I graduated from a small private liberal arts school in the Maryland area. It was founded by a group of methodist, and the core values of the school are based on methodist ideoligies.

Marshall Mcluhan Adorned our walls in the communications department at school. ‘The medium is the message’ was drilled into our minds every day.

From what I gathered during my four years of Mcluhan was that the medium was the message. It does not matter what verbage is being used or what combination of nouns, verbs etc. What matters is the method in which the message is carried.

What matters most is the communication method. How the message is being delivered. I see it as a waste of time to analyze secularism pularism etc. Get me the specks on what tools they have to spread their word. To communicate. Religon does not live, does not prosper without a medium.

Great example is wisper down the lane. How many of us rember playing wisper down the lane as kids. How many times was the message the same at the end as it was at the begining.

A religon with out the proper tools is impotent. Picture sheep without their sheapard.

The question that seems to be in my mind is, “How far?”

How do you recommend balancing the very real value of ‘presence’ with the distance that is involved in much of new media? First from a theological idea of ‘presence’ and then implementation.

As a pastor on the street, I am asking:
1. What impact on ‘presence’ does video venue have? What problems are down the road with this? Lack of intentional leadership development to raise up pastors? The development of super-pastors?
2. What impact does the widespread distribution of podcasts have on the local congregation, its pastors and those under his care? Certainly we can learn from other teachers, but we also see conflict arising here as well. Should we be following our local congregational leadership or the guy we podcast?
3. What about church-based web-based social networks? Are they good as alternatives to Facebook? etc? Do we use them or not?

Mark, I promise I am not a hater of technology. If my wife and friends could testify, I am actually a little too interested in these things. As a lead pastor planting a church in Austin (America’s #1 blogging city according to Scarborough) I need to ask these questions. Indeed, every church needs to answer these things as well.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the theological importance of ‘presence’ and how you would recommend we navigate new media? What questions, in addition to McLuhan’s, would you ask? Also, I realize that new media has the ability to draw people toward presence, how would you recommend that we specifically use it to do so?

You have already invested considerable time in the original question and I thank you for that. You would serve me and others well with your thoughts here.

Blessings.

Every ADL reader should check out your essay here: http://dadmanly.blogspot.com/2008/04/wary-of-insularity.html.

In particular, we should consider carefully your insights here:

I submit that the greatest danger the internet and new media poses for the Christian (practitioner or evangelist) is the same danger posed by more traditional Christian community. Fellowships that turn inward, Congregations that self-serve, church bodies that exclude or separate or find more division with other Christians than unity, all of these stray from God’s call.

I don’t suppose this potential is any greater via new media than in the easier ways we isolate ourselves in the physical world. I certainly have witnessed enough isolation and cloistering behavior in churches to think the very act of stepping out online represents something of a hopeful sign, denoting an attempt to reach beyond the comfortable or known, seeking those who are lost.

In dialog such as those encouraged by Evangelical Outpost, and this Symposium, and the emerging communities of Christian bloggers, I also see a breaking down of denominational and doctrinal boundaries which have far too often stifled and stunted, than protected believers from error or bad doctrine.

Excellent essay, one I will review and reflect upon. I thank God for this effort, for you and your work and thoughts, and for awakening and empowering that so much can be, what new media affords our witness.

Well deserved First place!