Are we communicating and speaking the same language on a day to day basis to the people we meet? A good starting point for thinking about spreading the gospel. With a friend a few years ago we stared to have a coffee and share about how to operate an iPaq. From this evolved a Churches Together computer group which continues to help people .
COMMUNICATING
A Computer and Phone IT group has been meeting in our church cafe weekly for 4 weeks. Meeting together to try and keep up to date learn from each other about laptops, computers, phones and tablets,. People are interested who don’t understand this new technology, but want to learn at their own pace .
THE CHALLENGE
We are looking at learning more about internet shopping, Face Book, Twitter, Anti- virus, Blogs, down loading a bible App. and other areas suggested by the group. With a personal touch, we learn more allowing us to communicate better with family, friends ,missionaries and other areas in our lives. Allowing us to reach out with God’s love, with a Christ like vision. to serve the people we come in contact with
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Passing on a vision and keeping things fresh in a joyful way is not easy. As with modern technology and spreading the gospel we need confidence to pass on. We have found the best way and learning and helping each other is on a one to one basis. A challenge to do this is by developing Christian lead groups on church premises such as a café with Wi-Fi, art classes, photography groups, cell groups, etc. running in parallel with the secular keep fit, music groups etc. Out of something new and challenging one of the fruits will be if it brings new people into the ‘church’ ?
Interesting article David. I started a similar group at St Peter’s Harrogate last May. Virtually all older people attending. Started by doing presentation style, but now have got a small group of volunteers together and the 1-2-1 model seems to work best, as people at different levels of use and understanding.
Biggest problem is people not using it between our fortnightly meetings and forgetting what to do!
We’re wondering about making a laptop available in church whenever the office is open (working hours Mon-Fri) so people can just come in and use it.
I also run social media surgeries. These are not in church, but the local CVS offices or other community facilities. These are to help people in the voluntary sector who want to use social media to understand what’s available; find out what they are wanting to do; who their audience(s) is/are and show them ways of using social medial do this. It’s a mix of marketing theory and social media. Could be another good model for the Church to use locally.
Thanks for the encouragement.
You church group sounds very similar to ours.
Yes it is a major problem of people taking it in.
To try and help with this I am compiling a brief weekly news sheet as a reminder of dates and what has happening. Also I an trying to meet weekly . The group mentioned is at Northallerton and I am still touch with them. Also similar to you we network with the local Volunteer office.
Kind Regards Dave