Justin Wise posts an interesting thought:
What if you were to have “Online Office Hours” and use web-based tools to enable people to engage with you?
Hmm. Justin continues:
I took a nod from the professor playbook (is there such a thing?) and started experimenting with the idea of online office hours. Online office hours function much like their offline counterpart:
Give people a time when you will be available in a certain space. In my case, the office wasn’t a physical room, but a web address.
So, you can literally jump into his “office” around the time of 2-4pm CST on Wednesdays here, at Formspring.
Thoughts on this? Is this the future of online ministry and online education? As I mentioned in the comments, I’m currently a bit too busy to entertain this idea but it’s not one that I haven’t considered.
Adam Shields says
For some forms of ministry I think it is a good idea. But I think it also assumes there are times when you cannot be reached. I think the more you cannot be reached regularly, the more you probably need office hours. If you are fairly available anyway, then there is probably not a lot of reason for online office hours.
Ben says
I’ve seen Justin advertise this and wanted to check it out several times but unfortunately I’ve never done it. I like the idea but what actual benefit has Justin seen from doing it?
Adam Lehman says
Justin is an author, blogger & puts on events.
Justin is in the business of trust building. He builds trust with people and hopefully builds enough of it that they’ll buy his conference tickets, books, etc when he sells them.
Justin would tell you that he benefits more from this than the people who contact him during his office hours.
Dewaine says
About 4 years ago I asked this question to a group of senior/associate/youth pastors, & got mixed reviews. It seemed the more senior the minister (meaning he/she had been a minister for a while) the more against the idea he/she was. It didn’t help that they were mostly ministers in rural areas where face-to-face contact is higher regarded than the virtual counterpart.
Ben says
4 years ago? Sheesh.
See now, that would make a really interesting study. What drove their negative responses? Was it fear of the unknown, objective reasoning, or just simply not the way it ever was done. Some may have even had spiritual/scriptural reasons. Either way, it would be an interesting study.
Dewaine says
It wasn’t fear so much as inability to see its benefits. Many of them had in their minds what office hours were for: prayer, study, managing, and envisioning the future. It wasn’t meant to be “on the computer.”
Ben says
So it was the purpose that made their decision. I wonder if it would help those times of prayer and study if they were available through an online “office” at other announced times?
Rhett Smith says
Justin guest posted this on my blog a while back on this topic, http://rhettsmith.com/2009/04/how-am-i-going-to-do-this/
Rhett Smith
Becky says
Amen. I think it’s beyond time for online office hours. It’s like a necessity. If you’re in a church or leadership position you’re a few years behind I think if you’re not making yourself available online on a forum or chat where others can find you for at least a couple hours everyday. If not, I’d add at least keep up with your email and check your social networks a few times a day as that is what many 21st century people may be using to get ahold of you. Love this post!
Graham says
AGREED!
Graham says
Same. I’m a bit too busy and random to have set hours each week for this. But I do like the idea! I wonder how many people would want to talk to me?… haha