating systems, cellular lines, and even user experience will play a larger part in letting this connectivity option be the norm rather than the exception for mobile computing.

Taking things a bit further, the mobile web server has the ability to innovate in small business and organizational communications by:

• Intranet for a low-funded ministry or non-profit organization
• Website for a traveling missionary who travels in well connected areas and has has the funds to connect frequently enough to make this viable
• Future: platform for sharing documents and calendars as a family point of contact system
• Multi-campus connector for small groups spread over a large area

This is not to say that there are not other applications; only that in using the Mobile Web Server, I spoke with and engaged with organizations where the relevance of a mobile device that can handle these connections made for opportunities to remove buildings, excess tools, and in some cases a learning curve, therefore making more time for the connections that a web server and interpersonal communication allows to happen.

Why This Is A Model for the [Digital] Church

I was asked very bluntly at the conclusion of my experiment why I felt that this was a model for computing that the Body should be receptive to. I was given the reasons about economics, device availability, and even preconceptions that a mobile device should only be used for talking. My reason for thinking and believing that the mobile web server in various forms is a suitable means to enable the digital church is simply that it is something that has not been done before. Its new ground, and puts the Body at the place of pioneering and setting the bar in terms of what is possible with communication technologies.

I do not say this to mean that there are not other organizations that would not benefit from what has been written here, but to say that because the church has a mission to connect and empower people, it should take what is available and not duplicate solutions, but create them.

The book of Acts is an account of a sledging church finding its legs after Jesus left the scene. He deposited within them the Holy Spirit to empower and equip them with the innate ability to go to the ends of the earth and be a representative of Him and carry the Gospel's message of a redeeming and justified love. Since taking the plunge with Nokia's Mobile Web Server, I can see how that would not just be a radical idea, but an attainable one. The question is, are we innovative enough to capitalize on what has already been deposited in us to do since Acts.

Appendix/Additions

Labels: community, education, email, gospel, mobile accessories, Mobile Web Server, mobility, Nokia, phone, software, tech, usability

I write this a good bit before writing Part Three of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report but this is a great article posted at the Biblical Studies and Technological Tools blog about thinking about what technology and faith will look like given what we have seen happen in other media and lifestyles in the Western church.

Without going too far into things on my end, here is a snippet of this great thought-piece:

I am also wondering, then, if we might actually become more dependent on private resources/devices rather than network resources. I.e., it will be lots easier to secure a personal device not connected to any network, and I will be more confident in working with guaranteed secure resources not based on the network. This does mean that I believe that someone will still be developing and providing technological resources for biblical studies, but I also suspect that the choices will be greatly reduced. We are already seeing the convergence of best features of the various Bible programs, and as this trend continues, the only differentiating factor will be cost. I just hope we aren't all buying Wal-Mart or Google Bible software after they buy up every other current company in this field

Read the rest of the post The Future of Bible Studies and Technological Tools.

Related Articles:

• New King James with Microsoft OneNote (Palmsolo)

Labels: Bible, church, community, education, gospel, mission, mobile, mobility, networking, phone, purchasing, software, stewardship, study, tech, urban, worship

I was just at the car wash thinking about my slate for the rest of today and had the reflection that mobile technology has done an interesting job in teaching me about evangelism - from a mobile tech standpoint, but just as much if not more so from a spiritual one.

Mobile Lessons

When sitting in a coffeeshop with an Internet Tablet, Bluetooth keyboard, and mobile phone out, one should expect people to ask questions. What I didn't expect was that people would ask questions and just have comments about so many things. Some people wanted to know about iPhones and phone plans, others wanted to know how my setup worked and if it could work for them. And still others just took my "open platform" as a means to just have a conversation.

In terms of what mobile is, things are still new and people are still looking for a definition that fits how they are mobile, connected and productive. Being a person who is using tools and services so out in the open, I am getting a chance to see exactly how people respond, and if need be, point them to a solution that would work best for them.

Spiritual Lessons

The greater lessons for me have come on the spiritual side of things. Where some people can separate their tech from their spirit, I happen to have a very tight relationship between the two. It was the idea of having multiple Bibles on my PDA that allowed me to minister to various friends and students on my college campus without carrying the intimidation of a large book bag around. I've had to learn what affluence is, gluttony from the tech side of things if you will and how that can and does rub people the wrong way. I've had to learn how to be a teacher of those things Godly with this tech, sometimes at the cost of cutting off myself from the things others do. Frankly speaking, I've learned that there is a holiness to using technology that we really do miss because we are not usually taught that this exists in this medium.

And From Here?

I've been working with Brighthand for years, with Nokia and the S60 Ambassadors/Nokia Blogger Relations, worked as a web designer and developer for more than 9 years, and basically played the roll of techie to a lot of people in my life. There's more to this than devices and my own wares though. Without educating others on how to use this tech correctly, they miss the point of the benefits. Misuse almost always turns into someone speaking against proper use because of that misunderstanding.

The same thing has happened to Christianity on several levels since Jesus (one can even argue since Adam). There's a responsibility to wield this faith in a manner that represents the breadth of God's love. Whether that is speaking against inappropriate use, or just teaching someone how to study the Bible, the responsibility is clear...

...go to the ends of the earth and teach people about Jesus. Not just with a Bible and a few nice words, but with the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you think about it like that, mobile tech could really be on to something, couldn't it ;)

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, community, devotion, education, gospel, mission, mobility, stewardship, tech

Monday, I had a meeting with one of the pastors of my church and we talked a bit about getting more out of our church website. Essentially, he wants to use the website bettter to cut some of the administration costs and time to do things. I just wanted to be notified of things in a more upfront, and user-engageable manner. But because both of us are techies, we tended to take things a bit further than some people are willing to go right now with their use of web and technology. So what we did was scale back our thoughts a bit, and then hit on some areas where we could be a good stweard of the web resources we have, but also make those invitiing options for our community.

Here are some of the things we talked about that might prove helpsful to some of you who wish to add some web or mobile-friendly aspects to your ministry efforts:

• Instead of printing announcements and having left overs that just get thrown away, print 1/2 to 2/3 of what you would normally print and then have cards that just list your website address on them to give out when you run out. This drives traffic to your website, and allows your ministry's brand to stand out some more.


• If you have a blog, post a small blurb every week that is just a bulleted listing of the announcements. If there is something that is special or requires more details (such as a teen outing, or study outline), break that out in an occasional single post. Then, when doing announcements, use a screenshot of that posting so that people associate announcements with your website. Here, you can mention using RSS in order to keep up with these items.


• Be innovative in what you post online. I recommended that we post a small outline of our Monday night Bible study on our blog a day or two after the study. This way people who are searching (Google, Yahoo, etc.) will be able to see that we have a study going on, and those who were there would have an additional resource when they want to refer to something said later in the week. Again, emphasize the use of RSS here so that you can empahsize purposeful Internet time.


• Encourage leadership to use web applications for generic things such as teh church calendar (Google Calendar, Upcoming, etc.) and then web-based services such as Evite for special services and events. For example, we talked about using a custom Evite invitation for Easter Sunday services.


• Remind people that their cell phone number is also an email address. For some carriers, you can check these emails online instead of on the device. But, you will receive a text message about them all the time. Using this address for time-sensitive information will help people to keep in the front of their head what the ministry wants to do with them.

These are just a few things, but ways in which technology can be used in a manner that addresses a need to inform, and also a need to trim the fat in terms of administration time. I encourage you to ask those techies in your communities who are project managers and team leads on how to implement these types of things into your ministry efforts. Stwearding this resource well is just as important as any other.

Labels: community, education, email, family, mobile, software, tech, usability

Ricky Cadden of SMSTextNews and Symbian Guru has reported that "Abilene Christian University has officially become the first university in the U.S. to provide an iPhone or iPod Touch to all incoming freshmen."

According to the Abilene Christian University mobile learning website, this is a part of their Connected initative. Programs and the campus has been designed to facilitate mobile learning and mobile lifestyle engagement.

I wonder how the religious/spiritual organizations on Abilene's campus address this shift in mobile tech? We talked before about how a program of churches partnering with communties towards tech education would be something that current technology makes possible. I wonder if there are any initatives on college campuses that are similar, or even further reaching than what Abilene is doing?

If anyone reading has info towards this end of the tech engagement, please comment here towards how the adoption happens there.

Labels: community, education, iPhone, mission, tech