Today’s Friday 5 is with Jesse Phillips. Many of you probably know him as one of the guys behind the Catalyst Conference and their Twitter and Blog.
One of the biggest blessings of getting to know Jesse is that he has the gift of “digital encouragement”. I’ve begun to realize that spiritual gifts, classically understood from Scripture, do not necessary look the same in the online space, and Jesse has helped me see the value and need for those within the Body of Christ to take their gifts online.
He’s blessed me personally, touched my family, and has encouraged thousands. That number will increase for sure. Thanks Jesse for the friendship and your willingness to serve.
Name
Jesse “James” Phillips
Blog/Website
Favorite Websites:
Working on?
1. web content management and web banner design for Catalyst Space.com
2. connecting the body of Christ together! Want to put on local gatherings, similar to http://theideacamp.ning.com/ – working on a church planters’ gathering in Atlanta.
3. Just bought (low end) screen printing equipment and want to start printing some shirts!
4. Researching experience ideas for Catalyst West Coast, including: live screen printing, tricycle race, large foam blocks, zipline, bmx foam pit, graffiti, rockets.
5. Possible Coffee Shop opening in 2010.
How do you see Web Technology impacting The Kingdom?
It seems that the explosion of online social networking tools has catalyzed a movement toward online and offline social networking in our culture. Twitter has enabled this movement TREMENDOUSLY by allowing short and simple connections with lots of leaders, especially when you’re away from your computer.
Twitter + the iPhone has taken social networking literally to the streets in a way that was impossible before – you can tell everyone where you are and meet friends/followers in real life, quickly and accidentally.
Because of twitter, the iphone, wifi, social networking is more streamlined and smooth. We now have the dexterity to communicate fairly well with people who are far away, and meet them online, and meetup with them offline.
It seems like the advent of social networking 2.0 has exploded networking among Church leaders. This is HUGE for the kingdom, b/c now Christian leaders in different denominations and churches are working together like never before. Ideas are being shared and criticized like never before. People are even gathering live online, via live video streaming, video conference calls, etc.
Examples of this include:
1. ONE PRAYER – something like 2,000 churches (1,000,000 people) joined together to do a joint sermon series. And to pray together. And to plant churches in Africa, or something. Awesome.
2. LifeShare – a one week project where participants met online at mogulus.com, everyday for a week, and prayed together, and agreed to share their life and faith with their friends using their online social network accounts.
3. Carlos Whittaker’s online prayer gatherings – again, people getting together online to pray.
4. Carlos, Anne Jackson, Shaun King, others using their blogs to support social causes: Compassion International, 50,000 Shoes.com, 500 Uniforms.com, etc.
5. Bloggers rallying around emergency needs: helping Dino Rizzo and Chris Seay with blue tarps and donations after the Hurricanes.
6. Thousands of relationships forming through twitter and blogs that otherwise would not have existed.
So … I see web technology – FIRST: creating a desire in our culture to connect to each other. And SECOND: enabling networking, enabling meetings, enabling communication between different parts of The Body, who (with a new found desire and ability to connect) then work together to advance The Kingdom.
Also, I see web technology enabling Church innovation, because ideas are more readily shared and discussed via the web.
As one of the world’s largest natural networks of (semi)-like-minded people, The Church stands to gain tremendously as technology allows us to communicate more and work together more efficiently.
Very exciting times.
Awesome to hear about another person excited about using technology for networking the Kingdom! Where do you see these trends heading in the next five to ten years?
i think he's out. … he'll be back..
Sorry for not responding earlier Daniel,
Daniel that's a great question and I'll be honest, I have no idea. Here's a guess:
I think we'll see a rise in the "unconference" "open source" mentality, where Christian leaders around the country will be organizing themselves (although I feel it would be helpful to have a central organization that facilitates this, perhaps Catalyst (probably not), or Leadership Network, or someone else) – via new websites, Ning, new associations (the Origins Network might be an example of this).
I think we'll see more unconferences, and fewer paid conferences (obviously this is relevant to me!)
I think with the greater connections of people online and offline, we'll see a general increase in "the work of the ministry" being done by members of the body that aren't church staff. Hopefully more Christians will feel empowered to go out and use their gifts to advance the Kingdom and not feel like they have to be on staff at a church or a missionary or something.
Thus, I expect less of a focus on being part of a traditional (litte "c") church building and organization, and more focus on believers meeting together in their own ad hoc groups, encouraging one another, and being the body outside of the institutional structures we've commonly employed.
eh, maybe. I really don't know!
Daniel, how can you and I work together to network the Church online? I've thought it might be useful to create (yet another) website for "Kingdom Entrepreneurs" and innovators – people who have gifts, a vision, and want to do something, but need help from other parts of the body. In addition to profiles and gifts you can search, there might be projects and ideas you can peruse as well.
Just an idea. Hit me up, Daniel: jesse dot phillips at Catalystspace.com
an epic reply. w00t.
Very good response Jesse. Very briefly have you gotten to check out http://www.issacharnetwork.org?Its something I have been working for the last six months, that should answer the question in your last paragraph. I would appreciate your comments and ideas. I could also use some help in writing the actual code for some of the projects listed. Free free to contact me at danielcberman at gmail.com.
Very good response Jesse. Very briefly have you gotten to check out http://www.issacharnetwork.org? Its something I have been working for the last six months, that should answer the question in your last paragraph. I would appreciate your comments and ideas. I could also use some help in writing the actual code for some of the projects listed. Free free to contact me at danielcberman at gmail.com.