Smarter Sheep

Terry Storch kicked off my morning with a session on Maximizing our Outreach. Terry is such a forward thinker. i was really inspired by some of the things he had to say regarding using technology to spread the Gospel message. Here’s some of my notes from the session.

Reach = verb, to succeed in making contact with, influencing, impressing, interesting, convincing, etc.

Leveraging technology for Jesus
1.1 Billion people online.

First time visitor is really the person who hit your website.
What are we delivering to them that someone who hits the website regularly?

Fortune magazine labeled 2007 the year of online video.
•    Google / youtube
•    Myspace
•    AplleTV
•    Ps3, wii xbox 360, mediacenter
•    Nbc, cbs, abc, fox
•    Brightcove / 2008 presidential election
•    Juiced.com

It’s not about a building anymore… how are we going to leverage technology?

Why now?
•    Technology is better than it has ever been:
o    High speed connections
o    Simple tools
o    AppleTV etc.
•    Users:
o    Can still stay connected even when not there
o    Empowered with user personalization
•    Content:
o    User driven
o    Custom quality

How?
•    Traditional
o    Podcasting
o    Video Podcast
o    Streaming content
•    Non-Traditional
o    Gaming devices – xbox 360, Wii, PS3 etc.
o    Vista, Media Center
o    Personalized streaming content
o    Emerging IPTV offerings
o    Personalize streaming media content

What’s next?
IPTV
Immersive environments!

Web 1.0 fat, slow, static
Web 2.0 clean, fast, dynamic
Web 3.0 Clean, fast, dynamic, immersive

Now is the time!
Reach is no longer an opportunity or an option but now a requirement.
World population is exploding.

Do anything short of sin to get the word about Jesus out.
Leverage volunteers before and after weekend experiences etc.

Tony Morgan
NewSpring Church
Chief Strategic Officer
Blog: tonymorganlive.com

Originally from Grainger church.
Gcwired.com – wired churches

Never think that you have really arrived
Leaning on God an praying daily that He will bring you people to help you reach your vision and run the ministry.

10 Stupid Technology Mistakes that Churches Make
•    1. Letting technology drive the ministry rather than letting ministry drive the technology.
o    Focus first on the vision
o    What will it take to get there?
•    2.  Assuming everyone thinks like a techie
o    Non-techie people aren’t trying to cause you trouble, they just don’t think like you
o    Non-techie people need your patience and understanding
•    3. Using multiple databases
•    4. Not building a team
o    Takes a champion
o    Building a super-team that represents the entire ministry will help get you the buy in from the entire ministry
o    Treat technology like we do the other ministries in the church
•    5. Not documenting processes
o    People move, go on vacation, get sick, wig out and leave the church.
o    It’s important for both the people doing the process as well as the people doing it while they are unavailable
•    6. Implementing technology solutions without considering the strategic systems
o    We need the right people, the right technology and the right strategy
o    If we aren’t strategic then we will tie peoples hands and frustrate them
o    How do we translate the tools so they work for the different groups that are ministering
o    Should make the church smaller
o    Should make decision making easier for people in church
o    Should make the technology seem invisible to those using it
o    Should be wowed by the experience rather than the technology
•    7. Creating solutions to capture data but neglecting the solutions to report data
o    Good information is important to leaders
o    Numbers are important, God is into numbers
•    8. Focusing on development and implementation without creating systems for training and support
o    Need to think internally about how we are preparing our teams to use what we are doing
•    9. Hiring the best geek rather than the best leader… that knows geeky stuff
o    Hire people with towering leadership gifts and also interest in the areas that you need and then let those people lead a team in their area.
•    10. Not making technology a priority to reach today’s culture
o    73% of all Americans are internet users
o    71% of ages 50-64 use the internet
o    88% of teens use the internet
o    96% of homes in bigger cities have broadband connections to the internet
o    Technology is the new language of our culture
o    The church helped lead the way with technology in the use fo the printing press to share the gospel.
o    The church has the opportunity to make the name of Christ famous using our new technology.
o    We live in a day that we will become ineffective if we do not use technology to reach the world for Jesus Christ