Brick and Mortar Meets Google

Last Friday -- March 12, 2010 -- I gave my presentation to the Theology after Google Conference.  It was quite a privilege for me to share the stage with the other presenters, many of whom are far better known than me.  I came to the conference as a pastor of a mainline Protestant church who happens to blog.  I felt the need to speak from within that context, as one who embraces the new technologies, but who also pastors a church where not everyone makes use of these technologies.  I pastor a church that has been around for some time, indeed, it is a church born in what Doug Pagitt called the Industrial Age in a presentation that preceded mine. 

From the conversations that I had at the conference, I discovered that there were others who found themselves in the same position.  Each of us is struggling to find our places.  Doug is a decade younger than me and pastors a church that he founded.  It bears his imprint, which is one born of the Inventive Age.  I'm post 50 and pastor a church that has been around for 80 plus years.  Our situations are very different, and yet we share a similar calling.  And thus my response.  I should note that I misunderstood the schedule, and I wasn't the final word -- there was an afternoon session! So, here it is.

Comments

Richard Bass said…
Good job, Bob. It's good to remember the brick and mortar churches and those who built them and still inhabit--if not fill--them. But, really, "probably" need to be reformed? I'll have to look around for other presentations from the conference. The buzz seems pretty good.
Anonymous said…
Nice job Bob.

We don't reform at CWCC Richard- We evolve. Really, although I'm not too young at 53, I feel young here. And I have to say, we gladly stay with this older congregation (so fay, over a year) and never feel out of place- quite the opposite. They're doing a lot that's right. It has something to do with love and friendship I guess. David Mc

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