Shelly Palmer, a media guru, has recently been advertising a one day seminar called “Get Digital” in an effort to help people make the transition into the digital marketplace. The idea is a good one. So good, as a matter of fact, that I made the regional pastor of ABCNJ aware of the offering. Now, Shelly is putting these on for corporate America, so the cost of the seminar is out of reach for the vast majority of pastors – our Regional pastor, however, though that maybe we could create something similar which catered to pastors. Why would I consider doin such a thing?
Because I’ve met too many pastors who are digitally ignorant and think it’s no big deal that they are this way.
Look I realize that I’m a geek, in fact that’s one part of my dual-character class, so I’m not expecting to have every pastor in the country dropping to the CLI at every opportunity (or even know what that means). As much as that would be nice, I’m not expecting it. On the other hand, the Digital world is the one in which we are currently living, so pastors need to be able to be familiar with the ideas behind the tools being employed in this communications revolution. Otherwise, how are they going to be able to help their congregants ask necessary questions regarding the tools they are using in their daily life? The simple answer is, “They can’t.”
Look, we live in a world where a plane crash-landed on the Hudson, came down in once peace, and everyone walked away from alive and well. This was a story I first saw posted on Twitter. In fact, through twitpic I saw a photo of the passengers from an angle that no “bit” news source would get, it was a picture taken by a man on the ferry that picked up the first group of passengers. This is changing the way we live and pass on information, and the majorty of pastors I’ve met can only scoff at the stupid-sounding name, “Twitter.” Folks, we’re missing the boat here.
So that’s my dilemma, how do you create a seriously developed event to educate pastors about the opportunities and pitfalls that exist in the digital world. What do you think pastors must be aware of if they are to fulfill their calling as teachers in the Church?
List you answers below.
Discover more from Painfully Hopeful
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I think we need to figure out how to tell the difference between positive and negative digital offerings. I personally believe I need Facebook but don’t need Twitter. Maybe it’s true, maybe not, but I don’t know which one will be the best in the end, nor do I know how to sign up for them without them consuming massive amounts of my daily life.
Actually, I think there are no such thing as “positive and negative digital offerings.” These are tools, which you can use well (positively) or not well (negatively).
For example, Central uses Twitter to pass on prayer requests in real-time. Most folks didn’t know twitter was before they signed up for our prayer chain – now they like how they can get prayer requests immediately and aren’t ever left out of the loop.
I also get instant updates when software I beta test is updated, and notified when new Accordance seminars are being offered. Since Twitter is limited to the people I allow to follow me, the clutter is cut way down, and the messages are short by the system’s design. I like Facebook, but I get more well-meaning spam from folks who want me to sign up for every app under the sun and it get’s cluttered. Twitter is minimalist, and surprisingly flexible.
Pastor’s need to first stop scoffing and just blantantly dismissing technology as not useful. We are really fooling ourselves if we just kick it out as not welcome. And we kick out a whole multi generational group of people. (for random example, most people under 50 use cellphones. And many over too). If you don’t recognize technology’s existence you can’t even begin to communicate with people (never mind actually useing said technology).
Second once we get passed the disregard/write off/ fear of this stuff we need to start asking how we can use technology but not loose sight of our roots/traditions/God’s purpose. It’s all great if all churches start using projectors and cell phone networks but we need to do it in a way that doesn’t make us loose sight. Or that doesn’t make us go completely the opposite and throw out old traditions. Basically we need that balance whereby we open the nitch for both the technology and the non-technology side of things.
People need to get over the fear and start thinking about how both old and new can work as a multi faceted approach.
Another thing to get across to people is that “hi tech” is already in existence – aka everyone has a computer so what’s so different about a church office having one too? And that it doesn’t have to be/ often isn’t hideously expensive (aka everyone has a cell phone so why not list those in the directory?).
With fear and trepidation I’m entering the digital world and I like it. Once, I thought a rural town in Mississippi would not have many digitally connected folks. However, when a 88 year old member sent me an email thanking me for visiting her in the hospital the day before, I realized a lot more folks are already in this new world.
Yesterday I e-mailed out tomorrow’s call to worship to a circa. 80 year old woman so she could read it ahead of time. I hadn’t expected her to have e-mail, but she just got on DSL and is loving it.
At CoH, all information is distributed digitally. Calls of Worship, attendance at the public meetings, who’s new, what’s happening, prayers for the week and dialog after the public meeting (yes, actual feedback about whether something worked or not) all occur via email.
We recently had a new cell leader who didn’t own a computer and had to get him wired to use technology. We’re heavily digitally savvy.
I’m with Matt on the twitter thing. Facebook status is used by almost everyone I know. Most have twitter accounts but don’t use them anymore. Facebook is VHS, and Twitter is BETA.
I love the CoH move to get the cell leader wired.
The Beta/VHS paradigm doesn’t work any more. Twitter as a platform as the future might not be where that idea of microblogging goes – but the idea is has some staying power, probably via multiple outlets. That’s essentially what a facebook status is.