JON ALLEN

With the debut of our most recent reinvention of the High Rock website and the accompanying changes to the blogs; I have been pondering the effect of technology on ministry. As time has passed, we have sought ways that we can streamline our web solutions and make them more efficient. That is the main reason we made the latest advancement in the website. The previous version was slick, but it was designed by an amateur architect (yours truly) which made it visually appealing and structurally cumbersome. It was difficult to update, maintain and alter. Not only that, but I was the only one who could make changes. That is simply not a good use of our resources or time. The new site will allow anyone with access to make changes or updates. Really the whole goal of the technology we utilize is to make information easily available and deployable in an efficient manner. So what technology do we use and what effect does it have on our ministry and communication?

· Website: Believe it or not, most people that I talk to say they found our church through one of two avenues… personal invitation and the website. It has become the primary means of discovery for people moving to a new area, replacing the Yellow Pages as people’s go-to source of information. It is crucial that our site be attractive, easy to navigate, and informational. You could say I am obsessed with comparing our site to other churches’. Not because I am competitive (yeah right), but because I want ours to be as perfect as it can possibly be. For information on the company that helped design our site, go to http://www.cloversites.com/.

· Blogs: Truth is, if you asked most people in our church what a Blog is, they would probably think it is a big swampy area somewhere in the woods! Of course I know that you are savvier than that because you are reading this right now. Blogs are actually a excellent tool for communicating thoughts on the web. Blog is short for Weblog which is simply an online journal. These tools give a great opportunity for Pastors to share their passions, lessons, and general musings with their church and the world. It allows leaders to communicate every day of the week without being limited to 30 minutes on the weekend. As a staff we also subscribe to many other pastor’s blogs. It helps keep us up-to-date on what is going on the ministry world and provides us with ideas from pastors who are much smarter than us! For information on the company that hosts our blogs, go to http://www.blogger.com/.

· Email: This is no big surprise to anyone, and it isn’t really new, but the great advantage it gives to ministry is that it provides one more avenue for people to contact the pastors and know that the message will be waiting on them. One of the upsides we have seen over the years is that sometimes it is good to have things in writing… enough said. Not to mention the fact that email was part of God’s plan for Ray’s absence. Probably the greatest disadvantage that email carries with it is that it does not carry emotion or tone. Words meant one way can be taken another and misinterpretations are common. Definitely not the best way to communicate, but still effective for what it’s worth.

· Facebook: This is a train we have just recently jumped on and it has been very effective! It is a great way to communicate and keep tabs on friends and church members. You can watch people’s “status” send notes, instant message, post pictures/videos, create groups, invite people to events, etc. It is very effective networking tool. For more information, or to sign up, go to http://www.facebook.com/.

· Twitter: Again, several staff members have just started using this service. Basically it updates people on your current status and people can track it… i.e.: “Going to work”, “Feeding JD”, “Eating chicken wings”. If you want more information on “Tweeting” go to http://www.twitter.com/.

· Mobile Devices: I just got a Blackberry Curve, which several other staff members have as well. I have found it to be a great tool because I can check email, facebook, text messages, and phone calls all from one place. I don’t even need to turn on my computer when I get home now, it all goes to the BB. It has certainly made things easier, but it also comes with what I consider to be the curse of all cell phones. Although people can always get a hold of you when you have a cell phone, PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS GET A HOLD OF YOU WHEN YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE! There is absolutely no privacy anymore. Many people expect pastors to be on call 100% of the time. Makes sense then that most pastors end up getting burnt out! With the increase of technology has come the decrease in people’s awareness and respect for boundaries. But that is a topic for another blog… I think I have said enough…

That’s it for now, another random ranting. I am hoping to start blogging in series’. I have noticed that many other pastors do that as well. It should help me come up with ideas and remain consistent in my posting. Besides, what good is efficient technology if it isn’t used!?