Trying to keep up with trends in the constantly changing, ever-expanding world of technology and new media is a daunting challenge.
Inexact science, predicting future trends is. I will leave the sophisticated research to the professionals.
Watching, on the other hand, is very important.
History has many examples of those who failed to grasp the opportunities revealed by trends.
When you have time, I’ve listed four reports to help you examine the emerging global trends that are reshaping Christian media.
Trendsetting thrills and chills
View from the top: global technology trends and performance, Ernst & Young – Benchmarks, insights and questions around communications equipment, computers, Internet, IT services, software, and smart mobility.
10 Social Media Trends for 2011, Entrepreneur.com – A take on social trends that are on the horizon next year. From plug-ins, to location-based marketing initiatives, to the move to higher bandwidth.
7 Digital Media Trends of 2011, Daniel Anstandig, President McVay New Media Consulting – Digital ad targeting technology, Audience-driven programming, Social networking for broadcasters, Local retail ad networks and more.
Mobile Ministry Forum – 16 mission strategists representing 15 organizations focused exclusively on the mobile platform’s potential role in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Rebuilding the platform
In 1996, I began watching how traditional church and broadcast media were adapting to the changing world of global communications. In 2011, I think a full scale reconstruction of the legacy platform is under way.
Christian media has always been something “they” did. Radio and television stations, publishers, broadcast ministries. The expansion of electronic media platforms – Internet, mobile, social – has empowered every Christian to become a communicator.
YOU are Christian media!
Individuals, as well as organizations, are now leveraging the most powerful communication technologies tools ever created to do the work of the gospel.
People around the world are keen to learn, improve and share ways to use digital tools for ministry. They are hungry for information and help.
Twelve communications improvements
With a deep sense that God has opened a door to an astonishing array of opportunities through information technology, doers are coming forward to set the pace of the reconstruction:
- Extending complete Christian community to the Church online – teaching, personal interaction, stories, prayer, sharing faith.
- Creating tools and resources for one-on-one Internet evangelism in local and cross-cultural environments.
- Developing free Bible applications to run on mobile platforms.
- Harnessing the power of film and digital media to communicate God’s Word.
- Offering college courses to help the next generation of leaders learn how-to use the Internet and social media for ministry.
- Establishing a peer learning community of Church and ministry IT people.
- Writing books inspiring and challenging Christians to live their faith online.
- Forming online communities to share spiritual experiences, distribute inspirational content and do social good.
- Building church systems for content management, search engine optimization and search engine marketing.
- Providing software solutions to support effective ministry, discipleship, and decision making.
- Hosting web-based workshops to teach church leaders and volunteers about the latest technologies.
- Initiating an annual worldwide focus day to showcase the potential of the Web for effective evangelism.
Cross-organizational collaboration and non-traditional partnerships and alliances are starting to emerge. Christian organizations are combining resources in new ways to have the greatest possible impact in their communities and globally for the gospel. These are trends that have encouraged me greatly.
Growth trends
Statistical data shows that a strong foundation is being put in place. Two mind-blowing reports paint the picture:
On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18
Global Media Outreach, an Internet ministry based in Campbell, CA reported for 2010 that it had 119,444,072 visitors to its 102 websites; 15,507,537 decisions for Christ, and 2,468,662 emails requesting follow-up.
LifeChurch.tv, a multi-site church in Edmund, OK finished 2010 with 2,848,144 absolute unique visits to its Church Online campus, representing 231 countries and territories. 16,162 people received Christ, and 2,809 new believer kits were mailed to people around the world.
In a message to his congregation on January 9, during the 15th Anniversary service of LifeChurch.tv, I thought Pastor Craig Groeschel summed up the building process so far, with this vision:
“We will not continue to do what used to work. In order to reach people no one is reaching, we will have to do things that no one is doing – video church, church online, and leveraging technology. We will do anything short of sin to reach people who do not know Christ. This is just the introduction. The foundation is being built for something God wants to do everywhere.”
Question: What trends are you watching? What communications improvements have you seen?