First of all, is there a need for an official ministry within the local church that focuses on–shall we call it computer information technology? Yes, most churches already have a media ministry nested under another group, and they might be playing defense just to keep up, but consider the following scenarios:

1. Older less tech-savvy generations of church members interested in understanding computers at an entry level.
2. Church members needing assistance in order to remove viruses and pornography from infected computers.
3. Pastors, elders, or church members looking for reliable Bible study software tools, potentially with questions about how to best use those programs.
4. Men (or less commonly, women) seeking help in their personal fight against viewing porn. A response here could include not just providing accountability software made by CovenantEyes.com, but also help to initiate relationships so that those who struggle can voluntarily become accountable to those not currently tempted in the same way.
5. Church office staff who need training on common tasks such as posting or sharing digital content for church members.
6. Missionaries in need of computer equipment, training on how to use blogs or other communication tools, and maintenance/troubleshooting done remotely. Safety and security would need to be addressed in the many geographical areas hostile to Christians. A response here could include coordinating with local businesses to receive donations of obsolete equipment for reuse by the church.
7. Parents seeking help with protecting their children’s safety and privacy while using computer, smartphones, etc.
8. Church websites being developed and maintained, if not already taken care of by an existing media ministry. Also related to this area are social media pages like Facebook for posting and passing along relevant news, church events, prayer requests, suggested reading material, etc.

What if the local church put more emphasis on helping in these areas?  In any of  these examples, an information technology ministry would work differently depending on how big or small a church is and in what geographic area it is located, but the focus would remain on wisely putting God-given resources to use. There would be numerous considerations to think through if an official ministry like this existed: What is the intended goal in mind when addressing each issue? What can or should the church pay for? What potential pitfalls might arise if this function was moved from originally using a local business to now using only internal manpower? Should a different priority be given to low-income members who cannot afford equipment or services? Would other ministries suffer from losing valuable resources or people in the process? Does this ministry keep with the overall goal of the local church’s intended purpose? Do other churches already have something similar, and if so how does it work?

Comments are welcome.

.

A few things that riding a motorcycle has in common with life:

• You are where you look: focus on where you want to go next. It’s important to know who and what is behind you, but you cannot let it become your focus. Lose your focus and you’ll have some close calls or something worse.
• If you’re doing it out of pride, rethink it. That applies just as much to picking your first bike as it does to racing strangers on the road.
• Taking a passenger along changes things. You may need to make adjustments for their sake.
• Stay alert. What’s around you is constantly changing. The environment you’re in, the people you’re around, the obstacles in the road. Be aware of them in case you need to adjust speed, change courses, or even come to a stop.
• Gear up. Get prepared before you ride by buying good gear, then take the time to actually put it on. Laziness is no excuse when avoiding something that could hurt you. Maybe you just wanted to feel comfortable instead, but you’re going to regret that in the long run.
• Take in advice from those who are more experienced than you. Watch them to understand, listen to their tips, and avoid their bad choices.

I’m sure my friends who have been riding for longer than I have could give additional advice or go more in depth, maybe about carefully choosing who you ride with, or slowing down for the curves. Of course the two subjects here don’t completely relate, and we’re not even diving into deeper motivations behind these simple bullet points, so I won’t stretch the analogy to make things fit. For example: Ride like everyone is out to run you over is great advice on the bike, but paranoia in life is not such a good thing. It’s true that on a motorcycle you can do everything in your power to prepare for the worst and still get into trouble, just as in life the same can happen, but I’ll be the first to admit that the choice to ride a motorcycle is not nearly as safe as choosing to be in a car, where you’re more protected from whatever is coming at you–that is if safety is your number one concern. So the analogy breaks down, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something from it.

.