Social Media Generation Trends

What responsibilities does the church have in relation to technology and reaching the current and next generations?

I know this chart is difficult to read-basically the younger one is the more life happens online. From education to entertainment, from announcements to authentic community and transparent communication, younger generations live online. Facebook, Twitter and other social media communities are not only providing community and interaction they are shaping relationships and defining how and what community is within our digital era.
While it’s true, older generations do interact with the internet, we are seeing trends showing the internet morph into a social community. Email is no longer the young person’s tool.

It’s true: email is for old people – at least it is now. Today, 74% of internet users age 64 and older send and receive email, making it the most popular activity in this group. Meanwhile, email usage among teens is dropping. In 2004, 89% of teens said they used email. Now that number is 73%(Sarah Perez).

Younger generations connect via text messaging, quicker than email. They Facebook, less intrusive and time-consuming than face to face. They Twitter for exponential connection.

Again, what must the church do to engage this generation and culture? watch this video before commenting

 

Super Bowl DVD Devotional

Sunday night I saw a tweet from Lee Fields talking about doing a devotional DVD for halftime of the Super Bowl. Well, we threw something together. Check it out:

Watch here

 

Church of Technology?

How much technology is too much? Is this a viable question?

When does God get planned out of the equation in our services? I understand the argument of planning and God blessing it. Perry Noble recently commented that God messed him up and changed the sermon on the spot. Do we give God the right to change our preplanned worship experiences? Are we able to close our notes mid-sermon and signal to the techies that we are not needing the videos and let God lead us into a dialogue to heal the broken hearted and open altars for prayer mid-sermon or mid-worship and not even preach?

Craig Groeschel mentioned that he went off script under prompting of the Holy Spirit. How do you yield to the Spirit of God and utilize technology to the fullest?

for more of the numbers behind the thoughts check out here
I am looking forward to the dialogue.

 

Internet Opportunities

Click here for amazing stats on the growth of the internet. (Al Gore must be really proud!)

Think about the implications for the Church.

What could be done?

What should be done?

What must be done, in relation to the Church’s use of the internet?