Cyber Ministry - Tending 21st Century Sheep

The blog is moving!

2008-10-19T20:14:00.003-04:00

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

This blog is hosted on Blogger.com, a free service that has been great. You may have reached this blog by typing in the address www.21stCenturySheep.com. That address redirected you to this address on Blogger.com.

I have moved to a different blogging service where I have more control of the server and can use the WordPress software. I setup the new blog using the WordPress software on my GoDaddy account. You can reach the new blog by typing in either www.21stCenturySheep.com or www.21stCentury Sheep.net.

This will be the last entry on this site. If you have it bookmarked, make sure the bookmark is set to www.21stCenturySheep.com

Alabama - West Florida Conference

2008-10-11T17:02:00.004-04:00

I had a great time working with folks from the Alabama - West Florida conference of the UMC this weekend. I'll fly out of Montgomery tomorrow morning.

I liked the format of this training. Participants were encouraged to bring laptops and most did. There was time built into the schedule for the participants to try out the things we were discussing. Several of them joined the Google Group, a couple joined Facebook, and one couple even setup a web page for their church.

The training seemed to go well and I met some great folks. Meredyth and Leigh have been great hosts.

New Cyberbullying Study

2008-10-07T19:29:00.003-04:00

A new study out of UCLA finds cyberbullying is more common than previously thought. Almost 75% of teens reported some cyberbullying during the prior 12 months. The most common type of bullying was name calling. That didn't surprise me, but the second most common type did. The second most common tactic was password theft. If someone steals or guesses your password they can send email in your name, visit websites and make it look like it was you, or edit an online profile and post untrue and unflattering information.

We have to teach our kids to use strong passwords, and to keep them private!

Even though nearly 75% reported bullying, only 10% reported it to their parents. The most common reason for not telling was the teens felt like they just "need to learn to deal with it." The second most common reason was that they were afraid if they told, their parents would limit their access to the Internet.

We need to develop relationships that allow our children to tell us what is going on in their lives without fear of us overreacting.

You may also want to listen to the APM Future Tense podcast on this report.

Jog The Web

2008-10-04T22:11:00.002-04:00

A friend pointed me to this website today and I found it very interesting. The site is JogTheWeb.com and it lets the user setup a "tour" of websites. You can add comments or directions about each website.

My first effort is a quick tour of several Internet safety resource sites. Give it a try and see what you think. Click here. The site is free and relatively easy to use.

Porn and the Church

2008-09-28T20:32:00.002-04:00

I was asked to draft some policy and procedures that address situations where pornography is being accessed using church computers. We may think this doesn't happen, but it does. As I was doing some research for this project I came across this terrible story from Texas.

Pastor Steve Richardson of First United Methodist Church in Royse City Texas, has admitted to trafficking child pornography from the computer in the church. The full complaint documents his actions and how he was caught.

First, this is a congregation that needs our prayers. Please pray for all involved in this situation.

Second, it is time for the Church, and the UMC specifically, to face the issue of pornography head-on. There are estimates that up to half of all men access pornography online, and persons in ministry are not immune. There are resources available to help us get started. Here are a few I've found interesting.

XXXChurch
TechMission Safe Families
Breaking Free

Great day at Wesley Memorial UMC

2008-09-28T20:18:00.005-04:00

We had a great day of training at Wesley Memorial in Wilmington yesterday. Bill, Steve, Jay and Donna took care of all the arrangements and made us feel very welcome.

We spent more time on MySpace yesterday than we did the previous week. After reviewing the basics of MySpace I asked the group why they thought MySpace was so popular. They gave some great responses.

1. It is empowering.
2. Kids can define themselves in the way they want to instead of being defined and classified by others.
3. Kids who are shy in real life feel more free to express themselves.

I love the interaction we have in these training sessions.

Youth and Video Games

2008-09-24T21:50:00.002-04:00

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a great source for reliable information about Internet use in America. One of their latest reports is Teens, Video Games and Civics.
This reports shows virtually ALL of American teenagers play video games and at least half of them play games on any given day. I'll confess, I'm not a big gamer. I like Solitaire, the original Mario games, and Brain Age on the Nintendo DS. I tried World of Warcraft but I don't think it is something I'll spend much time with.
This new report shows that for most teens, playing games is a social event. They play with others. This report dispels the myths of gamers being socially isolated and games having no redeeming value. I encourage you to take a look.

White Plains Followup

2008-09-21T15:44:00.003-04:00

We had our first Shepherding 21st Century Sheep workshop yesterday at White Plains UMC in Cary, NC. Rob and Emily were great hosts. They had everything setup and made sure everything was taken care of.
I was very pleased with the workshop, and based on the evaluations, most of the participants were too. I'd like to mention several highlights for me.
1. Great participation by the attendees. There was a lot of expertise in the room and people were willing to share.
2. As mentioned above, the hospitality and facility were great.
3. The Google Group worked as I hoped it would. Derek even posted a couple of things during the session to share with others.
I'm looking forward to Wesley Memorial in Wilmington this weekend.

I haven't had time to explore this yet, but here is the link to the Web-Empowered Church software that was mentioned yesterday.

Cool Cat Christian Blog

2008-09-16T20:21:00.002-04:00

I came across a new blog this week that I want to share.

Vicki Davis is a teacher who is well known and respected for the technology projects and activities she does with her students. I've been following her Cool Cat Teacher Blog for some time now. Just this week I saw that she also has a Cool Cat Christian Blog. On that blog she advocates for churches to use the new media and technology in ministry.

I especially appreciated her blog entry on Christianity and voting!

God and Rambo - UMM Devotion 09.14.08

2008-09-14T08:56:00.003-04:00

I try to see God in everything but I never thought I would see God in a Rambo movie!

Rambo movies are not the kind of movies I normally watch, too much blood and gore. However, this week I did watch the new Rambo movie on DVD. I had seen a behind the scenes special on the movie and that got me interested. Sylvester Stallone was talking about the situation in Burma, where the new movie is set. He chose the setting because he wanted to bring attention to the problems of Burma. Basically, the story is about a group of Christian aid workers getting captured and Rambo trying to rescue them.

The movie prompted me to do some of my own research. Burma has been ruled by a brutal and oppressive military government since 1962. The National League for Democracy won a landslide victory over the military government in 1990 but the was never allowed to take power. The Burmese people are going through an economic crisis and just buying food is a challenge for many. Add to that Cyclone Nargis which hit the country earlier this year. Some have estimated the number killed by the cyclone at over 100,000.

Just when you think things could not get worse, add a plague of rats. "The disaster, known in Burma as maudam, is caused by a cruel twist of nature. Once every 50 years or so the region's bamboo flowers, producing a fruit. The fruit attracts hordes of rats, which feed on its seeds. Some believe the rich nutrients in the seeds cause the rodents to multiply quickly, creating an infestation. After devouring the seeds, the rats turn on the villagers' crops, destroying rice and corn. In a country once known as the rice bowl of Asia, thousands of villagers are on the brink of starvation." (from The Guardian)

A very large number of the Burmese people are poor, abused, taken advantage of by their government, and struggling to survive. On the Rambo DVD commentary one person remarked, "The poor in the world, without justice, are but shadows." Nowhere is this more true than in Burma.

How do we respond to poverty and injustice in Burma and elsewhere? I think the scriptural commandments are clear.

Leviticus 23:22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 15:11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

Psalms 41:1 Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.

Proverbs 31:9 Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Luke 14:13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.

It seems to me there is probably no work more Godly than caring for the poor, the exploited, and the abused. I am very proud of our local church and its food pantry ministry. Each year the food pantry provides food and financial assistance to hundreds of needy families in the county. I am also very proud of the United Methodist Church that works to feed the hungry around the world.

That being said, I have to examine how I can be more involved in poverty and social justice issues. The challenge for all of us to acknowledge the hunger and injustice in this world and acknowledge the abundance and freedom we have in our lives. Then, through prayer, study, and meditation, decide how we can can be part of the solution and minister to God's people.

For more information
Free Burma Rangers
US Campaign for Burma

Saving video from the web

2008-09-06T16:32:00.002-04:00

Have you ever found a great video on YouTube or GodTube and wanted to save a copy? Maybe you were planning a presentation at a location where an Internet connection was not available or was unreliable. If you are like me, you always feel better knowing you have the video downloaded.

I've tried several websites that provide this service. The easiest one I've found so far is KeepVid.com. Go to KeepVid.com, enter the url where you found the video and click the Download button beside the url box. This will take you to a new page. Near the bottom of the page are two links. One will download a high quality (large file) copy of the video. The other is for a low quality (smaller file) copy. You can save the video to your computer or a flash drive.

Happy Viewing!

Hanna cancels Haymount presentation

2008-09-03T21:50:00.004-04:00

The latest projection calls for Hanna to be over Fayetteville on Saturday morning. Not wanting to put anyone at risk, the organizers have decided to cancel the presentation this weekend. At least we will be ready for White Plains UMC on 9/20. (Image from www.wunderground.com)

Preparing for Haymount

2008-09-01T14:08:00.004-04:00

I've been putting the final touches on a presentation and handouts for a Cyberministry training event this weekend. The event will be held at Haymount UMC in Fayetteville, NC.

I'm trying something new to make the files available to the participants. I've created a Google Group that anyone can join. You will see there is a link to it on the right side of this page. Once folks join the group, they can access the files, and participate in a discussion board.

Men's Retreat

2008-08-24T16:42:00.003-04:00

This weekend I had the honor of speaking at a Men's Retreat. The retreat was organized by Jerry Barnett and "his best friend" Kenny Nelson. The retreat took place at Camp Cale just outside of Hertford NC. The location was beautiful, the accommodations great, and the staff friendly.

One of the reasons I agreed to speak at this retreat was because it was an inter-denominational gathering of men. It seems to me the Church is far too fractured today. I think if Jesus returned today he would look at all the different denominations and ask, "What have you done with my body?"

I went expecting to give a short devotion and to enjoy a little time away from work. I got so much more than that! It was a time of renewal, refocusing, and re-dedication to God's work in the world.

Thanks Jerry and Kenny.

Follow-up to Jott post

2008-08-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

It just figures. I wrote a post last night praising the free service offered by Jott.com. This morning I got an email that says Jott is out of beta testing and their offerings have changed. They still have a free service, but if you want to receive email like I described earlier, it will cost you $3.95 per month. That is not a bad price for the service, if you put it to good use.

Jott.com - A cool tool

2008-08-19T21:21:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had a good idea while driving, and wished there was a safe way to write it down? You may want to try Jott.com.

Jott lets you call a special toll free number and record a message. Then, it emails the text of your message to your email, or to any other email you have set up in your contact list.

Today, I was driving to one of our schools and I was thinking about a devotion I will be giving this weekend. A scripture came to mind and I didn't want to forget it. I took out my cell phone, called Jott, and left a message about the scripture. When I got home this evening there was an email in my box reminding me of my scripture.

I've just started using Jott so I'm still learning, but I've been impressed with it so far.

Communion - UMM Devotion 08.10.08

2008-08-09T14:20:00.002-04:00

Communion

Psalms 42:-5 (New Revised Standard): 1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help

This scripture tells of the writer's longing for God, to be restored to the place of worship. This is a comforting scripture for me. Even though the psalmist acknowledges feeling cast down and disquieted, he still hopes in God.

Last Sunday morning I had a small bowl of cereal for breakfast before coming to church. By the time the 11:00 service was ending, I could tell my stomach was empty. I wasn't really hungry, in fact I've probably never experienced real hunger. But I could tell it was about lunch time. As you know, it is our tradition to observe communion every first Sunday, and last Sunday was Communion Sunday. As we prepared for Communion I remember thinking, this empty feeling in my stomach will be eased by eating the bread. The words of the psalmist came to mind. "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Perhaps we should all approach Communion with a hunger and a thirst, not necessarily in our stomachs, but in our hearts and souls.

Over the years, I have had the honor of assisting our Pastor with Communion on several different occasions. He hands out the bread and I hold the cup for the congregation to dip the bread into. One of the things that strikes me is the different ways that folks approach communion. Some come humbly, almost to the point of tears. Some bring traditions from other religions, crossing themselves, when they eat the bread. Some mutter a short prayer, "Thank you Jesus", when they receive the bread and dip the bread in the cup. The children come with curiosity and excitement. Some come displaying joy on their faces.

It seems to me that none of these is better than the other. Perhaps the only demeanor that should be a cause for concern, is a cavalier attitude, one that doesn't take the ritual to heart. We all have to be very careful that we don't just go through the motions during worship service. Try some of these things. Follow along with the scripture when it is read. Listen to the words of the prayers and echo your Amen. Pay attention to the words of the hymns and sing them sincerely and joyfully. Pray for those seated around you. All of these things can help us to have a deeper experience of God during worship.

How do you occupy you heart and mind during the Communion service while you are waiting your turn, or after your turn. I suggest you try one of these strategies to give God a chance to work in you and through you.
1. Re-read the scripture text from the sermon.
2. Prayerfully read the words to the hymns sung during the service.
3. Pray for each person who goes up to receive communion.
4. Pray for the Pastor and his or her family and their ministry in the Church.

The Communion service is a holy place and a holy time. Don't let it go to waste.

My prayer for all of us is that we will approach Communion with a hunger and a thirst for God. No only that, but we will approach with an expectation to have that hunger and thirst satisfied. "Hope in God, for we shall again praise him."

Reflections on a Beach

2008-07-26T09:49:00.005-04:00

"As I was walking on a North Carolina beach one morning, the idea for this parable began to take shape in my mind. Knowing we relate to God in many different ways, I saw those relationships reflected in the people on the beach. This book is about exploring and understanding our relationship to the Divine."

This is the introduction to a little project I've been working on for some time. I finally finished it up this week. Reflections on a Beach is a short parable and guidebook about relationship with God.

I wrote the first version of this parable several years ago and used it in a sermon at Pilmoor Memorial UMC. Since that time I've alternately worked on the story, studied publishing options, and just ignored it for months at a time. The thought of finding a publisher was overwhelming. Then, a couple of years ago, I heard about Lulu.com in a presentation by David Warlick.

The wonderful thing about self publishing through Lulu.com is it does not cost a dime until you are ready to buy a book. The author has complete control over the text, the cover, the price, etc. I uploaded the text as a Word document, uploaded a couple of pictures for the cover, and used their online tools to put it all together.

Even after finding Lulu, I still had trouble getting to a final edit. I blamed it on a new job, courses I was taking, etc. Then, early this year, on three separate occasions in church, I felt compelled to finish the book. Maybe it was God communicating with me, maybe it was my subconcious, but the message was clear. Finish the book.

So here it is. I hope someone finds it helpful.

The Porn Talk

2008-07-20T18:07:00.002-04:00

This month, I've been working on an Internet safety program for parents of children and youth. I know the subject of sexual predators on the Internet gets a lot of ink and TV time. However, the issue that leads some kids to taking sexual risks is often ignored. That is Internet pornography.

There was a news release out this week from the Adult Entertainment Market Research Company that claims a large increase in the number of people signing up on Internet pornography sites. In fact, they link the increase to the economic stimulus checks that were distributed this spring.

Hiding our heads in the sand and ignoring Internet pornography will not make it go away. It is time we face it directly and acknowledge the effects it has on children. ThePornTalk.com is a website with a lot of resources to help us address the issue of pornography with our children. They suggest we begin these discussions when kids are in the 6-10 year range. You may think this is too early, but remember, the average age of the first exposure to internet pornography is 11.

Devotions for United Methodist Men

2008-07-12T15:05:00.002-04:00

For years I have been giving devotional messages at our monthly meetings of the United Methodist Men. I've often thought I should have saved the messages, if, for no other reason, just to make sure I don't repeat one! (That has happened once, but the men were very gracious. Only one person mentioned it. He said, "Sometimes a message is so important you need to hear it more than once.") For the next couple of months, I'll post the devotions to my blog.

Here is the link to the message I'll give tomorrow.

Online safety: Dispelling common myths

2008-07-05T10:17:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending the National Educational Computing Conference, NECC 2008, in San Antonio, Texas this week. This is the premier educational technology conference in United States. Frankly, it was a little overwhelming. I attended several very informative sessions.

There was a panel discussion on online safety featuring several prominent experts. They discussed the research I mentioned on this blog in an earlier post. I encourage you to go to eSchool News and watch the video of their presentation.

Identity Theft and Children

2008-06-29T22:38:00.002-04:00

Did you ever think your children could be a victim of identify theft? It turns out there are up to 500,000 cases of identity theft each year that effect children or youth.

The Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft. They have prepared a report that outlines the problem of identity theft for children.

Online Safety Resource List

2008-06-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

I came across this page recently while researching Internet safety. The Family Online Safety Institute has compiled a comprehensive list of resources for parents. There are some that I was already familiar with, like NetSmartz and CyberSmart Kids. A new one for me that looks very interesting is Get Net Wise. It has some great resources.

CyberMinistry Presentation

2008-06-17T23:02:00.001-04:00

This is the ppt I will be using for the CyberMinistry presentation I'll be doing at Pilmoor UMC.

Cyberministry - In 30 minutes or less?

2008-06-15T14:16:00.005-04:00

This week I will be finishing up a series of presentations for my local church, Pilmoor Memorial United Methodist Church in Currituck, NC.

The first presentation was entitled "The CyberSpace Landscape."
I tried to give folks a very quick look at the new media and new technologies that are available online. That is tough to do in 30 minutes.

The second presentation was "CyberSafety."
We talked about identity theft, computer security, and online safety. Again, an ambitious topic for 30-40 minutes.

I'm now putting the final touches on the third segment, "Cyberministry." I'm hoping to help the church begin to ask two questions.
1. How can we harness the new media and new technologies to advance the mission of the Church?
2. How do we educate or members about responsible and safe use of online resources?

Again, I think I have bitten off more than I can chew for another 30 minute session.

Cyberbullying

2008-06-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

Bullies have been around forever. Many of us remember the bully in the neighborhood or at the elementary school. In my neighborhood, his name was Butch.

Kids Health has a site with great information on helping children deals with bullies.

Computers, cell phones, and the Internet have given bullies more avenues for practicing their craft. Cyberbullying is the word for describing bullying that takes place through electronic media.

For an interesting overview of the subject go to Stop Cyberbullying website and watch the flash intro.

Responsible Use Policy Update

2008-05-26T13:54:00.000-04:00

I made a few edits to the policy draft mentioned in my last post. I also added a sample agreement form for users to sign.

I settled on calling it a "Responsible" use policy rather than "Acceptable" use policy. For some reason, that word seems to fit a little better.

Here is the link to the revised policy.

Acceptable Use Policy for Churches

2008-05-07T21:36:00.000-04:00

A Google search for "church AUP" will return several examples of of acceptable use policies. I've been working on one that includes all the components that seem important to me. This is the latest draft. I'm sure I'll change something the next time I read it. I also need to add a form for users to sign acknowledging the AUP.

I think it is important for a church to customize an AUP for its particular needs. You shouldn't try to use one "off the shelf."

Any suggestions for improving the AUP?

$240 million lost in Internet Scams

2008-04-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

The FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center recently released a report entitled 2007 IC3 Annual Report that $240 million dollars were lost by United States citizens in 2007. IC3 is Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The most common crime was auction fraud. Second was non-delivery of purchased goods or services. Approximately 1/3 of the crimes reported resulted in losses of between $1000 and $5000.

This statement was particularly disturbing to me. "The report also shows the amounts lost increased with age. Victims in their 20s lost $385 on average, while people over 60 reported they lost an average $760 per scam."

We often associate Internet safety issues only with children and youth, but this demonstrates a need to educate adults and older adults on Internet safety issues also.

The Bible on MP3

2008-03-25T18:42:00.000-04:00

For several years now I've been listening to audio books. I began listening to cassette tapes and CDs in the car while traveling. More recently I started using an MP3 player. You may be familiar with the IPOD by Apple but there are lots of different MP3 players available starting at very reasonable prices. You can also listen to MP3 files on any computer.

I'm currently listening to The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America by Jim Wallis and Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. I use Audible.com to purchase most of the books I listen to. Not long ago I purchased the NIV Audio Bible from Audible. Today I came across a site that has the entire KJV in MP3 files. You can download just the book you want or the whole Bible.

Happy Listening!

GodTube and YouthGlue

2008-03-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

In a recent training session we discussed using YouTube.com to post church video for people to view. Someone expressed a concern because there are some videos on YouTube that might not be appropriate.
An alternative site is GodTube.com. This is a free site. It allows you to upload video and share that with anyone online. I setup an account on GodTube recently. It was simple to do. I posted a video clip that I recorded at the March Forth for Children conference. The video is not great but that is my fault. I was using a new camera and was pushing it to its limits. GodTube proved to be a good site to share this. Click here to see the video.

In the same training session I mentioned above, we talked about using MySpace.com to communicate members of a youth group. Again, because there are things on MySpace that are inappropriate we discussed alternatives. The youth group at my home church, Pilmoor Memorial UMC, uses YouthGlue.com. This is a Christian social networking site. The youth leader has moderation rights on all pages. It has been a success at our church and judging by the testimonials, it has been a success for others as well.

March Forth Wrap-up

2008-03-12T17:04:00.000-04:00

Well, the conference is over and I am back to the real world. The conference was wonderful and I met some great people. Lindsey Almond and her team did a great job.

I was very inspired by the folks who spoke in the sharing session we had Saturday morning. Many great ideas were shared but one really stuck with me. I'm sorry I don't remember who told the story. Their children/youth go out into the community to do good deeds and help others. When they do, they wear t-shirts that say "The Church has left the building." What a wonderful way of describing mission work.

Back home on Sunday morning we had our regular UMM meeting. I shared some of the stories from the weekend and told them how proud I was of the UMC and its members.

In Sunday School we talked about Operation Inasmuch which is a program our Church, Pilmoor Memorial UMC, is participating in this year. Operation Inasmuch mobilizes believers in a hands-on local church missions blitz in their community. It offers a proven model of local ministry for any size congregation in any location. This program is another example "the Church has left the building."

Day 1 of March Forth for Children 2008

2008-03-07T21:45:00.001-05:00

Day one of the conference has come to a close. My two sessions today were a lot of fun. I had active participants in each group which prompted great discussion. In the first session on Ministry and CyberSpace Landscape I had a Preacher who plays "Call of Duty" and a Youth/Children leader who plays World of Warcraft. Yippee! I also had a participant who maintains a daily devotional on her MySpace page.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I will have the opportunity to speak to the entire group for about 20 minutes.

I got two homework assignments from the groups today and I promised to post the responses back to the blog soon.
1. Provide a review of GodTube.com
2. Report back on the Christian social networking site our youth group uses as a MySpace substitute.

Check out the two pictures I took at the evening session. (They are linked on the right side of the page.) This was my first experience with my new toy, the Vivitar DVR560G camera and camcorder.

Time to close out for now. It has been a long time since 3:00 a.m. this morning.

March Forth Conference Materials

2008-03-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

You can find the handout and PowerPoints for the March Forth Conference on the CyberMinistry wiki.

March Forth For Children

2008-02-10T16:46:00.001-05:00

The Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church is sponsoring a two-day training event entitled March Forth for Children, Growing Faith-Full Children. The event will take place on March 7th and 8th at Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville Tn.

Breakout sessions will be offered in the areas of Worship, Christian Education, Missions & Social Justice, Family, Fun, and Safety. I will be presenting the two session below each day.

First session - Ministry and the Cyberspace Landscape. Blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networking are all part of the cyberspace landscape. In this session we will explore these and other new technologies discovering how they can be used in ministry. Learn about the potential challenges and how to safely implement them in ministry.

Second session - Cybersafety: Tending 21st Century Sheep
Cyberspace, just like the real world, holds dangers for children and adults. In this session we will
expose the dangers and explore tools and strategies for staying safe.

After the conference I'll post the presentations on this blog.

MySpace signs safety pact with States

2008-01-21T09:17:00.000-05:00

MySpace Inc. has signed an agreement with the Attorneys General of 49 states to add approximately 60 new safety features on its website. A key issue is age verification. Members of the task force hope MySpace is just the first social networking site to sign up and this pact will set the standard for safety on other social networking sites.
MySpace is also in the news this week because they just patched a security problem that allowed users to access private pictures on a member's site.

New research on Internet Safety

2008-01-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

I ran across a very interesting report this week on Internet safety. The report is a transcription of Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Forum called “Just the Facts about Online Youth Victimization.” The Congressional Internet Caucus brought together several experts on issues of Internet safety. They discuss some recent research that calls into question many of the thoughts and ideas we have been teaching for years. This quote summarizes one of the studies.

"Our research, actually looking at what puts kids at risk for receiving the most serious kinds of sexual solicitation online, suggests that it’s not giving out personal information that puts kid at risk. It’s not having a blog or a personal website that does that either. What puts kids in danger is being willing to talk about sex online with strangers or having a pattern of multiple risky activities on the web like going to sex sites and chat rooms, meeting lots of people there, kind of behaving in what we call like an internet daredevil."

This research has much to inform our discussions of Internet safety. I encourage you to read the transcript.

The Week After Christmas

2007-12-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

I hope you are enjoying a nice holiday season. It has been good for us. We've visited with family, taken some time off work, and enjoyed the slower pace. I also received a couple of very fun, though not necessarily age appropriate, gifts. My family gave me a Nintendo DS with Brain Age and Hotel Dusk. The also gave me a very cool robot. You can see a demo of it here.

A couple of years ago I was asked to preach at our local church on the Sunday after Christmas. I wrote this poem to use in the sermon. Hope you enjoy it.

The Week after Christmas

You Version - The Web 2.0 Bible

2007-11-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

YouVersion.com is a great new site that blends the networking and interactive features of Web 2.0 with Bible study. You can read the Bible online, using the King James, New King James, American Standard Version, and several more. You can tag verses with key words and then use the key words to find the verses later. You can even link verses to outside content. Imagine you find a YouTube video that relates to a particular scripture. You can link it in the My Version area so you can find it later. There is also a handy Journal area where you can take notes.
The home page has a very informative video to help you get started.

Acceptable (Responsible) Use Policies

2007-11-12T18:45:00.001-05:00

At the CyberSafety conference we identified the need for churches to have Acceptable, or Responsible, Use Policies for the Internet and other electronic resources.

Most AUPs address the following: appropriate Email use, cyber-bullying prohibition, illegal use provision, no expectation of privacy, signature sheet, prohibition against unauthorized software, password policies, and copyrighted material concerns.

Some sample policies can be found at the locations below.

Wesley United Methodist Church

Safe Families

Fair Haven UMC

Diocese of Austin

What do you think? What components are important for an AUP?

Two generations experience the new Nissan GT-R

2007-11-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

This week I had an experience that illustrates the impact technology, and particularly video games, are having on how we experience the world. I received the new Motor Trend magazine this week. It includes an article on the new Nissan GT-R which is scheduled to be released in the US next year. This car is obviously out of my price range but it is fun to read about.

My son Timothy was walking through the living room as I was reading the article and I shared it with him. I thought he would be excited to hear about it since we had discussed it previously. Instead he said, "Yeah, I know. I'm driving it upstairs." Turns out the Play Station 3 game Gran Turismo 5 includes the car as one of the choices. It was included when the came was released but it was not unlocked for play until the day the car was actually unveiled. So while I was reading a magazine and looking at pictures he was having a very different experience. He was using a steering wheel, pedals, and a big screen TV to experience the car from the driver's seat. Wow.

21st Century Sheep expect experiences that are interactive and engaging. How do we address this need in our churches?

Cyber Tipline

2007-10-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

I recently found Cyber Tipline. The site offers a service you hope you never have to use. You can report instances of child sexual exploitation from this site.

Sexual Exploitation includes child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. Reports may be made 24-hours per day, 7 days per week online at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.

The Child Victim Identification Program, CVIP, is represented on this website. This is an agency that seeks to establish the identity of the exploited children in child pornography. The agency analyzes the content to determine location, then works with local law enforcement to rescue the children.

Internet Safety and Facebook

2007-10-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

A news report today says Facebook has agreed to implement new user protections. This is good news for those of us interested in Internet Safety.

Press release

2007-10-15T20:59:00.000-04:00

The CyberSafety conference had a very nice write-up by Jeanette Pinkston. I hope all the attendees are being successful bringing attention to these issues back at their workplaces.

I came across another good resource for Internet Safety, www.SafeKids.com. I especially like their Kids Pledge and Parent's Pledge for Internet Safety.

Using the public wiki

2007-10-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

Yippe! We have our first post to the public wiki. JP points to an Oct. 4 article in USA Today about the reaction some teens have when their parents are on Facebook. It also contained this article about child porn arrests in NJ. Kudos to all the law enforcement personnel involved!

Here are links to some resources I was asked about at the conference.

Microsoft Password Tester

Virtual Magnifier

Copying video from YouTube.

CyberSafety in Ministry - Day 3

2007-10-06T16:43:00.000-04:00

This post is a little late, because, just as I suspected, there was three days worth of work piled up on my desk when I got back in the office Thursday. I'm sure those of you who attended the conference experienced the same thing.

Day three was a great day with Joy Thornburg Melton, author of Safe Sanctuaries, Karen Douse, Teen Angel sponsor, and Stephen Streett, Youth Minister at Dunwoody UMC.

Joy talked with us about making cybersafety issues a part of our Safe Sanctuaries program. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the discussion.

Karen expanded on the Teen Angel program we learned about on day one. She said she was very proud of the girls that did our presentation.

Stephen encouraged us to get involved in youth culture so we can more effectively communicate with and relate to teens regarding cybersafety issues.

All in all I think it was a great conference. I learned a lot and am very grateful to all the members of the design team for putting it together.

CyberSafety in Ministry - Day 2

2007-10-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

Tom Evans with the Knoxville Police Department brought an informative and disturbing message. He is a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforce. He mentioned the FBI also has an program against child pornography called the Innocent Images Initiative.
Tom said catching internet predators is tougher than it is depicted on NBC's To Catch a Predator.
He explained some of the procedures his task force uses to track down people who possess and distribute child pornography.
His message was tough to hear but it is good to know there are law enforcement officers like Tom working to keep children safe.

Day 1 - CyberSafety in Ministry

2007-10-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

Day one is over but we are just getting started. The Design Team did a great job organizing the event. I was particularly impressed with everyone's participation and comments during the networking session. It was clear to me that the participants are very serious about making a difference when the conference is over.

Three members of the Teen Angels came and talked with us in the afternoon. Teen Angels are sponsored by Wired Safety. They talked about social networking, electronic communication methods and You Tube.

All three touted the positive aspects of the Internet. All had profiles on Facebook and a couple used MySpace. They seemed very confident that they knew and were observing proper safety precautions online. The main precaution they talked about was the importance of allowing only friends to view their profiles.

A few of their comments caught my attention:
"The Internet is tailored to our interest and convenience."
"You Tube is our cinema."
"Contrary to popular opinion, social networking is not the root of all evil."
"Facebook is good for personal relationships, not professional ones."
"MySpace is where we find new music."
"Sure there is stuff on You Tube I don't want to see, but there is stuff on regular TV I don't want to see either."
"Facebook helps you maintain long distance relationships."

When asked what churches need to do to reach youth the response was to provide a space (webpage) where they can find out information about the church and provide a way for the youth to ask questions and get answers online.

Preparing for Nashville

2007-09-29T17:44:00.000-04:00

As I put the final touches on my presentations for the Cyber-Safety in Ministry conference I'm stuck by the amount and quality of resources available online. I've tagged most of the resources I plan to use with del.icio.us social bookmarking. To find resources related to cyberministry go to http://del.icio.us/pgobriant/cyberministry.

Copies of the handout and PowerPoint presentations are available at http://cyberministry.pbwiki.com.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the conference!