Don't Let the Techies Make You Feel Dumb

Over the past 6-months, I have been privileged to serve as a digital tour-guide for some amazingly gifted pastors, church leaders, lay leaders, worship folk and non-profit superstars. In the course of my interactions, I've detected an inferiority complex that, well, just makes me mad.

Almost without exception, at some point they apologize for their lack of knowledge. I can tell they've been fed some nonsense that because they are not technically savvy, they must be an inferior life-form or simply a dunce.

SInce this is the Church Tech Blog for non-Techies, let me take a moment to collectively apologize for all the well-meaning techies out there who forget that not everyone gets excited about API's, Twitter or shaking one's iPhone.

Lack of familiarity is not the same thing as stupidity.

I do not know how to pluck a chicken. Haven't ever felt compelled to learn how. But the fact is that my lack of expertise in this area does not mean that I'm dumb, quite the contrary. I'm quite accomplished  in some areas. Just not in that one.

So whether you know what a RT (retweet) is, or how to shorten a link so it fits in a tweet... take heart that someone out there can teach you in a way that won't make you feel like a dunce. They are out there... I've seen them. Generous folk who pass along what they've learned with respect and grace. They do exist.

So take heart, noble church world non-techies!

You are uniquely gifted in the areas that God's entrusted to you, and lack of exposure to certain technologies doesn't diminish that fact one crumb.

Comments

[Anthony Coppedge]

Great post! Love it! I like "lack of familiarity is not the same thing as stupidity."

I like to say "Ignorance is easily cured. Idiocy is not." :)

[Dawn Carter]

@anthonycoppedge Thanks for your comment. I like how you put it "ignorance is easily cured..." I consider you one of the gracious voices in the church tech landscape. Have enjoyed reading your stuff.

[Jim Gray]

great post, so happy i found this site...have you been hiding this site?!