Mobile Ministry Magazine

Web Worker Daily recently posted an article titled 5 Essentials for the Mobile Web Worker where they looked at 5 pieces of hardware and software that would be essential for the mobile web worker. Here are some of mine:

• Removable memory card with backup of data
• Solio solar portable battery charger
• Bluetooth external keyboard

Given that my setup is based on a smartphone and Internet Tablet it might be different than yours. Seeing that many pastors are moving towards a similar type of setup - laptop computer, Wi-Fi- hotspot, and online applications - what are your essential tools?

Bonus: And what things do you have in place when those tools aren't working due to environment/finances/etc.?

Labels: Hardware, mobile, mobile accessories, mobility, N75, N800, software, tech

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

This is the meat of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report, and also where it makes the transition from being just a review of software and online services to one of looking beyond the offering to the ability that it lends. Here's an outline of what is covered in this, Part Two, of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report:

• Additional Setup Items
• Day to Day Use
• Immediate Challenges
• Accessibility versus Versatility

Given the length of this, section of the report, it will be an extra day before publishing the third and final section. This report will also be made available as a singular download (debating on the format of that now). Enjoy Part Two, and please do not hesitate to give any comments to this or Part One.

Part Two:

Having set up the Mobile Web Server application on my device, and creating the Mobile Web Server website, I had to set up some initial pages so that in coming to the site, Mobile Ministry Magazine readers would be greeting with more than just a blank page. There are two parts to setting things up for day to day use; one part is on the mobile device and the other is through a browser (that can be on the mobile device or not; but most might choose not to go that route and just use a separate computer).

Setup on the Mobile Device

On the mobile device, one navigates to the Web Server application and is presented with a series of screens. First, you are asked to insert your user name and password that was set up on the MWS website. There are a few easy to figure out section of the application that is always shown when it is opened from here: Users, Status Message, Statistics, Access Log, Folders, and Settings.

The Users section was probably the one that I spent the most time with initially. There is a default Guest account where one can set Guest access to the MWS; and then from contacts in one's address book, you can set specific users to have ability with a user name based on their name in your address book and a password that you have set for them. I quickly abandoned doing this for a lot of people and just settled on making sure that I had a user group for my family to special sections of the MWS site, and everyone else just got the Guest account.

Truth be told, I spent a lot of time looking at the Access Log. I wanted to see how many people were hitting the site, and it was kind of neat the first few days of the experiment. We averaged about 10 unique users per day and for the most part people did not have issues with logging in (user names are case-sensitive; found that out halfway through the project).

Setup through the Web Browser

There is a setup wizard that one has to access from a device that has a suitable web browser while the mobile web server (MWS) is running. On my end, I used my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot at a local coffeehouse while the MWS was running on my N75.

Two parts of this allow you to set up things like the welcome screen, offline page and message, and get a badge that can be displayed on several websites. After this wizard, there is a control panel that keeps the latter items, and allows for presence updates on the status page. One can change the theme to several types; however they are nothing more than color and banner changes. Unless you want to dig in the mobile device and play, there is no way to create custom layouts or fiddle with the CSS for more customization.

From the web browser one is able to set all types of options and create content and points of contact.

• Home
• Blog
• Camera
• Gallery
• Guestbook
• Contact Me
• Presence
• Web Chat
• Calendar
• Messaging
• Phone Log
• Contacts

By default, guests only see the Home, Blog, Presence, and Contact Me sections. The Gallery has to be setup to either show (share) pictures that are shared from the phone's internal memory, memory card, or both. I found that the Guestbook was a bit of a redundant feature, but it could prove beneficial in some applications. The Web Chat section is interesting as when someone starts a web chat, there is notification on the mobile device of the chat and then an IM-like interface is given. From there chat happens just as it would in any other chat room. The Calendar, Phone Log, and Contacts are pulled right from the mobile device and gives a browser-accessible means to see and edit content. I liked this feature, but wished that there was more granularities so that some users could see "Busy" instead of the specific event. Presence tells the state of the mobile phone such as how long it has been idle, battery life, and a status message. And finally Messaging allows one to send an email or SMS message directly to you as well as see all the SMS and MMS messages that are stored on your mobile device (Inbox and those sent).

One neat feature that is present throughout is the fact that all contacts that appear in various applications such as Calendar and Messaging are linked to their contact card. This contact card shows the last call as well as links to the address book entry. Simple, but really neat.

From registration to setting up the welcome page and basic access rights it took about 30 minutes to get rolling. After that it was just a matter of running the MWS on my device and engaging with people as they visited MMM Mobile.

Day to Day Use

The Mobile Web Server is pretty much a set it and forget it type of application. I let it run most of the day, taking it down in the AM in order to use my mobile device as a modem for my Internet Tablet and desktop. During this time, I updated the status message to point visitors to the MMM Jaiku channel. In pointing people to the MMM Jaiku channel, it was my hope to engage the usual readers of MMM, and the new visitors of the breadth of content related to Mobile Ministry Magazine, as well as engage in some discussions across a social network in a slightly different function than what is normally done in blog-driven websites.

On the downside of the day to day use, the MWS was an inconvenience in terms of the other connectivity that I aspire to have on my mobile device. Usually, I run the Emoze email client and the Jaiku Mobile client. Because of the MWS, I was not able to run these and have a long functioning device. Either the MWS would take over the connections, or the applications would consume too much memory and cause one or all of them to shut down. During the experiment, I only suffered one total device crash, but this was an instance where the hardware specifications of my N75 (which has about 15MB of memory free for running programs at boot) was at the very bottom of what is needed to run the MWS.

Because of this limitation, I was not able to use programs such as widgets to keep me abreast of what was going on at the MWS without opening the application. That being said, it was quite nice to have the server running and not have to think about it unless I needed some kind of functionality that was a bit more than normal.

A small note: the Nokia N75 is a 3G phone, meaning that it has the ability to use a high speed data network called HSDPA. Because of the specifications of this network, the device is able to use applications that connect to the Internet at the same time as using voice functions. While running the MWS, there was no drop off in voice quality or phone functions except for occasional slowness for MMS message processing.

Immediate Challenges

While there were those hardware challenges, the large and more pertinent challenges to using the MWS was trying to keep the same kind of communicative presence that had been done at Mobile Ministry Magazine. Essentially, opportunities to post to the blog, upload pictures, and engage the reading community were all things that seemed a lot easier when connectivity was spread across devices instead of being centered on one device.

For example, whenever I needed to use the web browser on the N75, I had to shut down the MWS because the two applications were too large to run at the same time. This meant that I would have to create a status message saying that the server was down and point people to the MMM Jaiku channel; then initiate a discussion at the MMM Jaiku channel; and then I would be able to continue with using the web browser. Certainly, having a device with later hardware (more memory and processor speed) would have been great here.

Another issue that I found was that in order to publish to the blog, I needed some type of dual connection. Using the MWS made situations of traveling to WI-Fi hotspots a bit of an adventure as now instead of using them just as a rest place, I wanted to be strategic in making sure that I could create a conversation piece around the use of the technology. It was not until later in the experiment that I realized that there would be times that I would be able to use the web browser on the N75 in order to populate the blog. This stretched the mobile device, but creating a blog post where I was able to live blog a sermon and have my notes created on the N75 instantly appear online was quite exciting (mental note: taking a T9 typing class before doing this should be a prerequisite).

Accessibility versus Versatility

This challenge of balancing multiple devices, multiple input methods, and then just the plan fact that a web server can really go with you anytime makes one feel more accessible than ever. The granular level of being able to assign contacts or groups of contacts to various parts of one's mobile device presents a solution that is present already in some enterprise applications such as SharePoint and even commercial ones like Movable Type. But those are PC-focused solutions. Nothing wrong with that, but as mobile devices become more versatile, one should not just assume, but see that a lot more of what we do can be driven from a mobile platform.

The Mobile Web Server is an answer to a question that is not yet asked so loudly yet though. Its not so much an issue of how does one stay accessible, as many connected devices open to you; but it allows you to determine how you want people to connect to you based on the social network that you have built - your phone book. This is more powerful and empowering when combined with a communications strategy and a personality that invites people to want to connect to you. That being said, its not accessibility that is the focus of using the MWS, its versatility. Versatility meaning that you are empowered to take your social network with you, and how they connect to you is determined by you, not by the service that you subscribe to.

This is if you where using the software and service makes a change from being just a piece of software or just another online service. It would be easy to just put the MWS into one of those categories and then judge it based on its benchmarks; but there is nothing to just it against. Nokia's Mobile Web Server is a canvas that if given the network and the hardware (and economies) becomes a canvas that enable the kind of personal computing that was dreamed about in the 1950s when the foundations of the Internet began, and now realized with the fast and (nearly) open wireless networks that most of the world has access to.

Flash Sideshow of MWS Screens, via Share on Ovi

Labels: accessiblity, browser, community, device, internet tablet, Jaiku, mobile, Mobile Web Server, mobiles, mobility, N75, Nokia, review, SMS, software, tech, usablity

The MMM Mobile Experiment was one part a technological look at what is possible with mobile devices today, and a look at what is possible/can be done now with mobiles as part of a social strategy for inreach and outreach initiatives.

Just a review of what Part One of this report will contain:

• Reasons and Goals of Experiment
• Explanation of Nokia's Mobile Web Server and my Device
• Social Networking Component

As stated in our previous post, the experiment is looking at the technology as something doable now. But also why software and usage has relevance in this highly connected world. Part One of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report gives an overview of the technology used in this experiment and how it was set up for use.

Part One:

For eight days in April 2008, Mobile Ministry Magazine's Antoine RJ Wright conducted an experiment where the Mobile Ministry Magazine website was hosted completely on a mobile device using Nokia's Mobile Web Server. The goal of this experiment was to test the viability of such a mobile platform as a solution for running a community website, to investigate the capabilities of mid-range mobile phones and smartphones as a communications hub, and to investigate possible uses for such technology in various social and economic environments.

Backing up this software, Mobile Ministry Magazine used the Jaiku social networking service as an offline community component. The reason for this is that limitations in the phone hardware would mean that the mobile web server (MWS) would be offline, yet there needed to be some means for consistent with the MMM reading community. This channel of the Jaiku network contains aggregated RSS feeds of several websites that speak towards life and technology in Christian circles.

With these two aspects set, the MWS server was activated, and MMM Mobile began to live. In this section of the report, we will talk in detail about the technical and physical look of this MWS, and then how these worked in real-life.

Nokia's Mobile Web Server

Nokia released software based on the Python programming language called the Mobile Web Server (MWS). Expanding the methodology of their N-Series mobile devices being the "next stage of computers," the MWS is a project to demonstrate the ability of mobile phones today, and to explore the use of a server, or data and application hosting platform, on a connected and mobile device.

Setting up the MWS requires the registration of a user name at the MWS website (http://mymoobilesite.net). This user name will become the address of the website (username.mmymobilesite.net). After setting up the user name, you then set up information such as a profile, offline page, and then download the software.

The MWS software is compatible only with Symbian S60 mobile devices. While there are a few devices by Samsung and Motorola, only Nokia devices with Symbian S60 have been tested to work with MWS. Unfortunately, not all Nokia S60 devices will work, and many will have limitations based on their hardware. This limitation will show up later as a reason where a solution for its use is limited technologically and economically.

My device is the Nokia N75. This S60 smartphone is one of three 3G devices that Nokia currently has made available in the US. This device was featured on the Cingular/AT&T wireless carrier a little over a year ago and for most purposes is about at the end of its marketing life. This doesn't mean that it is incapable, only that better is here and coming. I purchased this device in December of 2007 in order to better learn about the S60 operating system and have something that would have ample value to my usage as a person who enjoys and lives on the web and mobile devices/applications.

The Social Networking Component

As a nearly-30 adult, much of my online time is spent on email and within social networks. While I do not have a presence on MySpace or Facebook, I do have one with Jaiku. A recent Google acquisition, Jaiku found favor with me because of its mobile client application, the ability to consolidate RSS feeds into one singular area, and a community of people from multiple background, faiths, and locations. In terms of social network services, Jaiku belongs to a subsection called lifestreaming applications. Lifestreaming meaning one can have several streams of their life appear in this service. From microblogging to sharing photos on services such as Flickr, to community channels, Jaiku is one part a community and another part a gate where you can allow people to come in and out of your life.

For Mobile Ministry Magazine, Jaiku is used as an RSS feed aggregator and community window. Through discussion and the RSS feeds, our community focus is seen and shared. Because of this ability to be a window made it a suitable back-chatter component for this experiment.

In Part Two, we cover the day to day use of the Mobile Web Server, some initial and lasting challenges, and the difference between accessibility and versatility as I began to dig into using MMM Mobile.

Labels: community, device, mission, mobile, Mobile Web Server, mobility, N75, Nokia, review, software

Mobile Ministry Magazine has gone mobile. For the next week, MMM will be hosted completely via Nokia's Mobile Web Server on my Nokia N75. This is one part a test of the technology, and another part a means to keep me on top of those things that might lend towards some effectiveness towards those of you who need small intranets within your workplace, but the cost of developing and maintaining on might be out of reach.

View MMM Mobile at: http://mobileministrymag.mymobilesite.net.

Username: Guest
Password: mmmguest

If it says that the server is offline, its probably because my battery is dead or I needed to close the app for a bit, just visit the MMM Jaiku channel as news, notes, and discussion can always be found there.

Now this is really taking things mobile :)

Labels: community, Jaiku, mobile, mobility, N75, software, tech

Image via Wikipedia

Monday night, I was talking with a baristia at the coffee shop that my church has Bible study at and she was very happy about her mobile phone. She uses a Palm Centro on Sprint and has enjoyed what it brings to her life. Being a high school senior, I was able to point her towards ways her phone can help her transition towards college, but I also noticed how it was very much a lifestyle device for her. To hear it in her words, it was not an attachment to how she lives, but it was a part of it. An essential thread even.

This look at mobile technology as part of one's lifestyle is a fairly new phenomena. For people roughly in my age group (I'm 29), we grew up literally watching tech be what it is now. I've had both penmanship and keyboarding classes. I've used the Dewey Decimal System, Infosearch (or was it InfoTech), to Google/Yahoo for various searches. I've gone from no planner to Radio Shack planners to Palm PDAs to smartphones. In literal terms, I am a part of a generation that has grown up with the DNA of mobile and web technology under a lot, and this presents a line above and below of how tech is viewed.

As the church, we are in a similar time period. A lot has changed very fast and we now have to adjust to increasing streams of connectivity that are in our ministries, families, schools, and governments. We have to brace for informational security, just as much as we push for or against net neutrality. We are on the verge of a major shift with computing and life as we know it - its a lifestyle now, not a choice.

It would be easy to just make the next steps in this of trying to just wait it out and then use and do what's popular. But my heart is that we as the Body would do more than just anticipate what is coming, but we would already be working in it. Whether that is a community-ran blog on social and educational issues that interfaces with thought-leaders and the classroom, or just advancing the use of VoIP to connect families whose jobs have disconnected them from their countries of origin. We have to address what is given to us, but we also have to push for where God meets us in this.

You see, one of my passions is to see the Church literally get to the point where our use of mobile and web technology is a direct reflection of the love, justice, and mercy that God granted us through Jesus Christ. It was this vision that cast me onto the Internet to begin with. We are at the point where this can be our Body 2.0, or just a old media shunning the inevitable change. Something to think about the next time you stop for coffee and the baristia is taking your order with a mobile instead of pen and paper.

Related Links:

• Is Your Church Leadership Interactive (The Digital Sanctuary)
• On the Problems of Designing User-Friendly Software for PDAs and Smart Phones (Laridian)
• Leatherbound iPhone Bible (ESV Bible Blog)
• I Wish Changing Churches Was As Easy As Changing Bible Versions (Palm Addict)

Labels: Centro, community, mobile, mobility, tech

Image via Wikipedia

A very big thing for churches and ministries to understand about mobile tech is that it is an active agent. Being an active agent means that it not only is a product of an action, but mobile technology fosters several layers of interaction. From listening to a phone call, to reading an SMS, to viewing video, to something even more advanced, taking advantage of the computing that is in one's hands is an advantage for community-building that the church should not miss.

This is why I like the service Mobile Verses. It doesn't require that one have the latest or greatest smartphone, only one that is capable of receiving text messages. Yes, some of the services might stretch budgets a bit, but that is where churches/ministries work with Mobile Verses and other sponsors towards making these services usable for mobile device users.

Now, a common question I get is "why would I want something like Mobile Verses when I have a Bible?" Any pastor, or just a general onlooker can tell you that having a Bible is not always handy. Nor is having a calendar that is always accessible. Mobile Verses not only puts the Bible at your fingertips, but can accent that [sometimes boring and crowd thinning] announcements section of services. Yes, people will have mobile devices out during services, but like I've stated in other posts; the church should be at the front of teaching tech responsiblity. What better way to do so than with using a service like Mobile Verses.

Now before anyone thinks that I am writing this because they "tipped" MMM, please understand that this is not my reasoning. Mobile Verses is a very solid offering and one that should not be looked past, especially when high school students are carrying phones and using them to write things in their calendars ;)

Visit the Mobile Verses website for more information.

Labels: community, mobile, mobility, phone, SMS, tech, usablity

I am one part a member of Nokia's Blogger Relations team, and have recently been invited to be an S60 Ambassador. Essentially, I speak about Nokia's products to people when I see that there's a need for them. In some cases, I'll get devices or services to try out and then report those findings back to Nokia. For them, it's an effort to see how people are using their devices and services. For me, it's a chance to see how mobile technology can enrich and empower lives.

The better part is that there are relationships that happen. Being able to live in Christ around them makes having opportunities like these presented by Nokia and other companies kinda neat. Here are a few of the recent reports that I filed to Nokia's S60 Ambassador's program. For those of you looking at ways to see how mobile tech fits, this is how I go about learning and applying.

Episode 1: The Young Mother

I went to visit a friend of mine on the other side of Charlotte as she has a 1yr old kid who has provided for several great photo opportunities. She and I talked about her e-learning class that she is taking and some directions that she could go with content for her blog. I recommended the idea of the phone as the literal center of the Internet for the school by using the Mobile Web Server.

First, I had to explain to her what the Mobile Web Server is and what kind of functionality that it opens up. Then, I told her that I could show her what it would look like. So I pulled out my N75 and turned on the Mobile Web Server. We navigated through each of the pages on her laptop that was in front of us, and I showed her how such a setup would make for a different take on distance learning ventures.

She was amazed that my phone could do that and asked why it was that her 3555 was not able to do the same things even though it was a Nokia phone as well. I explained to her that while they were from the same company, that they used different operating systems. One of the applications that she'd become a bit intrigued about is Jaiku; especially its ability to link with the address book for presence notification. That was something that she wanted for her phone. I led her to Yahoo, and there she learned about Yahoo's oneConnect service. Unfortunately, she does not have a mobile [data] plan, and does not see getting one; so downloading that was out of the question.

he problem that she posed to me was how to get more out of a phone like mine without being online. Considering that I do so much online via my N75, that really left me without many words. Other than the Bible, voice, and SMS, the rest really is the Internet. Making my phone compelling towards those who don't need that functionality will have to become another search of mine.

Episode 2: The Church Admin

Monday night is usually bible study at It's a Grind Coffeehouse and that is where I was again this Monday. Having had a successful demonstration of the Mobile Web Server running on my N75 earlier Monday, I decided to pique the interest of one of the administrative workers of my church and get her idea on such a solution.

First, I gave her a small demonstration of the software on my device, and then used my N800 Internet Tablet to show what the site actually works like in a web browser. At that she was impressed, but I could see not convinced at its usefulness. I then changed modes to talking about how there is always some information that one wants to keep personal, but other things, like pictures and availability that would come in handy for some people to know.

I then set my Gallery to show the pictures from my memory card and showed her how that page could be set with permissions. I then showed the Contact, Presence, and Calendar screens and showed that these can be controlled with a simple group that is created on the phone.

She looked at the phone and said "that's interesting. Your phone is a powerful little thing." Powerful indeed, but as a device that connects, its hard to beat.

Related Items:

• Nokia's S60 Ambassador Program
• Nokia's Mobile Web Server
• N75 Live-in Review Update
• MMM's N95 (via Nokia Blogger Relations) Review
• Yahoo's oneConnect service

Labels: Bible, church, community, device, family, Jaiku, mission, mobile, mobile accessories, Mobile Web Server, mobility, N75, Nokia, phone, software, tech, urban, usablity, Yahoo

I have been sitting in my usual coffeehouse office for this afternoon, and in reading announcements about the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet with WiMax, I started thinking a bit more about how possible it will be for believers to take computing and the task of [managing] ministry on the road.

Much like I chatted about last week with my pastors seeing the N800 as a viable ministry solution. The addition of WiMax networks takes this to more attainable possibilities.

Let me explain a bit about WiMax. Think of it as WiFi (hotspots) but instead of confined to a small area (300ft) this is something that can cover miles and miles, similar to a cellular connection. Except, unlike a cellular connection, the ability to do rich media is greater because the "pipe" that info is carried on is much bigger.

Now, that being said, imagine a situation where one can have their "office" in their pocket. When WiMax is official (mostly in larger metros initially) and more devices hit, this is something that will not just be a possibility, but could be an option.

Related Articles:

• Internet Tablet Talk Announcement of N810 Internet Tablet WiMax Edition
• N810 WiMax Edition Demo at Nokia
• N810 WiMax Edition Specs from Nokia

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, mobility, N810, Nokia

Image from Wikipedia

I begin this post thinking a good bit about the direction that MMM has gone in, and where its going. Given the pace that mobile technology is moving, and the fact that it is being adopted by more people and in faster waves than ever, there's sure to be a considerable amount of churn to hit before things plateau. But what I don't see much of is a response to mobile tech from those who don't usually get a chance to speak up.

You see, as the Internet and blogs go, it is usually those who have the fastest and loudest voices that get the attention. I cannot fault them either. If you don't get it out there, then who will read it. And retreads are just not pleasant in TV nor in news reporting.

I find it kinda neat though when people engage mobile tech for the first time. There's a fit of amazement, followed by disappointment, followed by investigation, followed by evangelism of a different kind - unbiased.

A friend of mine recently won the 16GB iPod Touch and has been slowly getting on board with it. Per my usual role, I am a helping tech voice to help guide things along. Its been neat to listen to the heart of someone who hasn't been in this so long, and just where they can go with it. Here are some examples of what I mean:

• My friend first asked me if there was a case that could be purchased. So I led them to a reputable site that wasn't huge, but has a solid reputation for iPod Touch cases.
• I mentioned that once they are set up, that it would be a good idea to explore getting a Bible on there; they remarked that they wanted to know how to do that sooner rather than later.
• My friend was discouraged that there were places where things like name, address, birth date, etc. were asked for in the installation and registration process. Being a person that doesn't install things very often, this kind of questioning was seen as invasive and pervasive.
• For all the simplicity that iTunes is, the person still had an issue of finding the music they wanted; and music that was mostly free and didn't cost much (if anything). Music is a driver to get online, especially mobile, but the fact that it costs for every little thing can be a limiting factor in some situations.

Its not a total view. The person will be fine once they get the hang of things. Some things won't change though, like the perception of privacy. But other things will, like accessing and using the Bible nearly anywhere.

Its a view of mobile tech that I get to see a lot of, but not always from the very bottom of mobile use. It will be interesting to see this person evolve as a person who engages with mobile tech. And then where they will be an influence to people around them because of what they learn.

Labels: community, iPod, iPod Touch, mobile, mobility, tech

This "conversation" is actially a report that I've filed recently to the Nokia S60 Ambassadors Program. While this fits their purposes, I hope that it sheds some light as to the conversations that mobile technoogy can involve us into, and if we be willing listeners, we can learn something that would help shape mobile use and community engagement on Gospel levels.

This Monday even started out similar to ones in the past where I met members of my church for Bible study. They have become accustomed to me using mobile technology during the study. This week, I had the Sony Mylo along with the N800 and was using the Wi-Fi and coffeehouse environment to compare the user interfaces towards using public Wi-Fi connections and what kind of web-usability is possible with the Mylo compared to what I know with the N800.

The Community Life pastor first asked me about the devices in seeing both tablets. He mentioned that something in the size of an Internet Tablet was appealing to him because he notices that he doesn't so much need the laptop as much as he needs access to the information. I gave him the Mylo to play with first and just looked at some general impressions he had while using it. After some play with it, and a few bits of frustration, he then moved to playing with the N800. He remarked that the N800 had a better feel and felt more polished in the touchscreen and user interface. The conversation with him then moved towards speaking about open source software - as that is an area that he is learning about - and how the Internet Tablet fits in this philosophy, especially in ministry settings with small churches.

The senior pastor came in and also took to trying the Mylo first. Like the first pastor, he had difficulty in navigating the user interface. However, because he had not had any type of hands on with the tablet devices before, he was filled with more questions (cost, availability, applications, etc.). After some frustrating moments in looking up some information with Gmail, he then moved to the N800. Like the first pastor, he said that he felt more comfortable. During the course of the conversation, he asked about the cost of the wireless service. He also wanted to know some websites that he could take advantage of (Google Apps being the most important). The conversation then led into how we could better use our church website and where a device like the Internet Tablets could come in handy.

Both said that they came away with a better understanding of how handheld tech could fit, but they were both looking at things from different vantage points. The first pastor was familiar with the Palm M125 and liked that kind of simplicity, but wanted the free-form of the Moleskin notebook that he uses for writing notes. The senior pastor was more impressed that such technology was available and said that it would be something that he would look into purchasing as it would fill a connectivity need.

Labels: community, internet tablet, mobile, mobile accessories, mobility, Mylo, N800, Nokia, tech

As much as I harp on my Internet Tablet and what doesn't work, I like to also talk about when things come along that are just neat, and have the benefit of having a positive effect on ministry pursuits.

Here's the news, in a few posts, we'll chat about how this has implications for one particular area of ministry where mobile tech and affluence tend to leave behind.

Here's the snippet from Internet Tablet Talk:

The opposite trend has started in the Smartphone world. The desire is to have more content, more details, thus more pixels on the display. The human eyes, especially of elderly people are limited in useable pixel-density. Thus, the size of the display increases. The physical dimensions of mobile devices are not allowed to increase further due to the pocketability constraint. Therefore the display resolution of the built-in display will remain limited. This leads in comparison Smartphone to PC to a disappointing feeling: Overview is still too limited! Alternative form factors such as rollable, foldable and any other kind of flexible display still need to mature for future deployment.

noBounds demonstrates the optimal way out of this dilemma to have a tiny Smartphone, AND utilize high definition (HD) displays by introducing a versatile and highly efficient interaction with external high resolution displays!

Read the rest at Internet Tablet Talk and watch the video below.

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, mobile accessories, N800, N810, Nokia, 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, usablity

LJ posted on his blog another perspective of what we posted on earlier in the week about a Hybrid Bible Reader and what that would look like. Given his perspective of working with Logos and WordSearch a good deal, he brings some needed understanding to the table as to how this can work. Here's a snippet of this post:

...As an avid user of Bible software (circa 1999 or so & using WORDsearch 5 and e-Sword), I've come to find that there are a lot of things that I like in one application, but is not found in another application. Then, there are also those things that I don't like in one software that isn't an issue in the other. Throw into the mix the world of Web 2.0 and you have an entirely different ballgame. Now with the likes of eBible.com and others, one is easily able to share their thoughts on the Word with the world at large, layman and scholar alike. So, just imagine if all of the good was combined into a single application, or at least brought as much of the best of all the worlds together, that's what I mean when I say the "Ultimate Bible Software Application...

Read the rest of the post at the Trailblazin Ministries blog.

Labels: Logos, mobile, software, tech, WordSearch

Some months ago, Cynthia Ware and I were asked if a few articles that we'd written could appear in a special edition convention magazine for the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). After passing a few last minute emails, the post The Church in the 7th Dimension made it into this special edition.

I was quite excited Tuesday to receive in the mail the issue where the article appears (p.34). Personally speaking, its an exciting moment for MMM as it validates what web've been speaking about from the beginning - that the Body has to understand the use and impact of mobile technology, not only for the benefit of evangelism, but because our lifestyles are more and more crossing that intersection.

Here's hoping to more opportunites for writing in other publications, as well as, getting some teaching opportunities in now that my calendar has freed up considerably.

Labels: community, Digital Sanctuary, mobile, tech

As more people are using mobile devices of all types as parts of their world, we are engaging one another in ways that are not dissimilar to being a new kid on a large campus. There are plenty of things to do and places to explore, but like all things, life without measuring these connections to the truths of the Gospel can cause undo suffering. How then do we balance this connectivity to the fact that the world has changed around us? And what is our responsiblity towards those who've not yet entered this "connected campus?"

Connected Campus

One of the myths of computing is that it is like other media. If you will, that like TV and radio before it, it is a self contained silo of information where connections are passively created by those with more capital or power. What has quickly become the truth though is that because of the "web" nature of the Internet and its associated technologies, the power is actually in the information, rather than in those who dissemate it. Because the reader, or connected participant, can decide to accept and continue to read, or move onto something else, the power of information is now in the hands of those who are willing to go out and get it, rather than those who are more apt to go out and serve it.

The Gospel Balance

This sounds a lot like that switch that Jesus aspoused the disciples to when he told them to "go out to all the world and make disciples." In effect, he was saying that in no way is this information good enough for just you to have and no one else. If you will, secret knowledge has no place. They were encouraged, and afterwards empowered to go to as many places as physically possible and spread the Good News. So in effect, by spreading the Gospel, people were to make connections that made for community, and overall a better quality of life for all.

Today's Connectivty

We have multiple means of connecting to the world around us. We can go TV, radio, Internet on a desktop, tablet, phone. We can set up concerts and other events as points of engagement. And then we can mash all of these things together to create something a bit more "community-ish." This is great, but like in all things, if we lose the point of making community, then we become more driven by statistcs and numbers, rather than that commission we are all encouraged to meet (go out and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that the Father as commanded).

Balancing Connectivity with Commission

Therein lies the fun part: balancing connectivity and its ever-changing ways with the commission and its ever-present consistancy. Some have taken the road to meter thier use of modern connectivity options because they have seen that it has taken them away from interacting with the people they were called to disciple. Some have increased their ability to connect with people because while the commission has not changed, the amount of sheep in the pasture has - considerably. In all cases, one has to take a survey of the commission (that doesn't change) and how they are following through with completing the vision as it was given. When there is more of an emphasis on the tool than the mission, then reevaluations should lead to repentance and reordering of connectivity.

And What About Those Not Connected

Instead of casting a net towards all of those possiblites of those who are not connected, I'd like to just concetrate on those whom are closer to our immediate spheres.

Those who might benefit from the digital aspects of connectivity should be not only trained on how to handle the Word and technology, but also learn by lesson and example what it means to do "responsible use." This means teaching things like how to evaluate what technology is best, how to choose the right option for email, and how to discern truth on the Internet. To teach these people how to understand technology we are taking that motto of teaching them how to fish literally; we are giving them the ability to discern and grow with the technology so that they can teach others.

Then there are those who have technology but are abusing it. To these people we also want to teach them how to evaluate technology. But, we want to teach them the dangers of pride and disallusion that comes from absuing connectivity. For example, as pastor once wrote here that he was happy that his computer was sent off for repair because he had not realized (even with others in his ear) that it had become and idol and instead of sheparding God's people, he was sheparding a computer. As I've learned so much in the past, just because you can do it does not mean that its good for you to do.

Graduating From Campus

Well, not exactly. This isn't college where you get a degree and then there's the real world. For many of us, some type of interaction with computers and the Internet is the real world. And like in college, you have to learn how to navigate the surroundings so that you can get through, but also so that others might be able to grab a hold of God's enabling (grace) so that they too can see that life is more than just trying to keep up with the Jonses.

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, community, mission, mobile, tech

From The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus, comic number 371:

I wonder what this would look like when mobile and Web 2.0/3.0 is added into the equasion?

Labels: community, mobile, tech

Cynthia Ware has taken a look look at how Christian missionaries are using new media as parts of their efforts to connect and share news of their connections when away from their "roots." Here's a snippet:

...Today's missionaries are using blogs, facebook, shutterfly and other social media to extend their connectedness, reward their supporters and create archived memories of their unique adventures. Whether missionaries are serving on short term teams or serving in long term posts, they need no longer be disconnected from their points of origin, hometowns, partners, sending churches, extended families, etc. In fact, if they have internet access, there's virtually (no pun intended) no reason they can't be very connected...

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, church, community, email, gospel, mission, mobile, mobile accessories, mobiles, networking, phone, podcast, software, tech, usablity, worship

Just read a really good article where CBS Mobile chief Cyriac Roeding said something really important that not only speaks to the area he was speaking, mobile advertisiting and how to maximize it, but to the Body and how our endavors need to be shaped around the fact that the medium is different. This is a snippet of that piece:

The CBS executive had led off the discussion by saying that advertisers have to understand why they need to be on mobile phones. "If you can't answer that question in 10 seconds, you're out of the game," he said. The answer should be, he went on, that mobile is the only medium that people carry with them 18 hours a day.

Mobile is also starting to provide reach to advertisers as sites gain larger audiences. Roeding noted that during the last quarter, CBS Mobile's sports section drew 75 million mobile page views and 5 million unique visitors during the fourth quarter.

But he warned against trying to promote mobile as a smaller version of the computer or TV screen. "If you are trying to make this the next online page, you will fail...because this is a new medium in its own right. "

I've touched on this in a previous article in saying that mobile is something more than just the sum of previous media endavors; to use it well requires that we not just be innovative, but relevant.

As part of a growing number of believers who understand what roles being mobile plays, its key that we understand what mobile is not. It's not a computer, though accessiblity and usability are there. Its not radio and TV, though video and audio are parts of the experience that should not be overlooked. Its not print either, though the effects are just as long lasting, inside and outside of the box o'bits and bytes. Being mobile is a case of a totally different paradigm, and something that the church is well past the potin were we need to embrace it.

I'd be one to make the argument that being effective in the Body with mobile tech is a matter of getting to the roots of what it means to be effective in the Body - "be distinct and bring fame to God not [ourselves]". I am pretty sure that we are able to do that if we pool our knowledge and gifts together and then step out and do something a bit different. The key is just not trying to be what we used to be in tech, and take things at that intersection of faith and tech, and make a noticable sign to the heart of God for all people.

Labels: church, community, gifts, gospel, mission, mobile, tech

Want to keep up with MMM and several other sites via one page (or RSS feed)? Check out the MMM Jaiku channel. Several sites and discussions going on there currently. Here are a few notables.

- Would anyone be interested in a MMM meetup in Charlotte in February?

- I'm sure this is a well known bible study site but I thought I'd share it just in case

- Palmsolo's coverage of BibleTech 2008.

- Pirating of Logos, Wordpress, and other resources.

Some of the websites that have RSS feeds on the MMM channel include:
- Church Tech Matters
- Christian Computing Magazine
- The Digital Sanctuary
- Bible Software Review Weblog
- ESV Bible Blog
- and more

Jump on over or subscribe to the RSS/Atom feed for the MMM Jaiku channel and engage folks with a bit of social networking.

Labels: Bible, BibleTech, community, Jaiku, meetup, mission, mobile, tech

This is one of those cases where I was sent an article and wondered why I didn't post about it before. Ah well, one cannot think and do everything.

Think Christian has an excellent post talking about those churches that have free hotspots taking that "empty" wireless space and using it to create an environment where web-workers, small groups, and others can come into a relaxed and laid back area and get "life" done. And then how such an environment makes for a simple place for discipliship and evangelism.

My previous church in MD has a setup like this and I know of others that do as well. As a point of rest and refreshing, there's not many better places than a church. And I can imagine that such an idea - hotspot ministry zones - can be a means for churches and organizations to reach out to those that would not usually enter those facilities.

There is an issue that will come up in terms of financing infrastructure. But what if the church basically made the wifi free, and then provided tech recovery/support services for a cost. Sounds like a nice meeting station in the mist of a tracked life.

- This conversation was spawned from one at Church Marketing Sucks on the same subject

Labels: accessiblity, community, email, mobile, tech

Probably more than most else, I think about how to engage studying and sharing the Word via the use of conversations and mobile devices. I've got this thought that because we are at a point where the Word and several resources can be carried with us, that we can effectivly take this aspect of the discipleship out from the church walls and literally be a church that goes to people.

Most would hear that and think that its near radical, and a borderline good idea. I want to submit that its not only a good idea, but in light of the commission that we have as believers, that it is something that we should do (once we've been equipped with the knowledge, wisdom, and maturity to speak with grace in any occasion).

What does this mobile-enabled study look like then?

- Is it like the OLPC program where tools are given as a blank canvas for people to dig in and be directed through the Word, finding concepts and functions of our faith through discovery then application?

- Or is this like a blogger-relations program where we take subject areas and then endow enabled people to speak the truths of God in fashions that demonstrate a skillful handling of the technology at the intersection of faith and need?

- Or is it something that has not yet been explored? Something where technology can truthfully fade to the background once it opens up the real issue t