eformation- When the Communication Format Changes

#2 in the eformation Series

Taking some time in the next days

 to toss in some resources and observations

 about the world of church, communication, 

and this continually adapting digital age.

What may make that more palatable-

the visual images

 from the gardens of my siblings.

You can ask my family

 and they will ALL tell you-

the least likely person 

they could think of to be involved in

 ANY WAY 

with social media,

 or any digital technology, yup- ME.

Think that is part of the story 

where God chooses the least equipped
 for the job- 
so that I can't claim the Glory.

 Anything even a tiny bit successful-
 is His doing.

I am simply not techno-smart 

enough to take the credit.

On the other side of the equation was

  a true look at my lacking skills,

 as I was called to lead and be an encourager 

to a larger group of comrade disciples

 in the Kingdom.

I needed a mentor, coach, 

and someone willing to work with me

 at the beginning level.

A shout out to my friend, Nancy, 

who has been all of those things.

I could not be the road block

that kept the door closed 

for possible ways that the Holy Spirit 

might be led to use me. 

That led me to LOTS of reading,

LOTS of research, and 

fearless questions.

One of the early fascinating stories

 was how our church body- (Lutheran LCMS) 

dealt with a lay movement

 to use available technology

 for the sake of the Gospel. 

This was about the cultural upheaval,

 angst, and fear of change

 with the coming of radio communication.

"On October 2, 1930, the first broadcast of The Lutheran Hour® radio program was aired, with Dr. Walter A. Maier as speaker. The Lutheran Laymen's League, which had formed thirteen years earlier as a financial support organization for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, had a vision of spreading the Gospel message using the young technology of broadcast radio. For more than 80 years, the call of Christ has been carried around the world by radio waves to share the Good News."

Our denomination went through

 the same growing pains- AGAIN,

 with the coming of television. 

It was a commonly voiced opinion

 that combining the use of this new media 

with the Gospel message

 would mean the end of the "established" church.

Well, all sorts of shifts happened

 when the church moved

 into mass-mediated communication.

We became a one-direction broadcast

system for faith formation.

Citing encouragement from Martin Luther, 

we became veterans at print media

 sent out to be consumed by believers, 

and hopefully also fall into the hands

 of a non-believer or seeker.

Our church body rose near the top

 to ride out the tide of this movement. 

In fact, in 1957, 

only 47% of religious broadcasts were paid.

(yup, they were free)

In 1978, 92% were paid broadcasts.
The tide was shifting already.

Then came interactive media.

Individuals now had the ability

 to receive communication, and also respond.

And the church was at a loss, AGAIN.

Churches were still using computer technology

 for desktop publishing, creating the bulletins, 

and tracking the always changing membership files.

Leadership struggled.

 A conversation?

Virtual relationships?

It's frivolous, too time consuming,

and we can't control the direction or outcomes.

And we were right back into the unease

 that frazzled the church

 in the early days of radio and television, 
or maybe right back to the printing press.

Bottom line?

I love my brick and mortar church.

I love to be present for worship

 and Word and Sacrament ministry.

I love my in-real life community

 of friends in faith.

I love to gather for Bible study

 and faith formation activities.

And I don't want that to go away.

But, I have come to terms 

with the realization that many of those

 who don't know Jesus,

will never grace the doors of a church building.

 As church, we have planned to be in relationship

 with all of those people when they walk in the doors.

The statistics are brutal- they are not coming to us.

Discouraged folks often head to God's Word for Hope.

 Looking at the master of Gospel communication, 

we see that although Jesus spent time in the synagogue,

 he was generally hanging out where the people were.

In the neighborhood.

Where they worked.

Where they gathered.

And that becomes the directional blueprint

 in this age of 

interactive media.

Hangout where the people are,

and they are online.

It is really not about the elimination

 of one way to connect,

 but the addition of opportunities for informational,

 formational, and transformational interactions.

I don't have viable predictions for the future,

but I can attest to this "trust stance"

that connects me to a God

 who DOES NOT CHANGE

and allows me to ride the wave

 when communication formats change.

After all, He's got it.

statistics from Faith Formation 4.0- Julie Lytle

 some of my reading resources
are gathered here:

Church and Social Media Gospel