Breakout A – Leveraging Technology to Support Community

Blogging from the breakout led by Cynthia Ware:

– Technology is normative.
– The next generation is thinking about communication differently than my generation.
– http://thedigitalsanctuary.org
– Views every church as multi-site: bricks and mortar – clicks on the web.
– Many churches are starting Internet campuses.
– Every one of us has a sphere of influence surrounding our lives. Those spheres are migrating on-line.
– Communication is changing (Radio, Film, Newspapers, and TV) from single/few options to many, many options. From few to many to many to many.
– New communication is a circle. We want conversation. People want to converse; they don’t want to be lectured. People want to be part of a conversation. Back and forth communication is expected and necessary to move discipleship forward.
– Communication is changing: interactive, participatory, mobile, viral, wireless, transparent, viral, user generated, many to many, digital, free…
– Culture is changing: flattening economies, global, transparent, wisdom of crowds, mobile, crowd sourcing, in sourcing, viral, digital, post-modern, connected…
– Community is changing: relationship economy, glocal, in common, viral, mutual respect, micro-community, shared trust, shared values, electronic, Internet mediated, interest based, unboundaried, participatory, virtual…
– Christianity is spread virally.
– Digital communication (back and forth) allows people to feel connected not only to each other but to leadership.
– Church is changing: socially committed, missional, multi-ethnic, multi-site, iCampus, cell-driven, authentic community, transparent leadership, eco-aware…
– I could be an iPastor. (Whoa!)
– Not using technology is missing an opportunity.
– As stewards of Christ, we have a responsibility to redeem technology by getting involved on things like mySpace, etc.
– We are going to be buying “green” everything in the next 10 years. Why do we produce the church bulletin? Because we haven’t put it on line and because we haven’t stopped producing it (on paper).
– We need to be active aggressive learners.
– Not a lot of true discipleship can take place in a large crowd listening to a speaker.
– Leadership is changing: decentralized, interactive, participatory, life streaming, flattening, responsive, fluid, transparent, listening, engaging…
– Cells are changing: Or are they?
– I want to develop a more missional mindset to my spheres of influence. We are called to go and make disciples.
– I Chronicles 12:32 – “The men from Issachar understood what was going on at that time. They knew what Israel should do.”
– We should use an Exodus 18 model. Exodus 18:17-24. Ministry to a person is not based on facts; it’s based on truth.
– We’ve migrated. Many of us spend time online daily. The reality is that the sooner we adopt and adapt, the sooner we can be the influencers.
– If you start an online group for something you are passionate…you will be starting community.
– The point of all this communication is to create intimacy and connection with people.
– Check out: Kindle (online prayer), YouVersion (online Bible), Unifyer (online Community Hub).

– Some people to look up on the subject: Dave Anthold, Greg Atkinson, DJ Chuang, Tony Steward, Gene Wyrrick, The WareHouse.
– Look into reading Tribe.

Stay tuned for more…