1 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,670 Hello, I'm Matthew Bergholt, a roster 2 00:00:08,670 --> 00:00:10,410 educator currently serving as the 3 00:00:10,410 --> 00:00:12,310 Continuous Improvement Specialist at the 4 00:00:12,310 --> 00:00:14,650 Lutheran Church Extension Fund. In my 5 00:00:14,650 --> 00:00:16,650 role, I am responsible for leading process 6 00:00:16,650 --> 00:00:18,420 innovation and continuous improvement 7 00:00:18,420 --> 00:00:20,850 initiatives while being a leader of change 8 00:00:20,850 --> 00:00:23,160 throughout the organization. Additionally, 9 00:00:23,190 --> 00:00:25,220 I am currently engaged in coursework at 10 00:00:25,220 --> 00:00:27,460 Concordia University of Wisconsin toward 11 00:00:27,460 --> 00:00:29,960 the completion of an EdD in Leadership in 12 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:31,730 Innovation and Continuous Improvement, 13 00:00:32,130 --> 00:00:34,870 focusing on servant leadership and change 14 00:00:34,870 --> 00:00:37,700 in the church. Taken together, both my 15 00:00:37,700 --> 00:00:39,410 current role and my academic activities 16 00:00:39,410 --> 00:00:41,810 have created an opportunity for me to 17 00:00:41,810 --> 00:00:43,740 explore how the changing landscape of 18 00:00:43,740 --> 00:00:46,610 technology availability and use provides 19 00:00:46,610 --> 00:00:48,510 both an amazing opportunity for the church 20 00:00:48,510 --> 00:00:50,650 to engage with an engaged and connected 21 00:00:50,650 --> 00:00:52,790 society, as well as presenting the 22 00:00:52,790 --> 00:00:55,090 challenge of discerning how best to do so 23 00:00:55,090 --> 00:00:57,820 within our Lutheran Christian context and 24 00:00:57,820 --> 00:00:59,590 with limited organizational resources, 25 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,290 hence the promise and peril of technology 26 00:01:02,290 --> 00:01:06,070 use in the church. To be most effective in 27 00:01:06,070 --> 00:01:08,330 such a discernment of technology use in 28 00:01:08,330 --> 00:01:10,200 the church, there are specific questions 29 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,700 we must ask, helpful frameworks to apply, 30 00:01:13,010 --> 00:01:15,340 and best practices to follow. That's 31 00:01:15,340 --> 00:01:17,010 exactly what we're here to explore today. 32 00:01:17,540 --> 00:01:19,180 We will spend a considerable amount of 33 00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:21,850 time looking at the why behind technology 34 00:01:21,850 --> 00:01:24,150 implementation in our ministries, work 35 00:01:24,150 --> 00:01:25,950 through a framework on how to implement a 36 00:01:25,950 --> 00:01:28,550 selected technology, and then review a few 37 00:01:28,550 --> 00:01:30,720 specific current technologies as case 38 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,390 studies around the why technology can be 39 00:01:33,390 --> 00:01:35,090 leveraged within our existing ministries. 40 00:01:35,930 --> 00:01:38,630 But before we get ahead of ourselves, I 41 00:01:38,630 --> 00:01:40,230 want to start with a story about 42 00:01:40,230 --> 00:01:43,100 technology in ministry. The four images 43 00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:44,970 you see here represent the four ministries 44 00:01:44,970 --> 00:01:46,640 to which I have been called over the 45 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,140 course of my career. The first is Trinity 46 00:01:50,140 --> 00:01:52,240 Lutheran Church and School in Orlando, 47 00:01:52,510 --> 00:01:55,210 Florida. Located right downtown Orlando, 48 00:01:55,750 --> 00:01:57,550 the church and school, now just the church 49 00:01:57,550 --> 00:01:59,590 and thriving early childhood center, were 50 00:01:59,590 --> 00:02:02,020 relatively small ministries serving a 51 00:02:02,020 --> 00:02:04,790 diverse population of urban dwellers and 52 00:02:04,790 --> 00:02:06,360 school parents who worked downtown during 53 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,490 the week. In both the church and the 54 00:02:08,490 --> 00:02:10,130 school, technology use was centered around 55 00:02:10,130 --> 00:02:12,700 existing ministry enhancement. In the 56 00:02:12,700 --> 00:02:14,830 school, this leveraged student devices, 57 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:16,940 information and communication systems to 58 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:19,070 connect students, teachers, and parents 59 00:02:19,070 --> 00:02:21,270 with the necessary information for the 60 00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:24,110 continuance of an educational program. On 61 00:02:24,110 --> 00:02:25,480 the church side, this was sound 62 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,710 amplification and video projection and 63 00:02:27,710 --> 00:02:30,050 enlargement technology, serving the audio 64 00:02:30,050 --> 00:02:31,580 and video needs of a congregation 65 00:02:31,580 --> 00:02:34,150 worshiping in a beautiful sanctuary, but 66 00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:36,590 one which was challenged participants to 67 00:02:36,590 --> 00:02:38,590 be fully engaged due to sightline and 68 00:02:38,590 --> 00:02:41,990 space limitations. The second is St. 69 00:02:42,130 --> 00:02:43,430 Luke's Lutheran Church and School in 70 00:02:43,430 --> 00:02:45,960 Oviedo, Florida. One of the largest church 71 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:47,870 and school ministries within the Synod, 72 00:02:48,670 --> 00:02:51,070 St. Luke's large constituency requires a 73 00:02:51,070 --> 00:02:53,170 much different utilization of technology. 74 00:02:54,010 --> 00:02:55,640 On the school side, the use of technology 75 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:57,540 was similar to that which I experienced at 76 00:02:57,540 --> 00:02:59,810 Trinity, but on a much larger and more 77 00:02:59,810 --> 00:03:02,250 integrated scale. Further, additional 78 00:03:02,250 --> 00:03:04,720 resources allowed to be more focused in 79 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:06,350 application through robotics programs, 80 00:03:06,590 --> 00:03:08,820 STEM labs, and maker spaces. Regardless, 81 00:03:09,050 --> 00:03:10,990 all the technology was still focused on 82 00:03:10,990 --> 00:03:13,060 enhancing student learning and engaging 83 00:03:13,060 --> 00:03:14,730 parents in the development and faith 84 00:03:14,730 --> 00:03:16,560 formation which their students were 85 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,770 experiencing on a daily basis. However, 86 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,730 the church ministry presented a very 87 00:03:21,730 --> 00:03:24,000 unique and challenging opportunity to 88 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,670 leverage technology to further the 89 00:03:25,670 --> 00:03:28,370 church's mission and impact. For those of 90 00:03:28,370 --> 00:03:30,740 you who are unaware, adjacent to St. 91 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,340 Luke's Lutheran Church and School is a 92 00:03:32,340 --> 00:03:34,150 large Lutheran retirement community known 93 00:03:34,150 --> 00:03:37,180 as Lutheran Haven. This facility provides 94 00:03:37,180 --> 00:03:39,380 independent residential assisted memory 95 00:03:39,380 --> 00:03:41,850 care and rehabilitation services to over 96 00:03:41,850 --> 00:03:45,290 300 Lutherans. However, despite their best 97 00:03:45,290 --> 00:03:47,190 efforts and intentions, many of these 98 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:49,030 individuals may be challenged to 99 00:03:49,030 --> 00:03:51,530 physically attend worship. Thus, St. 100 00:03:51,630 --> 00:03:53,030 Luke's Lutheran Church has heavily 101 00:03:53,030 --> 00:03:55,070 invested in technology throughout the 102 00:03:55,070 --> 00:03:57,100 sanctuary, which enables the recording, 103 00:03:57,270 --> 00:03:59,170 streaming, and distribution of worship to 104 00:03:59,170 --> 00:04:02,670 those unable to be in attendance. This 105 00:04:02,670 --> 00:04:04,610 investment, paired with a robust online 106 00:04:04,610 --> 00:04:06,550 presence through both website and social 107 00:04:06,550 --> 00:04:08,810 media use, has enabled them to connect 108 00:04:08,810 --> 00:04:10,480 with and support the needs of their 109 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,850 community beyond their physical location. 110 00:04:14,220 --> 00:04:16,690 The third is most likely a building which 111 00:04:16,690 --> 00:04:18,920 many of you are familiar with and may have 112 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:20,760 even driven past on your way to the 113 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,660 symposium. For seven and a half years, I 114 00:04:23,660 --> 00:04:25,230 was blessed to serve at the LCMS 115 00:04:25,230 --> 00:04:26,930 International Center in St. Louis, 116 00:04:27,070 --> 00:04:29,130 Missouri, specifically in the school 117 00:04:29,130 --> 00:04:31,600 ministry department. My role was focused 118 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,710 on the development of resources for our 119 00:04:33,710 --> 00:04:36,210 Lutheran school system and the management 120 00:04:36,210 --> 00:04:38,080 of our online presence to support 121 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,150 educators and ministries throughout the 122 00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:43,250 Lutheran Church. Inherently, this required 123 00:04:43,250 --> 00:04:45,120 significant investments of time and 124 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,250 resources in the development of online 125 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:49,220 spaces for engagement, such as social 126 00:04:49,220 --> 00:04:52,020 media, as well as the skills necessary for 127 00:04:52,020 --> 00:04:54,090 website development and video production. 128 00:04:55,060 --> 00:04:56,930 Further, as is the case with many 129 00:04:56,930 --> 00:04:58,630 individuals who serve at the International 130 00:04:58,630 --> 00:05:00,730 Center, our work often required 131 00:05:00,730 --> 00:05:03,000 significant travel, necessitating the use 132 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,100 of technologies for connecting and working 133 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:07,270 regardless of where we were physically 134 00:05:07,270 --> 00:05:09,940 located. Additionally, with the 135 00:05:09,940 --> 00:05:11,410 International Center serving as the 136 00:05:11,410 --> 00:05:13,410 headquarters of the Lutheran Church, the 137 00:05:13,410 --> 00:05:15,250 utilization of business-centric 138 00:05:15,250 --> 00:05:17,650 technologies for accounting, audit, 139 00:05:18,180 --> 00:05:20,350 communications, grant distribution, and 140 00:05:20,350 --> 00:05:22,790 general management, among countless other 141 00:05:22,790 --> 00:05:25,120 functions, enabled the organization to 142 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,660 more effectively and efficiently serve in 143 00:05:27,660 --> 00:05:29,590 a leadership capacity in its service to 144 00:05:29,590 --> 00:05:33,630 the LCMS. Altogether, the utilization of 145 00:05:33,630 --> 00:05:35,470 technology allowed each unit and 146 00:05:35,470 --> 00:05:37,570 individual contributor to be effective in 147 00:05:37,570 --> 00:05:39,500 the accomplishment of the Synod's mission 148 00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:42,610 and objectives. The fourth and final 149 00:05:42,610 --> 00:05:44,440 ministry, and the one in which I currently 150 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,710 serve, is the Lutheran Church Extension 151 00:05:46,710 --> 00:05:50,850 Fund, colloquially known as LCEF. LCEF is 152 00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:53,090 focused on supporting the work of Lutheran 153 00:05:53,090 --> 00:05:54,620 Ministries through the leveraging of 154 00:05:54,620 --> 00:05:57,060 investments to offer affordable lending 155 00:05:57,060 --> 00:05:59,160 opportunities where needed throughout the 156 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,790 Church. Similar to the work taking place 157 00:06:02,790 --> 00:06:04,630 at the International Center, our work 158 00:06:04,630 --> 00:06:07,070 presents more similarly to society's view 159 00:06:07,070 --> 00:06:09,530 of a business, one which has operational, 160 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:11,970 accounting and finance, marketing, IT, 161 00:06:12,570 --> 00:06:14,270 project management, and human resource 162 00:06:14,270 --> 00:06:16,740 functions. As an organization which 163 00:06:16,740 --> 00:06:18,310 supports ministries and individuals 164 00:06:18,310 --> 00:06:22,850 throughout the world, it 165 00:06:22,850 --> 00:06:25,850 is competitive and provides investors and 166 00:06:25,850 --> 00:06:27,950 borrowers alike with the best possible 167 00:06:27,950 --> 00:06:30,920 experience and support. Whether that's 168 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,090 through the internal use of Salesforce to 169 00:06:33,090 --> 00:06:34,830 aggregate and surface all of our 170 00:06:34,830 --> 00:06:36,800 constituent data, or through online 171 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,560 programs and mobile apps such as My 172 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,430 Account, which allows investors to access 173 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:43,000 their account at any time of the day, such 174 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:44,970 technologies serve to bring benefit in 175 00:06:44,970 --> 00:06:47,340 support of the Church's mission, albeit in 176 00:06:47,340 --> 00:06:49,470 what would appear to be a very non 177 00:06:49,470 --> 00:06:54,610 -traditional ministry fashion. So, why the 178 00:06:54,610 --> 00:06:57,550 long story? It hopefully has served to 179 00:06:57,550 --> 00:06:59,550 surface the most important highlight of 180 00:06:59,550 --> 00:07:01,890 today's exploration of technology use in 181 00:07:01,890 --> 00:07:06,390 the Church. That being, regardless of 182 00:07:06,390 --> 00:07:08,560 size, location, type, or impact, each 183 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,630 ministry will look very different in their 184 00:07:10,630 --> 00:07:12,830 utilization of technology in the 185 00:07:12,830 --> 00:07:15,570 furtherment of their ministry. Technology 186 00:07:15,570 --> 00:07:18,670 is not just social media, or AI, or insert 187 00:07:18,670 --> 00:07:21,170 current buzzword here. It's the tools 188 00:07:21,170 --> 00:07:23,310 necessary to increase the impact of a 189 00:07:23,310 --> 00:07:25,310 ministry and further the spread of the 190 00:07:25,310 --> 00:07:28,510 Gospel. That's it. So, what does this look 191 00:07:28,510 --> 00:07:30,480 like in your ministry, seeking to connect 192 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,120 with a society that is increasingly 193 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:33,820 connected and yet further apart from each 194 00:07:33,820 --> 00:07:36,390 other? Your answer will ultimately be 195 00:07:36,390 --> 00:07:39,320 unique to your specific ministry, and as 196 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,330 such you will need to discern both the why 197 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:43,560 and the how in your decision to leverage 198 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:48,670 technology to accomplish your mission. In 199 00:07:48,670 --> 00:07:50,940 order to determine if a technology is 200 00:07:50,940 --> 00:07:52,600 appropriate for use within your ministry 201 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,770 and develop a plan for successful 202 00:07:54,770 --> 00:07:57,140 implementation, it's always helpful to 203 00:07:57,140 --> 00:07:59,310 have a framework to follow through such a 204 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:03,320 process. As such, I am proposing six 205 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,480 specific steps when it comes to evaluating 206 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,620 and implementing a technology within your 207 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:10,390 ministry. Please note, these are general 208 00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:12,390 steps which should be customized for your 209 00:08:12,390 --> 00:08:14,690 specific situation and should serve as a 210 00:08:14,690 --> 00:08:17,500 model to help guide your thinking. So here 211 00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:19,100 are the six steps that we will investigate 212 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:20,670 further over the course of our time 213 00:08:20,670 --> 00:08:23,470 together. First, you must develop your 214 00:08:23,470 --> 00:08:25,940 why. Second, you have to conduct research 215 00:08:25,940 --> 00:08:28,310 into the specific technology. We will 216 00:08:28,310 --> 00:08:30,110 spend the most time looking at these first 217 00:08:30,110 --> 00:08:32,210 two steps as they are foundational to the 218 00:08:32,210 --> 00:08:35,180 remaining four. Third, you must identify 219 00:08:35,180 --> 00:08:37,150 how you will implement the technology in 220 00:08:37,150 --> 00:08:40,420 your ministry. Fourth, you need to select 221 00:08:40,420 --> 00:08:42,290 who will be involved and identify their 222 00:08:42,290 --> 00:08:44,590 responsibilities. Fifth, you have to 223 00:08:44,590 --> 00:08:46,930 educate everyone about the technology, its 224 00:08:46,930 --> 00:08:48,560 intended use, and the impact you are 225 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:51,230 desiring within your ministry setting. And 226 00:08:51,230 --> 00:08:52,830 finally, sixth, once your implementation 227 00:08:52,830 --> 00:08:55,270 is complete, you need to evaluate the 228 00:08:55,270 --> 00:08:57,300 process to determine if your selection and 229 00:08:57,300 --> 00:08:58,940 deployment of a technology in your 230 00:08:58,940 --> 00:09:01,240 ministry was effective, efficient, and 231 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,880 most importantly, accomplished your goals 232 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,310 for ministry impact. However, before you 233 00:09:07,310 --> 00:09:09,180 begin using this framework, it's important 234 00:09:09,180 --> 00:09:12,450 to remember a few best practices. One, 235 00:09:12,980 --> 00:09:14,590 throughout the process of evaluating a 236 00:09:14,590 --> 00:09:16,290 technology and developing a plan for 237 00:09:16,290 --> 00:09:18,520 implementation, do not do it alone. 238 00:09:19,020 --> 00:09:21,030 Despite whether you consider yourself an 239 00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:22,730 expert on the technology or if you 240 00:09:22,730 --> 00:09:24,160 ultimately have the authority and 241 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:25,700 responsibility to make the decisions 242 00:09:25,700 --> 00:09:28,130 around implementation, bringing others 243 00:09:28,130 --> 00:09:29,900 into the conversation will strengthen your 244 00:09:29,900 --> 00:09:32,000 process, broaden the knowledge base 245 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,310 impacting the project, and empower others 246 00:09:34,310 --> 00:09:36,470 to be a part of the change process once 247 00:09:36,470 --> 00:09:38,210 the decision to move forward has been 248 00:09:38,210 --> 00:09:40,780 made. Working with others is always more 249 00:09:40,780 --> 00:09:42,610 impactful than simply telling people what 250 00:09:42,610 --> 00:09:46,250 is going to happen. Two, regardless of how 251 00:09:46,250 --> 00:09:47,990 simple the technology and its 252 00:09:47,990 --> 00:09:50,860 implementation may seem, use the framework 253 00:09:50,860 --> 00:09:54,290 and write down a plan. Actually writing 254 00:09:54,290 --> 00:09:56,160 down your thoughts, ideas, and the overall 255 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,430 plan allows for two important actions to 256 00:09:58,430 --> 00:10:01,230 take place. One, writing down your plan 257 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:03,030 always produces better defined thoughts 258 00:10:03,030 --> 00:10:04,900 and forces you to have a specific 259 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:07,610 information instead of simply assuming 260 00:10:07,610 --> 00:10:10,140 knowledge. Two, a written plan allows for 261 00:10:10,140 --> 00:10:11,740 information and the plan itself to be 262 00:10:11,740 --> 00:10:14,210 shared with others to solicit their input 263 00:10:14,210 --> 00:10:16,310 and gain their support as well as to 264 00:10:16,310 --> 00:10:17,980 provide additional review and editing of 265 00:10:17,980 --> 00:10:20,550 the initial thoughts and ideas. Having it 266 00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:22,190 written down enables everyone in your 267 00:10:22,190 --> 00:10:23,990 ministry to be on the same page with the 268 00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:26,060 same information and empowered in the same 269 00:10:26,060 --> 00:10:28,490 way. As I always joke with my co-workers, 270 00:10:28,790 --> 00:10:30,700 if something's not written down, it does 271 00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:33,730 not exist. So be sure to make the time to 272 00:10:33,730 --> 00:10:35,330 write down your plan describing how the 273 00:10:35,330 --> 00:10:40,510 six steps will be addressed. So step one, 274 00:10:41,270 --> 00:10:44,440 develop your why. The why may be the 275 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,010 obvious place to start with an obvious 276 00:10:46,010 --> 00:10:47,950 answer in ministry, but it deserves 277 00:10:47,950 --> 00:10:50,950 attention as we begin. Also, sometimes 278 00:10:50,950 --> 00:10:52,480 developing your why may have some 279 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,120 surprising results. Let me begin with some 280 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,420 context and history about asking why. In 281 00:10:58,420 --> 00:11:00,560 the late 1930s, the Toyota Motor Company 282 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,190 developed an interrogative review process 283 00:11:03,190 --> 00:11:05,560 which sought to understand why new product 284 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:07,870 features or use cases would be beneficial 285 00:11:07,870 --> 00:11:10,340 to the organization. This review, which 286 00:11:10,340 --> 00:11:13,240 was popularized in the 1970s, is known as 287 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,110 the Five Whys technique and identifies the 288 00:11:16,110 --> 00:11:17,740 cause and effect relationships behind a 289 00:11:17,740 --> 00:11:20,210 specific problem or idea. It required 290 00:11:20,210 --> 00:11:22,850 workers to ask at least five why questions 291 00:11:22,850 --> 00:11:24,620 in an attempt to get to the root cause of 292 00:11:24,620 --> 00:11:26,450 the problem. Through this deep 293 00:11:26,450 --> 00:11:28,150 investigative process, the organization 294 00:11:28,150 --> 00:11:30,820 was able to avoid knee-jerk reactions and 295 00:11:30,820 --> 00:11:33,020 make informed decisions based on relevant 296 00:11:33,020 --> 00:11:34,790 data and not just conjecture or 297 00:11:34,790 --> 00:11:39,060 supposition. For us, our why may not 298 00:11:39,060 --> 00:11:41,870 require it to be asked so many times, but 299 00:11:41,870 --> 00:11:43,600 the structure such a process provides 300 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,370 forces us to intentionally review why we 301 00:11:46,370 --> 00:11:49,110 are making a decision. In our case, and in 302 00:11:49,110 --> 00:11:51,080 light of this presentation's title, our 303 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,040 why behind our choice to use technology in 304 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:54,650 our ministries could very well be focused 305 00:11:54,650 --> 00:11:56,820 on the general fact that society is 306 00:11:56,820 --> 00:11:58,450 consistently connected to technologies 307 00:11:58,450 --> 00:12:00,750 such as social media and subsequently more 308 00:12:00,750 --> 00:12:03,190 disconnected from those around them. More 309 00:12:03,190 --> 00:12:05,190 focused to our unique and individual 310 00:12:05,190 --> 00:12:07,760 Lutheran-Christian context, Jesus must be 311 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,690 at the center of our answer. Why use 312 00:12:09,690 --> 00:12:12,030 technology? Because it either directly 313 00:12:12,030 --> 00:12:14,330 points people to Christ, or it is 314 00:12:14,330 --> 00:12:15,930 assisting our ministry be more effective, 315 00:12:16,030 --> 00:12:18,240 efficient, and engaged in creating more 316 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,410 opportunities to achieve that goal. Too 317 00:12:21,410 --> 00:12:23,010 often congregations and ministries lose 318 00:12:23,010 --> 00:12:25,480 sight of exploring the why as part of a 319 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,850 process when seeking to implement or use a 320 00:12:27,850 --> 00:12:30,220 technology in their ministry. They either 321 00:12:30,220 --> 00:12:32,120 see other ministries engaging in the use 322 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,420 of technology and feel the need to keep up 323 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:36,720 with the Joneses, or they hear about a 324 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,490 flashing technology, system, or use case 325 00:12:39,490 --> 00:12:41,730 and immediately go about figuring out how 326 00:12:41,730 --> 00:12:44,960 to implement it into their ministry. In 327 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:46,730 doing so, they overlook the process of 328 00:12:46,730 --> 00:12:49,230 discerning the why. Why such a technology 329 00:12:49,230 --> 00:12:51,200 should be used in their ministry? Why and 330 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,870 perhaps how does this further our ability 331 00:12:53,870 --> 00:12:55,610 to spread the Gospel or engage with our 332 00:12:55,610 --> 00:12:58,140 constituents? Why now? Is there a benefit 333 00:12:58,140 --> 00:13:00,210 to utilizing such a technology now versus 334 00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:02,610 in two, six, or twelve months, or even 335 00:13:02,610 --> 00:13:05,320 never? What impact might this have on our 336 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:06,850 current staff, our mission, vision, 337 00:13:06,990 --> 00:13:08,650 values, or even our outward demonstration 338 00:13:08,650 --> 00:13:11,620 of Christ's love? The list of whys could 339 00:13:11,620 --> 00:13:13,960 go on forever, but these and others are 340 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,360 all questions which must be intentionally 341 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,800 asked and answered in order to adequately 342 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,300 discern if a specific technology has a 343 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:25,970 place in your ministry. Step 2, conducting 344 00:13:25,970 --> 00:13:28,410 research, often goes hand in hand with 345 00:13:28,410 --> 00:13:30,810 step 1 of developing the why behind 346 00:13:30,810 --> 00:13:32,910 choosing a technology to implement in your 347 00:13:32,910 --> 00:13:35,350 ministry. You will often find that 348 00:13:35,350 --> 00:13:37,550 elements of developing your why come from 349 00:13:37,550 --> 00:13:39,880 conducting research, and after conducting 350 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,450 research you may need to update the 351 00:13:41,450 --> 00:13:43,390 purpose you identified within your 352 00:13:43,390 --> 00:13:45,990 exploration of the why. Thus, while both 353 00:13:45,990 --> 00:13:48,090 steps are important, many times they are 354 00:13:48,090 --> 00:13:50,130 combined by leaders and ministries in 355 00:13:50,130 --> 00:13:51,960 their exploration and evaluation of a 356 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,270 potential technology they are seeking to 357 00:13:54,270 --> 00:13:58,070 implement. So research. Research takes 358 00:13:58,070 --> 00:14:00,240 many forms when it comes to technology. In 359 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,240 some cases, there is a considerable amount 360 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,310 of information available for ministries to 361 00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:06,240 learn from and apply to their specific 362 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,250 setting. In other cases, a technology may 363 00:14:09,250 --> 00:14:10,820 be newly developed or have limited 364 00:14:10,820 --> 00:14:12,350 previous application to a ministry 365 00:14:12,350 --> 00:14:14,590 setting, and as such have limited 366 00:14:14,590 --> 00:14:16,350 information for ministries to draw upon. 367 00:14:17,260 --> 00:14:19,420 Regardless of the case, researching the 368 00:14:19,420 --> 00:14:21,590 potential technology being considered for 369 00:14:21,590 --> 00:14:24,160 implementation is essential in learning 370 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,460 about the technology itself, its 371 00:14:26,460 --> 00:14:28,570 capabilities, the potential implications 372 00:14:28,570 --> 00:14:30,770 it may have on your ministry, use cases, 373 00:14:30,900 --> 00:14:33,170 best practices, and limitations others 374 00:14:33,170 --> 00:14:35,410 have found in their experiences. This 375 00:14:35,410 --> 00:14:37,340 provides a holistic understanding of the 376 00:14:37,340 --> 00:14:39,340 technology in question beyond simple 377 00:14:39,340 --> 00:14:41,550 conjecture or that which has been shared 378 00:14:41,550 --> 00:14:44,380 socially online or elsewhere. Such due 379 00:14:44,380 --> 00:14:46,380 diligence in research allows ministries to 380 00:14:46,380 --> 00:14:47,850 be confident in their decision to 381 00:14:47,850 --> 00:14:49,890 implement a technology and that it 382 00:14:49,890 --> 00:14:52,190 adequately fulfills the why identified 383 00:14:52,190 --> 00:14:54,090 previously as being impactful for 384 00:14:54,090 --> 00:14:56,460 ministry. As you are surely aware, 385 00:14:56,930 --> 00:14:58,630 research can be conducted in many and 386 00:14:58,630 --> 00:15:00,570 various ways, and each ministry will go 387 00:15:00,570 --> 00:15:03,200 about this in their own fashion. However, 388 00:15:03,270 --> 00:15:05,040 there are a few best practices when it 389 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:06,570 comes to researching technology, 390 00:15:07,340 --> 00:15:09,010 especially for use within a ministry 391 00:15:09,010 --> 00:15:12,110 setting. First, the obvious place to start 392 00:15:12,110 --> 00:15:14,010 is understanding the technology from any 393 00:15:14,010 --> 00:15:15,780 documentation provided by the provider. 394 00:15:16,180 --> 00:15:18,780 This can be through FAQs, implementation 395 00:15:18,780 --> 00:15:21,290 guides, how-to manuals, or any other of 396 00:15:21,290 --> 00:15:23,090 the many types of documentation available 397 00:15:23,090 --> 00:15:26,390 online. Second, reading through actual 398 00:15:26,390 --> 00:15:28,190 reviews by current or recent users 399 00:15:28,190 --> 00:15:30,130 provides insight into how the specific 400 00:15:30,130 --> 00:15:32,060 technology is viewed and used by others, 401 00:15:32,060 --> 00:15:34,700 and often surfaces both the positives and 402 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:36,870 negatives they have identified. These 403 00:15:36,870 --> 00:15:38,740 reviews can be found on project pages, 404 00:15:38,970 --> 00:15:41,310 discussion boards, or simply by adding the 405 00:15:41,310 --> 00:15:43,170 word REVIEW to the end of a search engine 406 00:15:43,170 --> 00:15:46,440 search and reviewing the results. Third, 407 00:15:46,580 --> 00:15:48,410 similar to adding the word REVIEW to an 408 00:15:48,410 --> 00:15:51,120 online search, adding CHURCH or MINISTRY 409 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,180 has the potential to surface results of 410 00:15:53,180 --> 00:15:55,050 how other ministries are using the 411 00:15:55,050 --> 00:15:57,360 identified technology in a specifically 412 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,220 ministry-focused fashion. Fourth and 413 00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:02,830 finally, reach out to or post in online 414 00:16:02,830 --> 00:16:04,630 discussion groups on Facebook or elsewhere 415 00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:06,530 that focus on technology use in the 416 00:16:06,530 --> 00:16:08,170 church. Groups such as Lutheran 417 00:16:08,170 --> 00:16:09,830 Communicators, Lutheran Ed, Church Media, 418 00:16:09,970 --> 00:16:12,700 and Tech, and countless others often have 419 00:16:12,700 --> 00:16:14,340 individuals who have experience with using 420 00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:15,670 and applying the technology you're 421 00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:17,910 researching in a specific church context. 422 00:16:18,540 --> 00:16:20,350 Ask questions and see what responses you 423 00:16:20,350 --> 00:16:23,550 get. In your research, it's important to 424 00:16:23,550 --> 00:16:25,580 note that the tools we use may not always 425 00:16:25,580 --> 00:16:27,750 come from Christian sources or represent 426 00:16:27,750 --> 00:16:29,190 the values which we hold within the 427 00:16:29,190 --> 00:16:31,920 church. However, this does not mean we are 428 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:33,660 not able to leverage them to continue 429 00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:35,490 spreading Christ's message to His people. 430 00:16:36,590 --> 00:16:38,460 Jesus most likely did not know whether or 431 00:16:38,460 --> 00:16:40,300 not the craftsmen who built the boats He 432 00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:42,530 used to travel around Galilee were 433 00:16:42,530 --> 00:16:44,670 disciples, yet He still used the 434 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:46,370 technology of the day to physically bring 435 00:16:46,370 --> 00:16:48,670 Himself and His message to an ever 436 00:16:48,670 --> 00:16:51,840 -widening population of followers. At the 437 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,210 same time, this does not mean that we 438 00:16:53,210 --> 00:16:55,210 should be ignorant of the technology we 439 00:16:55,210 --> 00:16:58,050 use. From a purely practical standpoint, 440 00:16:58,180 --> 00:16:59,780 there are security concerns and risks 441 00:16:59,780 --> 00:17:01,820 associated with the use of new and 442 00:17:01,820 --> 00:17:04,090 emerging technologies, especially in light 443 00:17:04,090 --> 00:17:06,320 of what information they collect, how they 444 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,560 use it, and to what extent you as an 445 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,330 individual are in control of your 446 00:17:10,330 --> 00:17:12,530 information and content. Understanding 447 00:17:12,530 --> 00:17:14,800 such challenges and limitations are a part 448 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:16,830 of effective research that may require 449 00:17:16,830 --> 00:17:18,970 additional reading through the countless 450 00:17:18,970 --> 00:17:21,010 pages of terms of service or legal 451 00:17:21,010 --> 00:17:24,110 documentation. This is that peril part of 452 00:17:24,110 --> 00:17:25,740 the technology used within the church and 453 00:17:25,740 --> 00:17:27,680 her ministries, and effective research 454 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,010 helps understand what perils exist and 455 00:17:30,010 --> 00:17:32,920 their potential impacts. One final item 456 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:34,890 for research, especially when working in 457 00:17:34,890 --> 00:17:36,690 conjunction with developing the why behind 458 00:17:36,690 --> 00:17:38,920 the use of a specific technology in a 459 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,960 ministry setting. If you'd like to spend 460 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,390 additional time digging deeper into the 461 00:17:43,390 --> 00:17:45,560 spiritual side of the use of technology in 462 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,730 a much more focused setting than we have 463 00:17:47,730 --> 00:17:50,000 time for in a presentation such as this, 464 00:17:50,570 --> 00:17:52,370 there are several recent texts which 465 00:17:52,370 --> 00:17:54,670 explore the spiritual impact of personal 466 00:17:54,670 --> 00:17:57,510 technology use. Three specific ones I 467 00:17:57,510 --> 00:17:59,210 would highlight are Trevor Sutton and 468 00:17:59,210 --> 00:18:02,180 Brian Smith's Redeeming Technology, which 469 00:18:02,180 --> 00:18:04,420 focuses on a Christian approach to healthy 470 00:18:04,420 --> 00:18:06,720 digital habits. Ben Bosch and Jack 471 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,120 Hollis's Faithfully Connected, which 472 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,060 identifies ways to integrate biblical 473 00:18:11,060 --> 00:18:12,460 principles in a digital world, 474 00:18:12,820 --> 00:18:15,090 specifically within the Lutheran education 475 00:18:15,090 --> 00:18:18,260 setting. And Bernard Bold's Digitized, 476 00:18:18,430 --> 00:18:20,060 which reviews the spiritual implications 477 00:18:20,060 --> 00:18:24,900 of technology. Okay, so you've decided to 478 00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:26,700 implement a technology into your ministry 479 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:29,010 in some way, shape, or form after 480 00:18:29,010 --> 00:18:31,240 developing your why and conducting an 481 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,310 appropriate amount of research. Step 482 00:18:33,310 --> 00:18:36,310 three, identifying the how, is where the 483 00:18:36,310 --> 00:18:39,050 actual implementation takes place. As much 484 00:18:39,050 --> 00:18:40,380 as I would like to provide you with a 485 00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:42,550 framework, model, or step-by-step guide of 486 00:18:42,550 --> 00:18:44,490 how to implement a technology into your 487 00:18:44,490 --> 00:18:47,590 ministry, I can't. Let me explain why. 488 00:18:48,130 --> 00:18:49,830 Similar to the research process which 489 00:18:49,830 --> 00:18:51,560 looked different for every ministry and 490 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,660 technology under consideration, the 491 00:18:53,660 --> 00:18:55,670 process by which a new technology is 492 00:18:55,670 --> 00:18:59,440 implemented will and should look different 493 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,410 for every ministry as it must be 494 00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:03,980 customized to the situation as well as the 495 00:19:03,980 --> 00:19:06,510 technology being implemented. However, 496 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:08,710 despite the fact that I am limited in my 497 00:19:08,710 --> 00:19:10,520 direct assistance in your implementation 498 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,350 process, I am able to provide a few best 499 00:19:13,350 --> 00:19:15,290 practices which will assist you in 500 00:19:15,290 --> 00:19:19,220 developing your how process. First, in the 501 00:19:19,220 --> 00:19:21,130 same manner as was recommended at the 502 00:19:21,130 --> 00:19:22,730 beginning of our exploration of this 503 00:19:22,730 --> 00:19:25,030 overall framework, it's essential that you 504 00:19:25,030 --> 00:19:27,370 write your plan down. Let me repeat that. 505 00:19:27,370 --> 00:19:29,930 Write it down. Having a written plan for 506 00:19:29,930 --> 00:19:31,300 implementation enables you to share 507 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:34,310 consistent information such as timelines, 508 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,570 the individuals who will be involved, and 509 00:19:36,570 --> 00:19:38,910 the needs of the organization necessary to 510 00:19:38,910 --> 00:19:40,710 achieve a successful implementation. 511 00:19:41,750 --> 00:19:43,880 Second, speaking to timelines, develop 512 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,250 one. Giving yourself a specific set of 513 00:19:46,250 --> 00:19:47,950 deadlines goes a long way in holding 514 00:19:47,950 --> 00:19:50,050 everyone who is involved accountable in 515 00:19:50,050 --> 00:19:52,560 achieving identified tasks. More 516 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:54,760 importantly, be specific. Add in dates, 517 00:19:54,930 --> 00:19:56,590 develop contingencies for if and when 518 00:19:56,590 --> 00:19:59,060 certain benchmarks are not met. Most 519 00:19:59,060 --> 00:20:01,370 importantly, make it public so that 520 00:20:01,370 --> 00:20:03,500 everyone knows what is going on, when, and 521 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:05,040 how that will impact their individual and 522 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,240 overall ministry of your ministry. Third 523 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,310 and finally, ask for help when needed. In 524 00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:12,710 many cases, the implementation of a 525 00:20:12,710 --> 00:20:14,650 technology in a specific ministry setting 526 00:20:14,650 --> 00:20:16,580 would be best served by the solicitation 527 00:20:16,580 --> 00:20:20,020 of outside assistance. I know. So many 528 00:20:20,020 --> 00:20:21,290 times we want to be able to do it 529 00:20:21,290 --> 00:20:23,960 ourselves. And we often are convinced that 530 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,090 we have the talent and the bandwidth to 531 00:20:26,090 --> 00:20:27,390 accomplish it without the help of an 532 00:20:27,390 --> 00:20:29,860 expert. But that's just it. There are 533 00:20:29,860 --> 00:20:31,460 experts out there who are able to guide 534 00:20:31,460 --> 00:20:33,330 you and your ministry through the how 535 00:20:33,330 --> 00:20:35,670 process and are often able to share 536 00:20:35,670 --> 00:20:37,570 nuggets of wisdom and best practices along 537 00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:40,870 the way. Humility is hard, but asking for 538 00:20:40,870 --> 00:20:43,570 help with a technology implementation can 539 00:20:43,570 --> 00:20:45,080 be the difference between it being 540 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,610 implemented versus being implemented such 541 00:20:47,610 --> 00:20:49,980 that it's actually impactful toward the 542 00:20:49,980 --> 00:20:52,080 ministry and the sharing of the Gospel. 543 00:20:54,190 --> 00:20:57,090 Now that you have an idea of how you will 544 00:20:57,090 --> 00:20:58,860 be implementing the technology to assist 545 00:20:58,860 --> 00:21:01,590 your ministry, let's talk about step four, 546 00:21:02,430 --> 00:21:05,760 the people step. Selecting the who that 547 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,500 will be involved in the process identifies 548 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:09,800 the individuals necessary for turning the 549 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,500 what was a plan to this point into an 550 00:21:12,500 --> 00:21:15,040 actual reality going forward. You may be 551 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,170 thinking that steps three and four 552 00:21:16,170 --> 00:21:17,980 seemingly work together as was the case 553 00:21:17,980 --> 00:21:19,380 for steps one and two and you would be 554 00:21:19,380 --> 00:21:22,050 right. In the process of identifying how a 555 00:21:22,050 --> 00:21:23,780 technology will be implemented in your 556 00:21:23,780 --> 00:21:26,020 ministry, inherently you will be 557 00:21:26,020 --> 00:21:28,020 simultaneously thinking about who will 558 00:21:28,020 --> 00:21:30,020 need to be involved that is currently a 559 00:21:30,020 --> 00:21:32,060 part of your existing ministry. Knowing 560 00:21:32,060 --> 00:21:33,690 the human resources you have available 561 00:21:33,690 --> 00:21:36,860 will shape your how process and assist you 562 00:21:36,860 --> 00:21:38,900 in determining if outside assistance will 563 00:21:38,900 --> 00:21:41,070 be necessary to successfully implement 564 00:21:41,070 --> 00:21:43,870 your selected technology. Thus, it's 565 00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:45,500 important to have an understanding of the 566 00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:47,040 skill sets available to you and your 567 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,240 ministry and it may be beneficial to 568 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:51,240 undertake a skills analysis to develop a 569 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,340 list of skills and abilities upon which 570 00:21:53,340 --> 00:21:55,980 you may be able to call on in this and 571 00:21:55,980 --> 00:21:58,280 other projects. In my current 572 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,220 organization, we approach our operations 573 00:22:00,220 --> 00:22:02,490 and the change management process through 574 00:22:02,490 --> 00:22:04,820 the lens of people, process and 575 00:22:04,820 --> 00:22:07,690 technology. This model is a development of 576 00:22:07,690 --> 00:22:11,030 Harold Levitt's 1960s diamond model or the 577 00:22:11,030 --> 00:22:13,400 three-legged stool. It was further refined 578 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,030 in the 1990s by Bruce Schneier who focused 579 00:22:16,030 --> 00:22:17,770 on the three aspects of people, process 580 00:22:17,770 --> 00:22:20,300 and technology necessary to achieve an 581 00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:22,740 outcome. In the case of the framework we 582 00:22:22,740 --> 00:22:24,780 are currently exploring, the people are 583 00:22:24,780 --> 00:22:27,350 the strengths which most ministries have 584 00:22:27,350 --> 00:22:29,380 at their disposal. These individuals, 585 00:22:29,810 --> 00:22:31,420 whether it's the property committee, 586 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:32,950 teachers from within a school or 587 00:22:32,950 --> 00:22:35,320 congregation members whose daily vocations 588 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,190 provide specific talents, knowledge and 589 00:22:37,190 --> 00:22:39,820 skills are an important aspect of the 590 00:22:39,820 --> 00:22:41,530 three parts necessary to implementing a 591 00:22:41,530 --> 00:22:45,600 change. In this case, a new technology. So 592 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,160 who are you selecting to be involved in 593 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,030 this technology application for the 594 00:22:49,030 --> 00:22:50,300 furtherance of your ministry and its 595 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:53,600 impact? Who are you not selecting? Why? 596 00:22:54,410 --> 00:22:56,070 Being intentional about developing a list 597 00:22:56,070 --> 00:22:58,710 of individuals beneficial to and achieving 598 00:22:58,710 --> 00:23:01,550 your why and how allows you to further 599 00:23:01,550 --> 00:23:04,150 focus and refine your implementation to be 600 00:23:04,150 --> 00:23:05,980 centered in ministry and not revolve 601 00:23:05,980 --> 00:23:09,050 around the technology itself. Since my 602 00:23:09,050 --> 00:23:10,760 time as an educator in the classroom, I 603 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,520 have always said that technology should be 604 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,160 invisible and fade into the background. 605 00:23:14,830 --> 00:23:17,230 The only way that this happens is when the 606 00:23:17,230 --> 00:23:19,400 right people are involved who are focused 607 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,330 on the right objectives, in our case, 608 00:23:21,730 --> 00:23:22,870 ministry impact. 609 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,770 Step five is perhaps the most often 610 00:23:27,770 --> 00:23:29,770 overlooked aspect of implementing 611 00:23:29,770 --> 00:23:31,640 technology within a ministry setting 612 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:33,910 because it requires expertise and 613 00:23:33,910 --> 00:23:36,210 knowledge as well as the dedication of 614 00:23:36,210 --> 00:23:38,250 time in advance of a technology 615 00:23:38,250 --> 00:23:40,890 implementation. Training and education 616 00:23:40,890 --> 00:23:42,120 need to take place for everyone, 617 00:23:42,490 --> 00:23:45,120 seriously, everyone. This includes staff, 618 00:23:45,290 --> 00:23:46,920 ministry leaders, congregation leaders and 619 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,090 anyone who is even remotely impacted or 620 00:23:49,090 --> 00:23:50,100 engaged by the technology you have 621 00:23:50,100 --> 00:23:53,230 selected. People are not inherently 622 00:23:53,230 --> 00:23:55,370 experts, no matter their background or 623 00:23:55,370 --> 00:23:57,870 personal experiences. Thus, it's important 624 00:23:57,870 --> 00:23:59,970 that intentional development opportunities 625 00:23:59,970 --> 00:24:02,670 be provided around the technology and its 626 00:24:02,670 --> 00:24:05,640 anticipated use and impacts. Now this does 627 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:07,110 not mean that you need to have formal 628 00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:09,780 sessions with graded evaluations. It does 629 00:24:09,780 --> 00:24:12,150 mean setting up workshops, providing 630 00:24:12,150 --> 00:24:14,290 online training and making resources 631 00:24:14,290 --> 00:24:16,120 available during and after the 632 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:17,860 implementation of a technology. 633 00:24:19,090 --> 00:24:21,030 Inherently, the more individuals who are 634 00:24:21,030 --> 00:24:24,200 educated about the technology, its use and 635 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,760 the intended impact on ministry, the more 636 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,900 synchronized buy-in and appropriate use 637 00:24:28,900 --> 00:24:31,270 will take place. Development activities 638 00:24:31,270 --> 00:24:33,470 allow for expectations to be set by 639 00:24:33,470 --> 00:24:35,270 ministry leaders around the desired 640 00:24:35,270 --> 00:24:38,140 outcomes of implementing a technology. It 641 00:24:38,140 --> 00:24:40,280 enables focus to be placed on the ministry 642 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,450 aspects and not simply the technological 643 00:24:42,450 --> 00:24:45,180 nuts and bolts of the tool. And it 644 00:24:45,180 --> 00:24:47,020 addresses the fears often present when 645 00:24:47,020 --> 00:24:48,920 ministries try something new, such as a 646 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,660 new technology. Ultimately, learning 647 00:24:51,660 --> 00:24:53,490 something new, such as how a technology 648 00:24:53,490 --> 00:24:55,760 has the potential to positively impact our 649 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,460 ministries, allows individuals to tangibly 650 00:24:58,460 --> 00:25:00,970 understand the why and empowers them to 651 00:25:00,970 --> 00:25:03,070 become more comfortable with how that will 652 00:25:03,070 --> 00:25:05,370 impact them personally and their ability 653 00:25:05,370 --> 00:25:07,070 to leverage a technology for greater 654 00:25:07,070 --> 00:25:08,370 ministry impact. 655 00:25:10,980 --> 00:25:13,380 This brings us to the final step in the 656 00:25:13,380 --> 00:25:16,350 framework. Simon Sinek identifies that 657 00:25:16,350 --> 00:25:18,280 taking a step back, physically or 658 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,020 metaphorically, is an amazing practice. We 659 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:23,050 see things we can never see when standing 660 00:25:23,050 --> 00:25:25,960 in the middle. Step six, evaluating the 661 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,390 process, enables just that, a step back 662 00:25:28,390 --> 00:25:30,330 from what you have done to observe the 663 00:25:30,330 --> 00:25:32,700 process in an unbiased way as possible. 664 00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:35,330 More importantly, this evaluative process 665 00:25:35,330 --> 00:25:37,800 enables you and your ministry to determine 666 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,870 what went as expected, what did not, and 667 00:25:40,870 --> 00:25:42,670 help you understand why that was the case. 668 00:25:43,510 --> 00:25:45,310 More importantly, it allows for 669 00:25:45,310 --> 00:25:47,510 introspection on the impact that a 670 00:25:47,510 --> 00:25:49,850 technology had on your ministry and its 671 00:25:49,850 --> 00:25:52,280 impact on society. As it was stated when 672 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,150 we began our exploration of the challenges 673 00:25:54,150 --> 00:25:56,050 of selecting technologies to connect with 674 00:25:56,050 --> 00:25:58,520 such a connected society, everything we 675 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,490 must do ultimately focuses on spreading 676 00:26:00,490 --> 00:26:02,990 the gospel. It must focus on Jesus and his 677 00:26:02,990 --> 00:26:04,700 ministry. It must focus on the forgiveness 678 00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:07,900 we have in him. Is the technology you 679 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:10,570 selected doing just that? If so, great! If 680 00:26:10,570 --> 00:26:13,270 not, why not? Intentional evaluation 681 00:26:13,270 --> 00:26:15,010 allows us to review both the process 682 00:26:15,010 --> 00:26:16,840 itself and whether or not we are 683 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,540 continuing to be focused on our ministry 684 00:26:18,540 --> 00:26:21,350 and its impact. Sometimes we get to step 685 00:26:21,350 --> 00:26:23,250 six and in the process of our evaluation 686 00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:24,950 of the technology and its implementation 687 00:26:24,950 --> 00:26:26,880 determine that we need to change our 688 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,290 decision and potentially even stop using 689 00:26:29,290 --> 00:26:31,620 the selected technology. Our why may have 690 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:33,560 changed, or the technology may not be 691 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,660 having the impact we intended, or the 692 00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:37,100 impact is actually detrimental to or 693 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:40,400 distracting from the ministry goals and 694 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,830 impacts we identified. And to be honest, 695 00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:44,740 that's perfectly fine. In fact, it's 696 00:26:44,740 --> 00:26:46,400 actually a great outcome as it is the 697 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,170 realization that something is not working 698 00:26:48,170 --> 00:26:50,210 as intended or is having unintended 699 00:26:50,210 --> 00:26:52,810 consequences. Discontinuing the use of a 700 00:26:52,810 --> 00:26:54,240 technology is not a failure after 701 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,410 following a process. It's a realization 702 00:26:56,410 --> 00:26:58,020 that resources could be better spent 703 00:26:58,020 --> 00:27:00,150 elsewhere. Ministry growth is actually not 704 00:27:00,150 --> 00:27:02,290 taking place or other factors have changed 705 00:27:02,290 --> 00:27:05,160 the technology itself. Active reflection 706 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,420 and evaluation often provides results 707 00:27:07,420 --> 00:27:10,830 which are unexpected. And it's important 708 00:27:10,830 --> 00:27:12,930 that as leaders we undertake this step to 709 00:27:12,930 --> 00:27:17,200 determine how best to move forward. So six 710 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,900 steps. In exploring each of them, I pray 711 00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:21,210 that you have been able to think through 712 00:27:21,210 --> 00:27:23,370 the challenges and opportunities of 713 00:27:23,370 --> 00:27:25,540 implementing emerging technologies and 714 00:27:25,540 --> 00:27:27,540 will be able to use such a framework to 715 00:27:27,540 --> 00:27:29,650 evaluate their impact and develop a 716 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:31,980 process necessary to implement a new 717 00:27:31,980 --> 00:27:33,820 technology as appropriate in your 718 00:27:33,820 --> 00:27:36,520 ministry. But what about your specific 719 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,320 ministry? Is there something you have seen 720 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,630 or wondered about using? Take a few 721 00:27:41,630 --> 00:27:42,890 seconds to think through a potential 722 00:27:42,890 --> 00:27:44,660 technology you may have been considering 723 00:27:44,660 --> 00:27:47,200 for use in your ministry. Have you 724 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,270 considered your why? Have you done any 725 00:27:49,270 --> 00:27:51,470 research? Who else have you talked to 726 00:27:51,470 --> 00:27:53,500 about this? What about thinking through 727 00:27:53,500 --> 00:27:55,670 the potential impacts on your ministry's 728 00:27:55,670 --> 00:27:59,940 ability to share Christ's love? Now, if 729 00:27:59,940 --> 00:28:01,050 we'd been in person, I would have given 730 00:28:01,050 --> 00:28:02,850 you more time to think through your 731 00:28:02,850 --> 00:28:05,450 technology and even perhaps talk with your 732 00:28:05,450 --> 00:28:07,480 fellow attendees. But that's something 733 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,050 that you can and should do on your own 734 00:28:10,050 --> 00:28:13,490 time after our time together. There are 735 00:28:13,490 --> 00:28:16,330 countless new and current technologies 736 00:28:16,330 --> 00:28:18,200 which have the potential to be impactful 737 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,130 within a ministry setting to reach a 738 00:28:20,130 --> 00:28:22,330 society that is everywhere all at once. 739 00:28:23,170 --> 00:28:24,770 One challenge is determining how to pick 740 00:28:24,770 --> 00:28:26,870 from this countless list. So I thought it 741 00:28:26,870 --> 00:28:28,410 would be helpful to come full circle to 742 00:28:28,410 --> 00:28:30,670 where we started and talk through such a 743 00:28:30,670 --> 00:28:32,810 discernment process in a real and tangible 744 00:28:32,810 --> 00:28:35,110 way. In our remaining time together, let's 745 00:28:35,110 --> 00:28:37,280 look at two major technologies, one new 746 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,850 and one well established, through the lens 747 00:28:39,850 --> 00:28:41,420 of the framework we just worked through. 748 00:28:42,090 --> 00:28:44,190 However, in appreciation of our limited 749 00:28:44,190 --> 00:28:47,060 time and in focusing on selecting ministry 750 00:28:47,060 --> 00:28:49,090 -focused technologies, we will only look 751 00:28:49,090 --> 00:28:51,360 at the first two steps that are developing 752 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,700 your why and conducting research. The 753 00:28:54,700 --> 00:28:56,870 implementation steps, while extremely 754 00:28:56,870 --> 00:28:59,440 important, are generally more specific to 755 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,810 your ministry and as such a more focused 756 00:29:01,810 --> 00:29:04,170 review of the more general first steps is 757 00:29:04,170 --> 00:29:06,710 more appropriate. Let's start with the one 758 00:29:06,710 --> 00:29:09,050 new technology that seems to be at the 759 00:29:09,050 --> 00:29:10,910 forefront of everyone's conversations. 760 00:29:11,450 --> 00:29:14,250 Artificial Intelligence, AI, also known as 761 00:29:14,250 --> 00:29:16,320 machine learning, seemingly appeared in 762 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,590 mainstream society overnight in 2022 with 763 00:29:19,590 --> 00:29:21,130 the release of the public version of 764 00:29:21,130 --> 00:29:24,090 ChatGPT from the company OpenAI. For those 765 00:29:24,090 --> 00:29:25,230 unaware of the specifics of this 766 00:29:25,230 --> 00:29:27,530 technology, users are able to enter in 767 00:29:27,530 --> 00:29:29,070 prompts and the system generates an 768 00:29:29,070 --> 00:29:31,440 answer. These systems have been trained on 769 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,070 millions of data points to understand how 770 00:29:34,070 --> 00:29:36,310 words are related to other words in 771 00:29:36,310 --> 00:29:38,110 conjunction with relevant subject matter 772 00:29:38,110 --> 00:29:41,010 knowledge to provide such an answer. Some 773 00:29:41,010 --> 00:29:42,250 of you may have considered using the 774 00:29:42,250 --> 00:29:44,450 technology it provides. Others may already 775 00:29:44,450 --> 00:29:46,950 be using it. But what really are the uses 776 00:29:46,950 --> 00:29:50,090 of AI in ministry? What's the why? In some 777 00:29:50,090 --> 00:29:51,860 cases, individuals are using AI to help 778 00:29:51,860 --> 00:29:54,090 with their writing process. Others are 779 00:29:54,090 --> 00:29:55,490 creating images for use in marketing 780 00:29:55,490 --> 00:29:57,860 campaigns. Still others are leveraging it 781 00:29:57,860 --> 00:29:59,100 as a sounding board for ideas or to help 782 00:29:59,100 --> 00:30:02,670 generate new and novel ideas. Does this 783 00:30:02,670 --> 00:30:04,770 provide enough value to your ministry to 784 00:30:04,770 --> 00:30:07,400 select such a technology for use? Is there 785 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,870 an impactful enough why? In answering this 786 00:30:09,870 --> 00:30:11,440 question, a little research may also be 787 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,640 needed. It would be important to know the 788 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:15,550 limitations of the system, where the 789 00:30:15,550 --> 00:30:18,380 information it uses come from, the data it 790 00:30:18,380 --> 00:30:20,120 was trained on, and the potential error 791 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,720 rate of its responses. Once a full 792 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,760 understanding is available, what would be 793 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,190 your why? Do you have one? Would such a 794 00:30:27,190 --> 00:30:28,760 technology be impactful in reaching a 795 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,400 connected society? All are good questions 796 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,160 to ask and understanding the impact of 797 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,830 their answers. What about another example, 798 00:30:37,270 --> 00:30:39,000 one which is familiar to almost all 799 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,100 ministries? I'll use the broad term of 800 00:30:41,100 --> 00:30:43,210 social media, since there are constant 801 00:30:43,210 --> 00:30:45,040 updates to the technology and use for this 802 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,810 term. Platforms such as Facebook, X, 803 00:30:48,010 --> 00:30:50,210 Threads, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok are 804 00:30:50,210 --> 00:30:52,280 constantly changing their product in 805 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:53,680 response to the wants and needs of their 806 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,090 customers. In addition, new platforms are 807 00:30:56,090 --> 00:30:58,390 springing up seemingly every day. If you 808 00:30:58,390 --> 00:31:00,420 are already using social media, have you 809 00:31:00,420 --> 00:31:02,460 identified your why? Why are you using 810 00:31:02,460 --> 00:31:04,530 social media in your ministry? What 811 00:31:04,530 --> 00:31:06,300 purpose is it serving in spreading God's 812 00:31:06,300 --> 00:31:08,700 word? If you have selected not to use 813 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:10,330 social media, why has that been your 814 00:31:10,330 --> 00:31:13,070 decision? Regardless of your answer, have 815 00:31:13,070 --> 00:31:15,310 you revisited it recently? Has your 816 00:31:15,310 --> 00:31:17,740 constituency or society in general changed 817 00:31:17,740 --> 00:31:20,180 in that using or not using social media 818 00:31:20,180 --> 00:31:21,610 would impact the objectives of your 819 00:31:21,610 --> 00:31:23,580 ministry? Are there additional or new 820 00:31:23,580 --> 00:31:24,820 functionalities which have been made 821 00:31:24,820 --> 00:31:26,280 available which enable greater 822 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,750 connections? Does your approach and use 823 00:31:28,750 --> 00:31:31,260 need to change? All are valid questions, 824 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,460 each which has different answers and 825 00:31:33,460 --> 00:31:35,430 nuances based on your specific ministry 826 00:31:35,430 --> 00:31:38,760 and its context. Ultimately, with this 827 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,760 being a relatively entrenched technology 828 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,900 in broad use, leveraging the evaluative 829 00:31:42,900 --> 00:31:45,270 process from step six of the framework in 830 00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:47,470 conjunction with steps one and two may 831 00:31:47,470 --> 00:31:49,470 allow you to re-evaluate, update, and 832 00:31:49,470 --> 00:31:54,950 confirm your why. So promise and peril. 833 00:31:55,610 --> 00:31:58,050 Identifying the why is key. Without that, 834 00:31:58,150 --> 00:31:59,650 the entire process of exploring a 835 00:31:59,650 --> 00:32:01,690 potential technology application within 836 00:32:01,690 --> 00:32:04,290 your ministry setting is just a flavor of 837 00:32:04,290 --> 00:32:08,990 the month without any depth or potential 838 00:32:08,990 --> 00:32:11,360 impact. And perhaps that's the most 839 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,060 important peril of all that I want to 840 00:32:13,060 --> 00:32:15,470 focus on as I conclude. Not thinking 841 00:32:15,470 --> 00:32:17,370 through all the steps necessary to ask 842 00:32:17,370 --> 00:32:19,170 why, conduct research, identify the how, 843 00:32:19,700 --> 00:32:21,370 select the who, educate everyone, and 844 00:32:21,370 --> 00:32:23,570 evaluate the process has a high potential 845 00:32:23,570 --> 00:32:25,940 to create a situation where technology is 846 00:32:25,940 --> 00:32:28,510 being used for technology's sake and not 847 00:32:28,510 --> 00:32:30,880 for the purpose of impacting ministry. In 848 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:32,680 a society which is consistently connected 849 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:34,550 to everyone, everywhere, all at once, this 850 00:32:34,550 --> 00:32:36,820 puts the church in a perilous place where 851 00:32:36,820 --> 00:32:38,820 resources are expended not in service to 852 00:32:38,820 --> 00:32:40,820 the objectives of our ministries, but 853 00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:43,030 simply to appear relevant or have the 854 00:32:43,030 --> 00:32:45,430 appearance of being engaged. Such 855 00:32:45,430 --> 00:32:47,430 discernment is challenging, but if we 856 00:32:47,430 --> 00:32:49,530 start with the why, we have the potential 857 00:32:49,530 --> 00:32:51,540 to place our ministries in a place where 858 00:32:51,540 --> 00:32:54,040 we indeed can reach everyone, everywhere, 859 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,770 all at once in an impactful and ministry 860 00:32:56,770 --> 00:32:59,480 -focused way. After working through all of 861 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,180 this, you most likely have some questions. 862 00:33:01,710 --> 00:33:03,280 I am more than willing to connect with you 863 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,650 about your thoughts, questions, and 864 00:33:04,650 --> 00:33:07,350 concerns, so please reach out via email as 865 00:33:07,350 --> 00:33:10,850 necessary. As always, thank you for your 866 00:33:10,850 --> 00:33:12,420 service to the church and for your 867 00:33:12,420 --> 00:33:14,260 continued focus on personal and 868 00:33:14,260 --> 00:33:16,190 professional growth and development in 869 00:33:16,190 --> 00:33:18,830 settings such as this. May God bless you 870 00:33:18,830 --> 00:33:21,130 and your ministry, now and always.