As we slowly crawl out of the pandemic (or so we hope!), many churches are trying to figure out whether this online church stuff is something we can push into the dark recesses of our memory – or if it needs to be something we plan to do long into the future.
Yet, even for churches who have tried to embrace technology, they often look at technology as a “shiny object” that in and of itself will attract people, rather than seeing that technology is simply a ministry tool that will amplify the ministry culture (good or bad) we already are practicing within our existing physical space and worship context.
Getting church and ministry to connect online is not simply about buying better tech, rather it is about being sure to align the values of a church or ministry with the “values” of online community. To be sure, the values of a church can be far different than the values inherent in online communities.
Ryan Panzer, author and hybrid ministry consultant, joins the pod to talk about his new book, Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech Shaped World. In the book, Panzer talks about why being church is not about technology but engagement and why churches are not failing to adapt to technology, but rather are failing to adapt to meaning making.
Ryan is a learning and leadership development professional in the technology industry. A student of digital media and its influence on our lives, he is especially interested in the intersection of faith and technology.
If you are a pastor or church leader trying to navigate the tech-shaped future while also trying to change and lead your church to better adapt or minister in this tech-shaped world, listen in to this episode, then pick up a copy of Ryan’s book!