Mobile Ministry Magazine

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 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

The last two posts, we've talked about extending your mobile office to help mangage the tasks of doing ministry easier. But there's nothing like real world examples.

So what do you do to extend your office capabilities? And what hurdles have you encountered either personally or with your team?

(Lord willing, a question like this in the future can be met with some kind of giveaway to help some of you on who are doing this already)

Labels: church, community, mission, mobile accessories, mobility, tech, urban, usablity

Let's take yesterday's post a bit further. When aspects of mobile technology are a lifestyle, and not just a tool, what does this begin to look like to the Body and the world being ministered to at large? How does this change the work of Christ from an institutional one to a spirit-lead one?

There's a simple answer to this to some degree; but we should first make the question a bit simpler so that we grab a better impact:

If Paul had a blog, what would he have done more of or more effectively?

I've explored this question here many times (the original thought, part 2 of this thought, part 7 of this thought, part 9 - eh, I think you get the picture). Each time I come to the conclusion that [aspects of] mobile technology is/are taking us to the definition where people will want to define church not as what happens or is confined by the four walls and a monologue service, but what happens in the context of connecting to other people that leads them to repent to God, and be a life in Christ that speaks to that worship He spoke of to the Samaritan woman (John 4).

A Church Beyond the Walls
The idealism though of a church without walls where leadership is moreso grooming people for missional teaching rather than internal community engagement isn't something new. I just wager that its more possible now than ever. Multi-campus churches are pulling this off to a degree. Cell groups to another. But those are the exceptions. Engaging Christ is still done in smaller more personal levels, then shared moment by moment as or after it happens. If you will, much like Paul went from place to place and documented how the Body engaged the world around it; the church today is largely doing the same thing.

So don't you think that if Paul had a blog, it would look more like this: CNN and National Geographic Put a New Twist to Journalism

I've been banging my head left and right trying to figure out what kind of career works best for my kind of mind. As soon as I read this posting about what CNN and NG are doing it hit me; I've been saying this all along with MMM but haven't really ran out to do it in bunches. Tools needed: Nokia's Sports Tracker application, a capable mobile phone (not necessarily a smartphone), and the willingness to go out and engage the world to share it with others. Nokia, CNN, Reuters, and National Geographic are transforming the news reporting culture. We should be doing the same in the Christ-connecting one.

The enablement of mobile technology allows us to connect with people and directly share Christ in Matthew 5 type ways. And at the same time we are moving from one connection to another, tracking and messaging those places that we've been (letters to Timothy, Philemon, Titus, etc. type stuff), encouraging and equipping those who are in those areas, and providing a dynamic (and digital) witness to what is being done in the kingdom of God so that the emphasis remains on God's glory in the world around us - not on the shiny.

The fun part is, I think some of us do this naturally and don't even know it. We go places with mobile tech and then it opens doors towards speaking about our lives in Christ and all of a sudden we have just encouraged someone, or even better, picked up a disciple. I can probably even guess that given how some of us are in social networks that this same thing happens in the various online communities that we visit. Neat ain't it.

A Piece of the Puzzle to Understand
But like Paul, I realize that this kind of thinking and action is not something that everyone can do (1 Corinthians 12-14). And, at least in the Western church, a church that does not have defined walls or order as we are accustomed to can make people uncomfortable. Like I wrote some time ago, the Internet is not just for those type-A (or type-C) personalities. We all have our place where we excel in bringing Christ's passions and love into the hearts of those around us. As a church, we should be cultivating that so that the Body doesn't just grow in number, but grows in quality-of-representation-of-our-Father.

The Challenge Looms
On a website that I visited recently (The Theos Project), the blogger stated that he was going on a church fast. The culture and conditions of the church caused him more grief than he cared to have as a part of. I responded in a comment that he shouldn't leave if the church he was a part of did not equip him with the tools to relate to the world outside of the church. He should stay there until they do give him the tools and wisdom to make Christ-living a lifestyle that is not marred by the culture we call church.

Hence my view on mobile technology and the Christian faith. In coming to grips with the fact that mobile technology is less a tool and more of a lifestyle, we have to equip those who engage this technology with the wisdom that what they do here has effects that are eternal (not just saved in the Wayback Machine in bits and bytes). It is this type of equipping that will enable us as a Body to reach beyond ourselves and engage towards that Great Commission with great success. Propagating old paradigms with new tech doesn't change anything.

This then becomes the challenge of the next generation of church leaders: teach mobile and technological responsibility while allowing the use of the technology to enhance our abilities to reach, teach, and build foundations and lives in Jesus Christ. Its something I am more than ready to do, and offer this challenge to you as something to take on in whatsoever way the Spirit leads.

My Personal Convictions, and Request
This has been the crux of my frustration with MMM. I've wanted this to be the launching point for teaching people how a church without walls can exist. I totally think its possible - even without the mobile tech that is presented here. However, getting people to see and support that has been utterly harder than I want to say in such a public arena. Its one thing to cast vision, its another totally to get people/companies to buy into it to the point of changing the world around you. This is not a knock on anyone, just how much I see, and how easy it is for me to see, but not translate that to you.

Having written all of that, I'm more ready to ask for sponsors towards living a lifestyle that meets this lofty goal (the how to ask is the part I don't know), rather than sitting on my arse waiting for Jesus to come back. To those who have asked me recently in what ways they can help me, this would be it: prayer and a push. I know we can be more than just an intersection of faith and technology. Using this tech effectively casts a light towards what can happen when Christ is in front of us lighting the way (Colossians 2:6 - 3:4). Doing it, well, that's just bigger than me but more than capable enough for Him (Isaiah 49:13).

Labels: Bible, community, mission, mobility, tech, urban, worship

Last week I visited a youth center in Charlotte that was being outfitted with 16 new computers. The executive director is a friend of mine and I told him that I would visit the facility now that I have the time to get there during their working hours. I saw a place that is right on teh verge of having a major impact in East Charlotte; but also wondered where aspects of learning and understanding mobile tech would come into play in a venue like this.

Use and Sustainability

While it is true that mobile tech has become more and more a part of our lives, it is still something that is an accessory, rather than a need. That being said, I always want to look at how something can be used and maintained in an effective context when speaking of introducing or reteaching technology in a particular area.

For many urban communities, managing finances is a big issue. From the allure of "the greener grass" to the media's depection of rags to riches for just about everything, many of those who live in urban environments have a skewed sense of how to manage their resources. Its in this context where I've sesen pre-pay mobile phones and SMS related services as means for helping to disciple responsiblitiy, and also change the perception that money in is always slower than money out.

Community Involvement

What I noticed about the youth center that I visited is that it sits near a TV station, a radio station, and has a cellular retailer right across the street. If there is ever a means to teach and enable people to reach higher, there are the assests that can do such. In some cases, there might even be other opportunities such as schools, colleges, or local businesses in which their investing of consistent time to teach and mentor can open upthe entire community to start building a solid base for social and economic change.

Spiritual Leadership

One thing that my friend and I agreed on was that for things to change in Charlottte's commnities, the Body has to be a leader in providing those services and points of empowerment that enable and entire city to action. Charlotte is like man places where their is a church on ever corner. When the Body gets together and begins to work in the wisdom and understanding of 'parts and sum' then the kind of leadership that changes communities happen.

And Then the Fun

I had this idea once that students with mobile handsets and some free time could document and change their world. I see this happen more and more as the years go on. Nokia, MTV and Reuters getting together for Super Tuesday is one example of mobile tech doing something different. Taking that action a step futher, using that same mobile tech to give households with no access to the Internet that access. Linking schools, communities, the Internet, and mobile tech to create a community communication net where life is shared appropriately, and generations withining that community are enabling one another to see that the blessings that Christ speaks of in Matthew 5, are as close as us serving one another.

Additional Information

• The Digital Sanctuary also spoke recently about equipping leaders for urban ministry in this post.
• MobileActive.org is a site where one can find out more about engaging their community with mobile technology efforts.

Labels: community, mobility, Nokia, tech, urban