Mark spoke in the opening session of MinistryCOM. “We need lots of different kinds of churches because there are lots of different kinds of people.”
Mark’s passion is redeeming emerging technology for use in building the Kingdom. He started by sharing E-mails from folks all around the world, thanking NCC for their podcast. The E-mails were a powerful testimony to the value of podcasting and other technology.
“If it’s worth preaching, it’s worth podcasting. If it’s worth preaching, it’s worth blogging.” Mark’s core conviction: “There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet.” The availability of new technology causes us to rethink evangelism, discipleship, preaching. The message is sacred. The medium is not!
Our job as leaders is not to get people to embrace technology. Our job is to help people know how to think about technology so we can redeem it and use it for God’s purposes. That requires us to be tuned into culture, and willing to embrace change.
Mark says most pastors get A’s or B’s in biblical exegesis, but C’s or D’s in cultural exegesis. At NCC they believe irrelevance is irreverence. It’s not just a neat slogan that Mark uses. He pointed out that God is “omni-relevant.” He numbers the hairs on our heads. Kids who grow up in church drop out of church at a rate of 86 percent when they hit college! If there was something relevant at church, that rate would not be as high.
Blogs, podcasts, E-mail are simply new distribution channels. We are in the same position as the church was when Guttenburg invented movable type. Martin Luther said printing was “God’s highest and extremist act of grace whereby the Gospel is driven forward.” The reformation was driven forward on the strength of the printing press. God will use digital media in the same way, if we will let him!
Mark wrapped up with a nice reference to John Wesley and field preaching. Podcasting, he says is field preaching. Podcasting is circuit riding at the speed of light!
Mark wrapped up with ten ways to use technology, and why you need to use it… except he only had eight!
1. Encourage staff members to blog. It helps to bridge divide between clergy and laity.
2. Launch a podcast. Top of the list!
3. Hire a digital pastor or media pastor, if you can. Staff for these priorities!
4. Create trailers for sermon series. Post on the web. It’s a product sample. Far easier to get someone to the website, than to get them to church. The trailer is a product sample.
5. Shoot on location videos.
6. Do “word of mouse” marketing. Send E-vites to folks.
7. Start an INTERNAL podcast. Use it for training of small group or other leaders. Use it as another touch point with your core group.
8. Redesign your website ALL THE TIME. It’s the portal! It’s the front door. If they visit the web site and it’s good, the WILL visit you!
Great presentation. Worth the price of the conference and plane ticket, and we still have a day and a half to go. Thanks Mark!
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