That title is probably misleading but if it grabbed your attention for the moment, it did what I intended. Technology is a big part of individual lives. We hold the cell phone to our ear while reading the GPS to find the local Net Cafe so we can check our email that is not connected to our Blackberry. So what is the implication for the church?
First, this blog has gone past the 380th post mark. That is an incredible statement because we have only been around since March. Granted, we are a group effort so we post more frequently than most however, we are a group of Christian educators. We live busy lives with busy jobs and little time to “play” on the internet with such tools as blogs. Yet, here we are, making our statements and reaching out to the world in a new and exciting way. Our group of educators can now continue discussions we started months ago but could not complete in our monthly gathering. We can continue to socialize albeit in a new manner and we can develop new relationships with our faithful readers.
This has implications for Christian education work. If you are searching for help, we post by category so with a simple click, you get the information you are after. Maybe you disagree, so we allow you to take us to task in the comment area. Maybe you have a different way, again you share through your comments. Educators talking with educators who would never meet under normal circumstances. I think the implications are clear but I will let you draw some of your own.
Second implication is for the local congregation. How do educators think and put lessons together? We share that information free of charge in our posts. A teacher needs some extra information on a particular point in her lesson, she can turn to our archives. For daily assistance or inspiration, anyone can connect through an RSS reader and know instantly when we update the site. Again, the implications for lay leaders is incredible and empowering.
A third implication for Church 2.0 is the ability to connect the body together in a new fluid way. We have a “blog roll” and “Links” list to the right of this post which connects the reader to people we are learning from and resources we rely on. No longer do you need to know someone who knows someone who can connect you. Simply click on a trusted, vetted source and you are there but once there your journey is just beginning.
The first incarnation of the World Wide Web was a static, read-only environment. You had trouble finding the information you were looking for and when you found it, you could print it out or save the link for later. Now, when you arrive at a site like ours, you become part of the site. You can interact with the content, argue with content, agree with content or simply absorb the content but the information is no longer static, it is dynamic. This change has been dubbed Web 2.0 so I ripped that off and changed it to Church 2.0.
How can technology open the church doors wide, sharing information, resources and ideas? How can technology assist the church in becoming an interactive, dynamic environment where relationships blossom, information is exchanged and ideas are debated instead of argued? What is the role of Web 2.0 in Church 2.0 and are we ready to take that leap?
This post has no end. The implications are too vast to imagine in a blog post. Technology brought us together for this post. You engaged with me if only for a moment. I might have upset, caused you to think, or made you laugh but I was able to connect for that brief moment. I am better because of it. I have grown because you made me think. Now I get to reflect on your thoughts that you leave about this post. Our conversation does not have to end.
Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for your comments. This was a dream a few months ago and it is now growing beyond my wildest imagination. People from all over the world stop by our doorstep if only to listen in for a moment. We invite you to stay and chat awhile with us about being the presence of Christ in a virtual world. Challenge us. Argue with us. Most importantly, engage us!
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