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
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