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Last month we interviewed Mark Clement of Big Picture Media on the impact of social networking on churches (read it here). For this issue we asked Bobby Gruenewald, pastor and innovative leader at Lifechurch.tv in Edmond, OK, to share how his church is successfully using technology and media on an everyday basis.
How are new technology and media shaping church ministry?
One of the changes already taking place is that social tools have created a culture in which people contribute and expect to have a voice. People don't just post something online and say, "Here is the information." You post something and expect 20 people to comment on it. The church context it is still by and large one-way communication, but inevitably that dynamic is going to change--or need to change--in order to address the fact that people are expecting to engage.
How are you creating a two-way communication environment for engagement to happen?
YouVersion was initially created as a website that allowed users to take the conversations already taking place online--blog posts, photos, websites, pod casts, etc.--and associate any of those elements with a Bible verse. Then we realized that if Scripture is really going to be something we connect with in the way we live and function, it will have to be accessible through a mobile device.
YouVersion has now expanded into an online resource and a free mobile Bible application with over 5 million users. We have a feature called YouVersionLive that allows communicators and pastors speaking at live events to put content into a nice, easy-to-read format that works on a mobile device. Speakers using this see the benefit of two-way interaction in their church experience because it allows them to get feedback, and it makes the content they are communicating more interesting and engaging.
What are your goals in using technology in ministry?
Our goal is to use technology in a connecting way. The number one win for us at Church Online--our online website which offers multiple live worship experiences throughout the day--isn't to get someone to look at content, but to actually connect with someone and interact. . .
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Motherhood's Changing Demographics |
When serving women and families in their churches, pastors and church leaders are advised to consider the nation's changing demographic of motherhood. A new survey by Pew Research Center shows that first-time moms in 2008 were generally older than those in 1990, and an increasing share are unmarried, college educated, and Hispanic. In 1990, there were more births to teens than to women older than age 35, 13% and 9% respectively; in 2008, this rate reversed. . .
How Parenthood Affects Church Involvement |
While the largest segment (50%) of parents polled said that having children did not affect their church involvement, 37% of parents polled reported a positive change in their current activities. This data is from a nationwide study conducted by the Barna Group in partnership with Orange, a division of the reThink Group, which polled nearly. . .
Sandwich Generation Is Tightly Squeezed |
The number of Americans living in two-adult-generation households grew from 28 million in 1980 to 49 million in 2008, with 25% of Baby Boomers expecting to live with their parents again; and the recession has accelerated the trend. Supporting both parents and children takes a major emotional and financial toll, with the average yearly cost of supporting an aging parent at $5,534 and the average yearly cost of supporting adult children at $7,660. But 76% of those. . .
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| HerJourney Experience |
| This fall, WomenLeading will host a unique gathering called HerJourney--a two-day experience focused on women seeking what God has next and how to invest their time and talent for God's Kingdom. This will be the second gathering of its kind. For more information, contact Sherry Surratt, sherry.surratt@leadnet.org |
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