Welcome to our new blog on technology and church! Today is our launch for digital.leadnet.org, and we've rallied together an enthusiastic team of contributors who will talk about everything from websites, social networking, mobile phone devices, podcasting, wiki, and more! Read the back story here. We are aiming to unpack the technical jargon and gobblygook so that non-techies and church leaders can better understand how various digital technologies can be used in the church to connect its members and attenders as well as reach its surrounding communities and even the world. Please spread the word via word of mouth and word of mouse!
So the conversations related to this whole new initiative that dropped into my lap happened all week as I traveled to Dallas for a Leadership Community meeting. On the shuttle to the rental car center, I noticed cell phones in action as people touched based with their business associates and/or family members. Except on this ride from the terminal, I noticed a handful of people texting not talking on their cell phones. On my last business trip, it used to be that people only talked on the cell phones. Even though text messaging has been available for several years now, it looks like something has changed and now people are using their SMS service more and more.
Over dinner one night, I'm talking with Dave Browning, who pastors Christ the King Community Church. He described the difference in technology use in Africa, where getting internet access is rather challenging, but everyone has a cell phone. So we explored how he might use text messaging as a means to communicate and equip his multi-site church leaders in Africa from where he is in Burlington, Washington. (I'll tell you more about a back door way to do this in a future post.)
Then over a breakfast conversation, I'm talking with 2 parents who are amazed at what their teenage children are doing with txting. One parent described how some txters are so proficient with their cell phone keypad entry that they can txt underneath the desk in class. Yes, a hi-tech way for passing notes in class. One other parent confessed that she was not a txter, and she gets pleas for help with errands from her son, but because she doesn't know how to read txt msgs on her cell phone, one of her sons sends a text message to another son in another state, who then in turn calls Mom to relay the message by a cell phone call!
So, how is text messaging changing your relationships in your family and your church?
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