Digital @ Leadership Network

SMS Updates from your Facebook Church Page

Facebook users can now get status updates via text message from their favorite fan pages.  So if a church has a fan page, their members can get mobile status updates.  See details here, and let us know if you try it (or have tried it already)

With Facebook becoming like Twitter, it will be interesting to see how many people opt-in to receive Facebook status updates on their phones.  Do you already get Twitter updates via SMS?  If so, would you let Facebook status updates also come in via text as well?

When we last looked at Facebook groups or Facebook pages for your church, this was one limitation we identified that an app might be able to fill.  Looks like Facebook took care of it!

- Joe Suh from MyChurch

Kids' online time skyrockets; where is the church

As a father of three, a former children's pastor and a web developer, I read the latest survey of kids (2-11 yrs) from Nielson with both excitement and dread. Here are the basic numbers:

• In May 2009, children aged 2-11 comprised nearly 16 million, or 9.5 percent, of the active online universe this a 18 percent increase since 2004
• Time spent online among children aged 2-11 increased 63 percent in the last five years, from nearly 7 hours in May 2004 to more than 11 hours online in May 2009
• 26.3 percent of the online adult population, or 38.2 million, have children 11 years old or younger in the household 

Kids as customers

This means that kids are the target of commercial interests online. And according to a 2008 study by Consumer Reports Web Watch and the Mediatech Foundation, often kid-oriented sites take advantage of their customers:

We discovered that the digital world offers a wealth of opportunity for young children to play and learn. But even in this small sample of 10 families we found–too easily, in several circumstances–repeated examples of attempts to manipulate children for the sake of commerce.

And here is an assortment of what we're offering when you search for christian kids web sites. Not to be too disparaging, but the church does not make it easy to find good Christian web sites as compared to commercial sites like Club Penguin or Webkinz or PBS Kids Go!

So where is the church? If you have excellent kids links, please add them to the comments below. Looking for video, games, activities, etc. Why? My idea is to create a small web site/page that offers a better experience for parents to discover faith or values-based web sites for kids.

Tim Bednar, founder Turtle Interactive
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1st worship service to be live streamed onto iPhone this weekend

This weekend marks the first weekend of church worship services that will be live-streamed onto iPhones. Assuming all 5 services would be live-streamed, services at New Hope Christian Fellowship will be live-streaming on Saturday 7/4 at 5 & 7pm and Sunday 7/5 at 7, 9 & 11am, Hawaii Time. Being translated, that would be in Pacific Time: Saturday 8pm + 10pm, Sunday 10am + 12pm + 2pm. New Hope also has an internet campus with streaming video and an interactive online community.

Here's the press release, Hawaii Church Becomes First to Stream Live Video to iPhone:

Less than two weeks after the release of Apple's iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 update, Honolulu-based New Hope Christian Fellowship (http://www.enewhope.org) has announced that it will begin streaming its weekend worship services live to iPhone and iPod touch users.

Live streaming to the iPhone was one of the most requested features from church attendees, and is now possible with the inclusion of HTTP live streaming in Apple's iPhone 3.0 software. New Hope's addition of live streaming to the iPhone is significant in that it is the first non-profit organization to offer this type of service. "Typically, churches are years behind other organizations when it comes to technology and innovation. We have tried to reverse that trend and pioneer new ways to spread the Gospel using the most current tools available," explains New Hope's Technology and Innovations Director, Michael Sharpe. "We don't mind the long hours and stress that comes with innovating because we know that if we can come up with something useful, it can be used by other churches around the world."

Leveraging standards-based HTTP streaming technology, New Hope will deliver high quality video over either a Wi-Fi connection or other carrier network, providing for a truly portable experience.

After successfully testing the service this past weekend with hundreds of users, the church is now planning to offer the live streaming video of its services to all iPhone and iPod Touch users starting July 4th.

The church currently streams all five weekend services live on its website for computer users and created the streaming for the iPhone as a free service for those who may not have access to a computer.

"We are always looking for ways that we can leverage technology to reach people where they are at," said New Hope's Interactive Developer Peter Thourson, "through live streaming video on iPhone and iPod touch, users across the globe will be able to continue to attend church regardless of where they are."

Availability

The live stream of New Hope's Services will be available on their website at http://www.enewhope.org beginning July 4th. The live stream requires an iPhone or iPod touch with the 3.0 software update and an active Internet connection.

About New Hope Christian Fellowship

Started in 1995, New Hope Christian Fellowship Oahu is one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation according to "Outreach Magazine," with over 12,000 people in regular attendance at 6 locations. "Outreach Magazine" also named New Hope as one of the most influential and innovative churches in the United States.

Tech Tuesday: how to use Google mashup maps and apps

As tech questions are submitted, we'll feature them here on Tech Tuesdays at the Digital @ Leadership Network blog. This question is about mapping apps on the web:

"Does anyone know of a wiki or other website that explains how to do mapping -- what is a mashup? how to plot a database of locations on Google maps?"

What I found on a quick search was the Google Maps Mania blog at googlemapsmania.blogspot.com, an unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, mashups and tools being influenced by Google Maps, and this list of 100 Google Map tools & mashups from Mashable, the social media guide. One mashup map I have used is called Wikimapia, an editable interactive map that will describe places and buildings around the whole world.

What do you know about mashup maps? How have you found it useful for ministry purposes?

It's a fascinating world we live in, with more mobile phones becoming smartphones and becoming location aware. A few applications (apps) are being developed and I'd imagine more are on the way.

Have a church tech question? Email them to dj.chuang[at]leadnet.org to be featured here on a future Tech Tuesday.

// DJ Chuang is a Director at Leadership Network, launching digital initiatives, and connecting multi-site churches and Asian American pastors. He joined the Leadership Network team through a partnership with L2 Foundation.

Map of Social Networking 2008 vs 2009

This map was from a post in 2008 - it showed what social networking sites dominated which countries at the time:

A year later, someone has compiled the data again, and Facebook looks well-positioned to be the dominant network in a majority of countries.

I wonder what this map will look like in 2010.  Will there be a single network to monopolize the world's social graph?  I didn't think this was possible a year ago, but now I'm not so sure...

a panel discussion on social networking

A great panel discussion on social networking was recently moderated at the Christian Web Trends Blog by Paul Steinbrueck. Three leading bloggers, Kem Meyer, John Saddington, Matt Farina and Drew Goodmanson, shared their perspectives on how they use social networking, what it means for organizations and individuals, as well as anticipate its future. The 4-part series is linked below [ht: Kem Meyer], along with a few highlighted excerpts of sound bites that caught my attention :

Part 1: Social Networking Consumption

Q: On an average day how much time do you spend reading/viewing social media? A: "...at least an hour in my Google reader alone..." "average is probably 1-3 hours..." "I directly spend about a half hour each day reading RSS feeds..." [moderator's summary] ... they read a lot.. you’ve got to listen... turn off social networking.. when they need to focus and get stuff done.

Part 2: Social Networking for Organizations

Q: Do you think every business, church, and non-profit should blog, be on Facebook, and Twitter? A: The number of social media users is up 87% since 2003 (no distinction between churched or unchurched) and now outnumbers email users for the first time. In the past year, the time spent on social networks increased 73 percent, Nielsen says." … "This new human behavior is all about developing relational collateral online. It’s one of the most important issues facing organizations today." … "The social media tools aren’t right for everyone and every organization. … key is to know how the tools that exist will help the mission..."

Part 3: Social Media for Individuals

"It is difficult to manage a number of social networks."  "…The notion of community, the desire to associate, affiliate, and belong has always appealed to the human condition." "... If people decide to un-friend me because of that I don’t take it personal."

Part 4: Future of Social Networking

"... social networking is going to get more mobile…" "Facebook and [Twitter] didn’t even exist 3 years ago. I’m not even going to try to answer this one." "… I imagine social networking in 5 years will be much more tied to the physical world. … Pictures, videos, and messages will be tied to locations… Be honest, personal, and real. Don’t strive for perfection."

Personally, I think of social networking as connecting, not consuming. I read & reply to join a conversation to connect with people. I read & post to find and share valuable resources. For me, an average day might total up to an hour, though most of that is a few minutes here, and a few minutes there. Things with technology change very fast. Things with people, not so much. I'm seeing more integration between the online and offline worlds in many good ways, and I think the church can be the best laboratory for developing how we use social networking for the good of the world.

What do you think?

// DJ Chuang, Director at Leadership Network

People searching for God on Google

This Orlando Sentinel article, "'Religion Surfers' look for God on the Web" is also titled, "Find God on Google: "Religion surfers" use search engines to find answers about God, spirituality," according to the HTML title tag on the article's web page:

An estimated 2 million people a day look for God on Google.

Seeking spiritual guidance through search engines is so popular these days that a legion of online missionaries is being assembled in Orlando to answer the cyber-prayers.

Global Media Outreach — a ministry of Orlando-based Campus Crusade for Christ International — has formed a partnership with Northland, A Church Distributed, in Longwood to recruit and train 5,000 online missionaries by 2010.

... Global Media has more than 90 Web sites aimed at search-engine seekers of God. Type in a query about Jesus, and WhoIsJesus-Really.com shows up in the results. Type in a question about God's existence and Jesus2020.com shows up as a sponsored link.

... At the bottom of each Web site is a feedback form that asks for names, e-mail addresses and a space for comments and questions. About 30,000 people a day fill out that form and press the send button, Beeber said.

Those contacts and comments are forwarded to one of the Global Media's 2,900 online missionaries trained to answer questions of faith — or refer to someone who can.

Read the full article to learn more about the partnership and the impact that they hope to achieve.

// DJ Chuang, Director at Leadership Network