Digital technology is being used to carry out functions of the church: worship, ministry, evangelism, discipleship and fellowship.

Considering all other great questions of the day, how big of a deal is this intersection of technology with the Church?

For sure, it’s producing fascinating theological discussions.

You don’t have to be, and by no means am I, an expert in theology to appreciate the significance.

An online search turned up an assortment of papers, speeches, presentations and blog posts.

(The following links are provided for informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent my views.)

Seven views of being the Church online

1. Theology in a Digital World, David Lochhead, Professor of Systematic Theology, Vancouver School of Theology

“In the world of generalized communication, the world in which everything concerns the transmission of messages, we have to discover anew what it means to be Church. This society could be a Babel in which everyone speaks but no one listens. No one attempts to understand.

One of the roles of the Church is to engage those voices – to listen, to understand, to challenge.”

2. Hacking the Divine: A possible metaphor for theology-technology engagement, Stephen Garner, 2005 Virtual Theology Colloquium, Auckland, New Zealand

“We hack – create technological novelty – because we are made in the image of a God who hacks. We have been called into the world as creatures, who through working with our Creator, can be agents of change through our technological endeavors.”

3. Theology and Technology, Thomas L. Erekson director of the BYU School of Technology when this devotional address was given on May 8, 2001

“Theology provides a value structure for developing and deploying appropriate technologies. Technology provides the means for communicating the good news of the gospel and its theology to the inhabitants of the world and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation of the Church.”

4. Cybermissions: Towards a Theology Of Technology, a presentation given during The International Conference on Computing and Mission by John Edminston, Chairman and CEO of Antioch Internet Bible International and operator of cybermissions.org

“Very few Christian pastors or theologians are addressing these issues or the challenges that we will face as we fully enter the Information Age, e.g. Robots & Humans, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Transplants (how much of the human body can we replace and still be human), Intelligent Avatars, Trans/Post Humanism, Abortion of people with ‘criminal genes.’”

5. How Facebook Killed The Church, Dr. Richard Beck, Associate Professor and experimental psychologist at Abilene Christian University

“Why are Millennials leaving the church? It’s simple. Mobile social computing has replaced the main draw of the traditional church: Social connection and affiliation.”

6. An Ecclesiology of Twitter, by Richard Clark Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Christ in Pop Culture and classroom technology manager at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

“Believers set aside this time to encourage one another through fellowship, corporate singing, prayer, and mere physical and mental presence. Any primarily individualistic activity tends to conflict with the concept of a biblical church service.”

7. Can the Church be the Church Online? Defining a Virtual Ecclesiology for Computer Mediated Communities, Paper presented by Holly Reed at the annual meeting of the National Communications Association, Communicating Worldviews: Faith, Intellect, Ethics, Chicago, IL, Nov. 15, 2007

“Roger Haight asks: ‘By what stretch of the imagination can one choose the church of Carthage in the mid-third century to represent the whole church?’

“If his question is legitimate, then,” Holly Reed says, “we are surely asking the wrong question by asking if the church can be the church online. Rather, we need to ask how the church is the church online and just how the Kingdom of God is breaking into our world anew, moving our virtual realities into a reality that speaks of an old reality in a new way.”

A time for understanding

The Internet is the greatest communication technology ever invented by man, and it is imperative that those who follow Christ understand how to use it well. Dave Bourgeois

How is the Church the Church online?

The answer could change the future of church operations. With theology and ecclesiology intact, the Digital Age may bring about a paradigm shift in methods, strategies and leadership development.

Biola University is offering a summer course to help the next generation of leaders prepare for those changes. Called Using the Internet and Social Media for Ministry, it is taught by Dave Bourgeois, Associate Professor of Information Systems.

A time for action

Answering theological questions related to technology is a vital process. But, because technology is so complex and multi-faceted, has so many nuances and variables, trying to understand it completely can sometimes lead to infinite debate and arguments. Philosophical gridlock can occur, while the world marches on.

I like what Pastor Mark Batterson said. “We can get so busy arguing about theological nuances that we lose sight of the Great Commandment and Great Commission.”

We should run uses of technology for church ministry through a Scriptural filter. Sift out the inappropriate. Then, go with boldness to the new digital lands God will shows us.

Doing God’s work has always been a really big deal, wherever we go and whatever means we use to get there.

Question: How should the Internet be used for ministry?

My journey into social media and using it to build a platform to serve has been largely influenced by Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Early in my education about how to leverage new media, Mike posted about taking a 48-hour fast from Twitter.

What did that mean? I was just getting the hang of it, or so I thought. Was there a crack in the system?

Not at all. In fact, Mike was just doing what he always does. Sharing his knowledge.

The whole thing was an experiment to explore the effects of Twitter on different areas of his life.

It was a relief to learn that I shouldn’t experience withdrawal pains if I decide to turn the network off for awhile.

While Michael’s discussion of “The Twitter Effect” was helpful, there was something more. I hadn’t visited his blog looking for these insights.

But in a moment of Social Media serendipity, there they were. Throughout the post, I noticed subtle evidences of some of the top qualities that define “great leadership.”

I’ve listed seven:

1. Great leaders publicly acknowledge others. In the first line of his post, Michael let the whole world know that Anne Jackson was his friend and that she had his attention. That probably encouraged Anne and brightened her day just a little.

2. Great leaders are open to the ideas of others. The idea for the challenge was Anne’s. Even though it didn’t initially conform to Michael’s thinking, he was open to considering it. He didn’t just dismiss it outright either. Even after saying “no” to the experiment he reevaluated his position. He determined that the exercise might actually teach him something. He went forward.

3. Great leaders are readers. We hear this statement a lot. “Not all readers are leaders but all great leaders are readers.” For good reason. It’s true. Michael said, “I read a lot.” Granted, it might have been occupational malpractice for the leader of the largest Christian publishing company in the world to say he doesn’t read very much. But I think it’s safe to say that he REALLY loves reading.

4. Great leaders are listeners. Michael listened to what Anne had to say. He mentioned, as he frequently does in his writings, the enjoyment of seeking and absorbing information from those around him. That’s not possible if you’re doing most of the talking. (I’ve wrestled with this one.)

5. Great leaders are learners. The Twitter experiment was undertaken to enlarge Michael’s understanding of social media’s influence in his life. This post, like so many before it, reveals his quest for discovery.

6. Great leaders share what they’ve learned. That was the main reason he wrote the post. Michael’s motivation always seems to lean toward helping others learn and grow. I bet this passion for serving others is evident in many other areas of his life.

7. Great leaders live their values. It’s not a role they play. It’s who they are. It’s demonstrated every day through what they say and do…and blog and tweet.

Want to learn about great leadership? Follow great leaders like Mike Hyatt, that are willing to share knowledge openly, specifically, and with fine detail. Social Media makes it easy to sit in their virtual classrooms. Doing so will expand your opportunities for connecting and learning. Sometimes in ways you were not expecting.

Question: Who are you learning from right now? What one thing have they taught you?