Technology or Ministry? at effective web ministry notes

Technology or Ministry?

filed under General by rob on 12Oct04 @ 1:26 pm EST

Back in March of 2003, a group of Silicon Valley technologists got together for a chat about technology and ministry. The root question: can technology be used for ministry?

You may see that question and think, “Of course! That’s why I’m reading this blog”. Some of you aren’t. And all of us need to continually pray and think about how we can use technology for ministry…and evangelize others not only for the Kingdom, but also for the use of technology for ministry.

Here’s a quote from this article called Make Technology Work for Your Church

Pastors say, “I’m going to get my ‘come and see’ Web site up.” And they do! They should celebrate that. They should then leave it alone. Once they have that, they’re at the 90 percent mark. If a pastor chooses to take the next step on the Web, then that would be significant.

The next step is getting the right help. I recommend hiring a marketing person before a technical person. The marketing person is important because they can help identify the mission and they understand the communication potential of the Internet.

The marketing person has to be the gatekeeper. That person, in turn, places an ad in the bulletin and finds technical help. These two people then meet to discuss the pastor’s vision. The head technical person will then bring the rest of the team on board.

Until the pastor is ready to find their marketing and technical team, they should just sit on the ‘come and see’ Web site.

Thanks to the eQuip blog for pointing me to the article.

3 Responses to “Technology or Ministry?”

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1 Frank on Oct 12th, 2004 said:

Aaargghhhh! Actually, I think when a church gets a “Come and see website” up and running they are at the 10% mark.

Seems to me that the question for churches today is not “can we get an attractive website up and running” (although many still don’t seem to even be asking that question!), but “what should we do with our attractive website once it is up and running?”

The issue for the church today (again, it seems to me and I could be all wet of course) is strategy. How can the website be effectively used to further the kingdom? For me, the question is even more focused - how can the church’s website be effectively used to reach the lost in a local geographic area?

Until the church is able to answer that question, I don’t think they are anywhere near the 90% mark.

Just my .02. By the way, Rob, I’m enjoying your blog very much!

Frank Johnson
2 rob on Oct 12th, 2004 said:

Thanks for the comment. For the record, I don’t necessarily think the 90% mark is accurate either. What I see is the point that it’s just one thing to get a site up. It’s another to have it be effective in ministry. To do so, more is involved than just “brochureware”. That’s what I read from it.

Thanks for your insight also.
3 Frank on Oct 14th, 2004 said:

Thanks Rob. You know, I’m probably just weary of reading what seem like copycat articles in magazines about how a church can get a website up and running so easily (often recommending a list of companies that provide templates and backend database services). But these articles never address the broader issue of how to use the website once it’s launched.

I will give this article credit for at least saying that there’s more to be done after the launch (and they even recommended a marketing emphasis rather than a technical emphasis!).

I guess I didn’t like the 90% reference because I think it plays into what most churches are already thinking - once a brochureware site is up, the job is pretty much finished and there’s not much important left to be done. The interviewees may not think that (I at least know Walt Wilson doesn’t think that way!), but the reference to 90% just has a connotation I don’t like.

I’m probably splitting hairs in my current state of grumpiness, though. (grin)