Teaching &
Social
Networking
Youth Ministry &
Technology Study
 52 youth pastors
 90% in charge of middle school & high school
 Average age: 31
 Average years in ministry: 8
Use of Technology
Youth Ministry Websites
Photo Sharing
Online video of youth events
Podcasts of sermons
Podcasts created by students
Second Life
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Use of Technology
E-mail announcements
Facebook Invitations
Text Messaged Announcements
E-mail encouragements
Text encouragements
Twitter Announcements
0
10
20
30
40
50
Use of Technology
Personal Facebook Page
Group Facebook page
Facebook posts on student sites
Parent Facebook page or group
Personal Myspace page
Group Myspace Page
Video Game Parties
Online Gaming as a group
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Use of Technology
Staff produced videos
Student produced videos
Video posted to Youtube
Videos posted to Godtube
Online chats
Facebook chats
IM chats
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Web 1.0
vs.
Web 2.0
A New Approach
Web 1.0
 Static
 Not easily updated
 Text-based
 One-way
 Created by experts
Web 2.0
 Fluid
 Multi-media
 Interactive
 Consumer-producers
Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0
 My website
 Traditional newspapers
& search engines
 A leader-centered Bible
study
 Powerpoint
 Staff-created
 Program-centered
 Center for
Parent/Youth
Understanding
 Flickr, Youtube, Blogs
 An interactive Bible
study
 Videos
 Student collaborated
 Social interaction/
relationship centered
EPIC
 Experiential
 Participatory
 Image-based
 Communal
John S Miller
Websites
42% of youth pastors are dissatisfied with
their website
60% are not able to update the website at
least once a week
Content Analysis
342 Websites
No site
Parent section
Forums
Podcast
Blog
Video
Pictures
0
5
10
15
Percentage
20
25
30
35
Websites
According to youth pastors:
 What works well:
 Forms, information sharing, and calendar
 Things they would like to change:
 No one uses it
 The person who updates it
 The overall look (more interactive, more pictures, less
‘80’s, separate from the main site)
Websites
Examples:
 Web 1.0:
 GracePoint
 Web 2.0:
 First Baptist Church of Geneva
 Huron Hills
 1st Baptist Church of Manistee
 Woodcrest
Websites
What students say…
What makes a good website?

Easy to navigate (tabs clearly defined)

Clear contact information (pictures help)

Pictures (not stock photos)
What are signs of a bad website?

Spelling errors

No links (not even Facebook)

Over stimulating (flash taking forever to load)

No context (needs a “who are we” statement—not just pictures)

Weird ministry names (no info like “6-8th grades)

Incorrect contact information (youthpastor@gmail.com)
Websites
 What do you think?
 What do you use your website for?
 What works?
 Is it worth it?
Text Messaging
Text Messaging
 81% of surveyed youth pastors felt comfortable with
the technology
 63% regularly initiate texts with students
 65% have students who regularly text them
 75% feel it is an excellent ministry tool
 Most text just a small group of students
Text Messaging
Good things:
 Openness of students
 Students ask good questions
 Students volunteer more information
 Coordinating & advertising
 Sense of contact
 Prayer requests
 Birthdays
 Bible passages
 Good luck in a athletic event
 Any other ideas?
Text Messaging
 Challenges

Miscommunication

Boundaries

Shallow

Too much stuff!

Students text during school
 Advice about texting

Get a text-savvy phone

Talk to parents (make sure student has text plan)

Let youth make 1st contact

Don’t overdo it

Keep hard conversations f2f
Technology Ideas
 Facebook
 Personal page vs. group page
 Photo sharing
 Easy access
 Learning what is going on with kids
 Good conversations
 Blogs
 Have students & volunteers sign up
 Needs to be kept up—2-3 per week
Technology Ideas

Hi-tech connections

E-mail works with parents (not students)

Have the chat turned on during work

Use software for mass text messages

Student produced podcasts
“Bad visuals are worse than no visuals”

Webstarts.com

animoto.com

Zamzar.com (reformat youtube videos)

Nooma, Youtube videos

Videos made together

Video game parties
Technology
“Technology can burn and waste valuable
time. Keep it simple and use it sparingly.
Kids don't need flashiness; they need an
adult who models Christ! If they do not
have this, all the cool technology is just more
noise in a noisy world.”
Discussion
 What does Ministry 2.0 look like in your group?
 What have you found works well?
 What frustrations do you have with technology?
 What are some of the tensions with using technology in
ministry?