Frank's Blog

Leveraging Technology to Support Community

My buddy Jon Stolpe blogged through this breakout by led by Cynthia Ware:

- Technology is normative.
- The next generation is thinking about communication differently than my generation.
- http://thedigitalsanctuary.org
- Views every church as multi-site: bricks and mortar - clicks on the web.
- Many churches are starting Internet campuses.
- Every one of us has a sphere of influence surrounding our lives. Those spheres are migrating on-line.
- Communication is changing (Radio, Film, Newspapers, and TV) from single/few options to many, many options. From few to many to many to many.
- New communication is a circle. We want conversation. People want to converse; they don't want to be lectured. People want to be part of a conversation. Back and forth communication is expected and necessary to move discipleship forward.
- Communication is changing: interactive, participatory, mobile, viral, wireless, transparent, viral, user generated, many to many, digital, free...
- Culture is changing: flattening economies, global, transparent, wisdom of crowds, mobile, crowd sourcing, in sourcing, viral, digital, post-modern, connected...
- Community is changing: relationship economy, glocal, in common, viral, mutual respect, micro-community, shared trust, shared values, electronic, Internet mediated, interest based, unboundaried, participatory, virtual...
- Christianity is spread virally.
- Digital communication (back and forth) allows people to feel connected not only to each other but to leadership.
- Church is changing: socially committed, missional, multi-ethnic, multi-site, iCampus, cell-driven, authentic community, transparent leadership, eco-aware...
- I could be an iPastor. (Whoa!)
- Not using technology is missing an opportunity.
- As stewards of Christ, we have a responsibility to redeem technology by getting involved on things like mySpace, etc.
- We are going to be buying "green" everything in the next 10 years. Why do we produce the church bulletin? Because we haven't put it on line and because we haven't stopped producing it (on paper).
- We need to be active aggressive learners.
- Not a lot of true discipleship can take place in a large crowd listening to a speaker.
- Leadership is changing: decentralized, interactive, participatory, life streaming, flattening, responsive, fluid, transparent, listening, engaging...
- Cells are changing: Or are they?
- I want to develop a more missional mindset to my spheres of influence. We are called to go and make disciples.
- I Chronicles 12:32 - "The men from Issachar understood what was going on at that time. They knew what Israel should do."
- We should use an Exodus 18 model. Exodus 18:17-24. Ministry to a person is not based on facts; it's based on truth.
- We've migrated. Many of us spend time online daily. The reality is that the sooner we adopt and adapt, the sooner we can be the influencers.
- If you start an online group for something you are passionate...you will be starting community.
- The point of all this communication is to create intimacy and connection with people.
- Check out: Kindle (online prayer), YouVersion (online Bible), Unifyer (online Community Hub).

- Some people to look up on the subject: Dave Anthold, Greg Atkinson, DJ Chuang, Tony Steward, Gene Wyrrick, The WareHouse.
- Look into reading Tribe.

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I had a great discussion this morning with Bill Search (author of Simple Small Groups) and Chad Allen (from Baker Books). We talked about a variety of issues around community and group life.

How open should groups be? We landed around empowering leaders to make decisions for our groups. Intimacy can be disrupted in group life and the timing of a new addition can have a big impact on spiritual growth. However, certain groups lend themselves to new additions. For example, Bill shared how his couples group can handle a new family at any moment. Intimacy is there but guys and gals don't share their deepest darkest secrets as quickly in a environment with the opposite sex.

Click here to buy the book

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Mark Batterson and Heather Zemple - Where Community Grow Best

I was lucky enough to connect with Heather on a panel we shared at the pre-conference session on community and social media. She is really as bright at Mark shared in the beginning of the talk.

Here are some points from their discussion:

- Don't confuse the outcome with the method

- There are a number of different ways to accomplish community

- EVERYTHING is an experiment (core value of National Community Church)

- We have to keep dreaming as leaders

- Use right brain imagination and left brain logic together

- Every small group should be viewed as a discipleship experiment (that gives you freedom to fail and not be afraid to try new things)

Ideas they tried at NCC:

- They use a tri-semester system 3 semesters for 8-12 weeks

- Have flexibility with your system so you can let other leaders who are resistent

- check out http://www.zonegathering.com/

- NCC's leadership small group blog - Mark Batterson's Blog - http://www.evotional.com/

- Shout out to twitter: Here is mine - www.twitter.com/chiapperino

- Bad experiment: Rock Band video game fundraiser - check the lyrics!!!

Maturity Does Not Equal Conformity

- Here is Heather's Blog on this one, I am not even going to attempt to explain what she does best. Click here to read her post.

- empower your leaders to lead, maturity does not mean conformity, let people try new things!!!

- Think about small groups as a free market system, expect your leaders to get a vision from God and GO FOR IT!

- Oswald Chambers: Let God be as original with others, as he was with you. Expect the Unexpected

- When a routine becomes routine, CHANGE IT

- Change of place = change of pace = change of perspective

- Jesus consistently change it up on his disciples. Heals on the sabbath, walks on water, throws down in the temple. A good leader has a good curve ball. Jesus had good curve balls.

- Unexpectedly appreciate your leaders by surprising them

We Need A Culture of Grace and Truth

- Truth: People want to hear it like it is

- Grace: love people when they least expect it and when they don't deserve it

- People need grace and truth

I gotta visit NCC at some point.

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