Source: www.freeimages.com
I’ve been pondering the ways in which ministry could use internet technology and social media in the missions context – particularly as it relates to micro-enterprise and missions-based social entrepreneurship. There is a cornucopia of social media communication tools to help you get your message across, and if you’re not using them, you’re not getting technology to work for you in the postmodern, hyper-connected world.
Pick up a crayon and get creative. Blogging, podcasting, and video blogging offer unique opportunities for spreading the gospel. If you can use a microphone, a camera, or email you can pretty much do all the above. Cameras are super cheap these days. You can buy a Kodax Zx1 for around £80 to £100 which is a (super) small hand held camera you can use to record key church events. And you should be able to grab a tripod on ebay for around £15-25. Also, most new Macs come equipped with technology and software to be multimedia studios (you can purchase a new mac for £1,200 – £1,600 or a used one for half that price). You could post lessons and sermons, as well as short 1-3 minute updates about what God is doing in the lives of people in your church.
Get that in writing. If you go the video or audio direction, you may want to pay for transcription. You can find cheap transcription via one of many outsourcing websites like Get a Freelancer or e-Lance. Search engines can’t ‘see’ your video or podcasting content, so it helps people find your content. Also, it can help people spread your content by simple cut and paste. You may also choose to use Safari’s summarize function to create an executive summary of your lessons.
It’s all about show and tell. The use of Slideshare to post existing powerpoint presentations slideshows online. It’s a very easy to use tool and you can create groups around issues like ‘missions, ‘theology’, ‘sermons’, ‘evangelism’, or ‘Christian social justice’. This would allow mission workers to stay in visual contact with churches without having to visit each and every church.
Adapt to your audience(s). Think about the bi-lingual nature of your ventures. Add a Google translator and even consider having a church member translate your content if you can’t do it yourself.
Start a digital water cooler to connect for free or almost free. You may want to consider a Ning social network, a message board to share information and ideas internally, a wiki, a Change.org website based on your particular issue of concern. There are tons of options for using social media platforms for Christian communication and kingdom ends.
Create an inviting digital living room. Look into simple, user friendly navigation which can be provided by WordPress (like the one your reading now). With WordPress you can get inexpensive webdesign for under £300 by purchasing a professional looking premium theme. Ask in your prayer letter if anyone is willing to create you a website for free as part of their support.
Plan for the future. Down the road you may think of creating a group blog that key members of your staff or volunteers can blog. Or you may want to target one blog for the surrounding community and one blog to churches overseas that have funded your ventures. This will allow you to target your message to a very specific audience.
Ignore these Droids. They aren’t the ones you’re looking for. Don’t fall for “shiny new object syndrome.” You don’t need to stay up to date on the technology. You only need to learn how to use it. The technology is only an enabling platform. Creating relationships is clearly the goal and focus.
It’s a Balancing Act: Creating an information diet, time management and workflow are all issues you will want to consider. The key is to find time you weren’t using before, such as surfing online, playing video games, or watching television. All in all stay focused on God and relationships and you should be fine.
Principles to Consider:
• Focus on God’s word and God working through you. In other words, ask how your story and your community’s story tell His story.
• Once you’ve listened a while, it’s important to dive in to explore to get your feet wet. Its actually a lot of fun.
• It’s easy to be come a stats-o-holic. Be forewarned. Connections beat stats everyday.
Next time: why mission workers need to be using Facebook and Twitter!
Adam Brown, Technical Director
technical@syzygy.org.uk
