Do-it-yourself has been a longtime tradition for many of us. We’ve picked up many skills as we have assembled new furniture or equipment; painted, cleaned, or serviced items in our possession. Now, the digital age has opened up a whole new world of self-learning possibilities. We may have the latest hardware and software, but not know how to use it to do the simple or complicated tasks we want. Sometimes…
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A New Media Christian, the Ultimate Missionary?
George Barna has published a new book called “Futurecast: What Today’s Trends Mean for Tomorrow’s World” (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.). His purpose is to help the reader use the data available to “make strategic decisions about how to make the world a better place to live.” He covers a variety of areas from lifestyles, hopes, and dreams, to Churches and parachurch organizations, and demographics.” I was very interested in reading…
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Communications and Ministry in the Digital Age
On January 24, 2011, the Vatican released Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 45th World Communications Day (June 5, 2011). In this message, the Holy Father invites “Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible… The web is contributing to the development of new and more complex intellectual and spiritual horizons, new forms of shared awareness.…
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Church Ministry and the Digital Age Part I
We all know that the world has changed with the coming of the digital age, but when it comes to Church ministry in the U.S. (I am talking about national Catholic organizations, religious communities, dioceses, and parishes), that reality has not registered with everyone. Some ministry leaders will say “We have a website. What else do we need?” A response might include a reference to Pope Benedict XVI’s message on…