The tools exist!
When I look across the breadth of our organization I see a hesitancy to embrace and leverage online tools for ministry. Some co-workers think I’m crazy for keeping up a blog! Perhaps I’m wrong, but I think there is an undercurrent of fear (or at least a hesitancy) to engage in conversations with web 2.0 tools. Here’s why…
- Fear of being misunderstood
- Fear of being put on record and being wrong
- Fear of taking a risk to use a new medium to reach people for Christ
- Fear of lack of control that is possible when lot’s of people are talking to lot’s of people
- Belief that online communication/interaction isn’t helpful for personal growth
- Organizational structure doesn’t foster online collaboration very well…yet.
I want to change this.
Sure sometimes online communication isn’t the best option. Sure sometimes we have to go back and with humility correct our mistakes, but I want to be a good steward of the tools we’ve been given to expand the Kingdom of God through our ministry. What if someday all our staff across our region would engage each other with leadership thoughts at any hour of the day with a click of a button? What if hundreds of volunteers connected through an online social network, where they could encourage each other? The tools exist, why aren’t we using them?
If you work in occupational ministry in some capacity, what are the barriers that keep you from engaging in collaboration with Web 2.0 tools? What are the tools you’re using to connect your staff/ministry leaders right now?
Other LTI posts kinda like this one:
For some, I think the fear is that they don’t know enough to be “good at it” and don’t feel they have the time to learn about it. That seems to be a valid concern. We could use a collection of quick-read materials – sourced by multiple experts – on using each Web2.0 tool, written specifically for our field. (So in our case, that would mean a collection of ebooks or primer-sites on each tool, written by college ministers for college ministers.)
Another barrier is likely that for some of these tools, until you’re IN that particular tool’s “world,” you don’t understand the world. Those not on Twitter have a hard time seeing its usefulness… so they don’t use Twitter. And then they have a hard time seeing its usefulness…
Same with blogging, and I had a conversation about that just the other day. The minister was very hesitant to even consider blogging, it seemed, because he personally hadn’t read a lot of blogs. Without knowing the value, he won’t read… but without reading, he won’t know the value.
Great insight Benson. What bugs me the most is when someone completely writes off a particular tool, without learning about it’s usefulness or trying it for themselves. It probably comes back to your thoughts about being a learner.
How do we change that mentality? I think we need to continue to refine the usefulness of certain tools and highlight specific tools along with examples of how they’re being used.
The sheer volume of what’s available to use is overwhelming for people too. This is where simplifying resources for people. If I were in charge I’d make maintaining a blog (and only a blog) a requirement for a leadership position in our organization.
Great post, Matt. This gets me fired up, too. I’ve definitely suffered from the problem Benson brings up. But, this past fall 2009 I experienced a real paradigm shift because I realized that:
1. Many of the Christians I know (predominantly college students and people who work in parachurch ministry) are the kind of people who I long for not-yet-Christians to know and be friends with. I’m confident that it wouldn’t be too long before those not-yet-Christians wanted to follow Christ.
2. Largely, Christians ride the hindquarters of the “wave” of culture and technology when they should be out on the crest of it. (When I was growing up, my dad always told me, “Jocelyn, whatever field you go into, God will likely reveal innovative things to you that He won’t necessarily reveal to others in your field who don’t know or honor Him. He’s like that.”)
3. Therefore, Christians are not LEADING the world in the way that God would be honored by. Christians are largely irrelevant to the lost and broken world they live in; I’m convinced that, for many not-yet-Christians, going to many churches or talking to some sheltered Christians must feel like climbing back into a covered wagon for someone who drives a hybrid.
4. If I want to be a world leader (and I most definitely do – said the mom of a 4-month-old), I MUST be on Twitter…and I MUST blog (just starting one)…and I MUST engage with what other world leaders are engaging with.
It might come down to one, simple question: Do you want to be a leader or not?
Jocelyn!
Thanks for your comments. One of the best things about online communication is that mom’s can engage whenever they’re able!
I love your last question. I’d put it in terms of “influence”. Do we want to lead and influence people for Christ? If we see it as a chance to influence the world for Christ then why wouldn’t I try and leverage web 2.0 tools according to my giftings and capacity.
I am resistant to all of these new tools because well, honestly, I’m am tech retarded and you are well aware of that. It just seems overwhelming to me to have to keep up with the new things. I want to be an influencer, especially as a mom and if there are ways to help me do that in a more effective way I want to learn. Bottom line, I’m skeptical of new things and a little stubborn when it comes to trying new things.
Why am I not using the tools?
1. I have a hummingbird brain – quick to buzz from one thing to the next. Paying attention to God for me requires me to focus – therefore I have to limit my distractions and choose the “noise” in my life. Even if the noise is good, useful, or informative.
2. There is so much information in the world. I have chosen to apprentice myself to a few people who I consider to be wise and worthy of emulating. I read their books over and over. (If Evelyn Underhill were tweeting, I would be a follower!)
3. I can only be in relationship with a relatively few people, and to do that well I have to prioritize. (If my friend Gwen were tweeting, I would be a follower.)
4. And … I am not sure I know what Web 2.0 means.
I am trying very hard to be a learner, and not be afraid of technology. (Lovin those apps for my new Ipod Touch!) I don’t want to be a curmudgeon! (See, I am reading your blog, Matt!) But I do recognize my limitations, and my particular vocation, and saying yes to my vocation means saying no to some other (good, innovative and useful) things.
Carolyn,
Thanks for commenting. Having a rockstar like you comment on my blog adds some credibility to this effort.
According to Wikipedia…The term “Web 2.0″ (2004–present) is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web.
So Web 2.0 is basically any application that a user like you and me can create content with and share it with people. (blogs, facebook, etc.). Web 1.0 was static websites that only highly technical programmers new how to create. No real interaction or collobaration between users with web 1.0.
I agree with the noise comment too. The sheer volume of stuff available to learn out could paralyze us before we get started. There is so much good stuff out there! Right now I’m subscribing to 83 blogs…sheesh!
There is a balance in everything, based on usefulness vs. distraction. Each person is going to be different depending on how they’re wired. For me harnessing the power of things like a blog and Facebook, means focusing on leveraging a few minutes of my time and specific tools for Kingdom minded interaction and saying no to other good things.
I’m so glad Carolyn asked what web 2.0 meant. I had no idea either. And really Matt, 83 blogs!? I waste enough time on Facebook, the few dozen people I follow on Twitter and the 10 blogs that I sort of follow. I just can’t do it all and when I try I get nothing accomplished.
That’s the beauty of an using an RSS reader (Mail, google reader, netnewswire). I can follow all those blogs in about 5-10 minutes a day. Or I can just mark them all as read and skip them.
Part of the usefulness of these things, comes when we’re mature enough to turn them off too.
I want to join in on this! I’ve actually been ruminating on the topic since I first read it yesterday…in my Google Reader.
Yes, the tools exist. I think the great comments preceding have offered good insight into why they aren’t more quickly adopted. Benson’s comment made me think that we are almost always against something until we are for it. Is there really anyone out there that says “I love twitter!” or “I love blogs!” that isn’t actively using/consuming them? It seems the switch flips when people understand a practical way it can help them in some defined way and begin engaging. I think of recently reading about how parents of teenagers are pretty prolific texters. Staying connected with your kids is motivation to engage the technology. What reasons are we giving people to use the tech? I think the more specific the examples the better.
So if you guys start connecting metro students, staff, and volunteers for greater kingdom impact using web 2.0, I assure you that other staff/ministries are going to start coming to you asking you to train them!
There’s also the question of simple inertia. We’re in habits where our first thought is to send an email or pick up the phone. It might not be the best format, but it’s familiar and doesn’t require learning anything new in the moment.
Web 2.0 is new and still has emerging standards of usage and common practice. Part of our role as leaders on this front will be to serve as filters (so Carolyn et al can do what they do best), experimenting with the tools, and helping those around us understand the next step to engagement and the return (in ministry effectiveness) on investment (of time) it offers them.
It would be fun for us to, as Jocelyn brings up, lead the way on this as a ministry. As I think I may have mentioned before to you, in some ways it seems social media/web 2.0 was invented for ministry. Imagine if you described facebook to a campus minister from 2000. “You have the contact info, with pictures, for anyone in your ministry, and can see what they are in to and who they are friends with. Anytime you talk to someone on campus and get their name, you can go online and see who you are both connected to and follow up with them if you desire and continue the conversation one-on-one or in a group.” I’d go on, but it should almost be a blog post: how would you describe what facebook can do for you to a campus minister that just showed up from the year 2000? I think we take it for granted in once sense, and in another are not using it (and other web 2.0 tools) strategically and just view facebook/etc. as entertainment.
Okay, that’s enough for now. Again…great post, Matt!
OK – so my turn! Interesting thoughts to ponder. Matt – that’s really unfortunate that your co-workers think you’re crazy for keeping a blog. I think blogs can be extremely influential. Blogs are a great non-invasive, sometimes even subversive way of shaping thought. I was at the opera recently and 5 influential bloggers were given a prime spot in the lobby of the Keller to blog about the show. So, you ask why people aren’t using the tools that are out there… To use an analogy, I can have a hammer, electric saw and monkey wrench sitting all around me, but until someone shows me how to use them, they will sit there all day. And in my case, until I have a clear felt need to learn to use them – like building a house for example – then I will be unmotivated to learn to use those very tools.
There are people who are naturally prone to using technology and use it at ease – like you or Darren. I am not in that category. I am not technologically ignorant, but rather more of a technology pragmatist. So I need people like you to a) create the felt need so I am motivated to learn to use the tools and b) break the task down and show me how.
Thanks for the comment Jennifer!
Yeah, I’m learning that my job isn’t to convince everyone to use all the online applications at all times. My job (because I enjoy it) is to act as a filter and highlight everything that I think can be useful for our occupation and help us increase our influence and collective effectiveness for the Kingdom.
This conversation has started a whole bunch of tech related blog posts in my mind. Perhaps even a “best of” tech resource page with case studies attached to it.
What’s funny is that you and Carolyn are probably on the front end of using technology in our region. Carolyn has a blog and you’ve been using a website for a while. Give yourselves some credit!