Tim Schmoyer is a youth minister in Minnesota who has a great handle on technology as it relates to ministry. He has a post today on using technology in ministry:
Sometimes using a new technology tool in ministry feels somewhat forced at first — like we feel a need to make this tool useful somehow, but the round peg just doesn’t seem to fit in the square hole. Using technology in ministry for the sake of using technology is the wrong perspective. We use technology not to feel cool or current, but to advance the Kingdom, and if it’s not doing that, then don’t waste your time on it. It’s better to let the technology evolve, use it for personal use so you grow to understand it while keeping the ministry implications tucked away in your mind until it becomes the most obvious tool for something related to ministry.
Here's the key he gives: we need to view technology as a tool. This is a good reminder for me, because I am somewhat suspicious of electronic media in general. Technology, especially social networking, will continue to evolve, and we not only need to be mindful of how we can harness such technology for the good of the Kingdom, but we also need to be discerning as well. For instance, videos can be powerful illustrations in a "talk" or sermon, but sometimes we need to help students learn how to process God's Word in other ways besides video, because it will be better for them in the long run.
