Online Ministry Curriculum Building Online Ministry from the Ground Up

Online Ministry Curriculum – Building Online Ministry from the Ground Up

Background

The great commission tells us “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” According to Google, 72.4% of Americans use the Internet regularly (1), yet only 40% of American’s attend church regularly. (2). A recent Pew Research study posits that users of online social networking such as facebook, are more likely to have a stronger, more diverse, support group, are more likely to interact with their neighbor, and are more likely to visit a park; yet they are 40% less likely to belong to a religious community (3).

Meanwhile, there are lots of great internet projects that have been started by church leaders that fail to take hold. Past rationale for why these projects fail, often point to a lack of commitment or a lack of adaption to internet communities. Basically, the responsibility for their failure is directed at the planning and implementation of the leader. Unlike the Pew study, there are no hard statistics for the internet usage of church members, but there are statistics about internet usage by age group. The average of age a United Methodist Congregant is 57, and that age group is 17% less likely to use the internet then their millennial counterparts (4). While the blame before has tended to rest with the Top-down, I believe the solution needs to come from the bottom-up. By teaching internet literacy to church members who are not part of an online community, we can empower them to achieve a fuller expression of their faith. In turn we can create a stable base from which to launch new and exciting ministries online.

Overview

Sessions: 1. Googling God – Finding God on the internet 2. You’ve Got Mail – Harnessing the power of email to stay connected 3. Facebook Faith – Learn about yourself, and share with your friends 4. You-Toobed – Share your story, up close and personal 5. Virtuality – Explore life in the virtual world

Time: Each session should take more than one hour but less than an hour and a half.

Place/Equipment: This curriculum requires the use of a computer with a broadband internet connection for each participant, in a common location.

Participant Requirements:  Participants should have access to a computer with internet access outside of the class  Participants should have basic computer literacy  Participants should willing to learn about and use online technologies  If a participant is already heavily engaged in online technologies, they can still participate, but they should be encouraged to serve as a helper for the class

Instructor: The instructor should be fluent with Google, Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, and other web technologies, as well as the use of a web camera.

Instructor Equipment: The instructor should have a computer with internet access connected to a display that is viewable by everyone in the room. A web camera, camcorder, or laptop with an integrated camera is needed for session 4. A webcam or camera to take portrait shots is needed for session 3.

Teacher Student Ratio: There should be a 4 to 1 instructor (or helper) to student ratio to ensure that everyone gets the help they need in the time allotted.

Collegiate/Wesley Specific Details: This study would take place in the computer lab which is limited by 8 computers.

Optional Sessions: Three topics that are not found below that could be adapted to this format are Wiki’s, Twitter, and Blogging.

Session 1 – Googling God

Objective – Upon Completions of this session:  Participants should have a basic understanding of what the internet is and how it works  Participants should have an understanding of the scope of the internet  Participanst should be comfortable finding and using spiritual resources online

Introduction

What is the internet? Imaging streams of 1’s and 0’s, each one called a bit, eight of them called a byte, 64 of those called a packet, each packet moving through a series of cables, through switching stations, across airwaves, down the heavens from satellites, under the vast oceans through pipelines, taking a path that’s various routes are numerous as the stars in the sky, until they finally reach their destination, your computer. Once there, these packets combine to make text, colors, pictures, sounds, videos, and more. Those elements combine through your computer’s hardware to help you experience websites, email, chat, online games, and more. Furthermore, this process is repeated in reverse as you enter text, choose a website, upload, a picture, or play an online game.

The internet is both grand and simple in design. In its simplest, the internet is just a bunch of 1’s and 0’s moving through cables. At its most complex, the internet is a world of connections where we can express our joys, and our laments, and even our faith. Visual Representation of the Internet

Bible Reading

Isaiah 43.19-28 19I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

Reflection

Because the Internet is a man-made invention, it raises questions about its ability to serve Holy ends. This passage from Isaiah speaks of God who provides us with new opportunities to express our praise.

Activity 1 – Top Sites Tour

Leader Preparation: tour each of the sites below and pick out a few points of interest to demonstrate for each one. * Sites are church and denomination specific; insert your own sites here. Also, make sure all of the computers are updated and internet accessible before the session.

This activity is designed to take you through some of sites I have found most helpful in my spiritual life online. The first three are church/denomination specific. Textweek is one of the best sites for learning about the weekly Bible text. Oremus is one of the best Bible passage browsers, and Sojo (Sojourners) is one of the best sites for social justice and political action. Go through each of these as a group, with the leader pointing out

CWames.org* UMC.org* IAUMC.org* Textweek.com Oremus.org Sojo.net

Activity 2 – Google Your Faith

1. Open up a text editor or word processing program (such as notepad) on your computer. List the three most important aspects of your spiritual life (a spiritual discipline, a Bible story or figure, a spiritual place, etc.). 2. Then open up google.com and type the first item on your list in the search window and browse some of the sites that look promising. 3. The first time you find a good site, practice bookmarking that site in the web browser. 4. Write down the good sites on a piece of paper so that you can look them up later and bookmark them on your own computers. 5. Repeat this process with your second and third item as time allows. Discussion Questions

1. What did you find on the internet that surprised you? 2. What do you think, as Christians, our role is on the internet? 3. Where did you find God in your exploration of the internet? Session 2 – You’ve Got Mail

Objective - Upon completion of this session: - Participants should feel comfortable sending and receiving personal emails, including emails to groups - Participants should feel comfortable signing up for third party email or sending a third party email

Introduction

The email has become a mainstay of American communications. By 1999, there were already twice as many emails a year as there were postal letters. While an email can never replace the tactile, personal nature of a handwritten letter, it has several other advantages. Namely, emails are nearly instantaneous, emails can link to other items, and emails can be read from any location with an internet connection and an internet ready device. For churches, emails represent a great boon to ministry. Churches that are able to send emails in luei of mailings can drastically cut down on their printing budgets and the administrative and volunteer labor. Furthermore, they can send more regular notices with less lead time. Emails are rapid, they are flexible, and they help churches to be good stewards of their resources.

Bible Reading

Ephesians 4.29-32 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Reflection

This passage from Ephesians is a guide for positive communications.

One of the reasons email has been labeled as impersonal, is because it doesn’t demand the careful crafting a handwritten letter does, instead emails can be crafted and sent in mere seconds with very little thought for discernment and consideration. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In our passage from Ephesians we are cautioned not to talk evil, but to build up. Indeed, Paul went through great lengths to write letters that were personalized to the community they were intended for.

Activity 1 – Group Prayer using Gmail Instructor Preparation: This requires each participant to setup their email account on Gmail. The reason for using Gmail is that it is one of the few web clients that will accept third party email addresses. It is also arguably easier to use than other conventional email programs. In order to facilitate this process, have each participant give you their email address (if they have one) and have them write down or memorize there password. Assure them that you do not want to see their password but that they will need to enter it during the session. Second, look up the PoP3 and SMTP setting for each of the mail servers involved. Make sure Gmail is set to “leave a copy of the email on the server” in case the participant decides not to use Gmail in the future. If you are unable to set someone up appropriately, have them join with another participant.

1. Create an Gmail account (if you don’t already have one) by going to www.gmail.com

2. Setup an existing account on Gmail unless you already use Gmail

3. Add each person in the class to your contacts

4. Then create a group and add each contact to the group 5. The heavy technical work is now done. Take a second to go around the room and ask that age old question “how is it with your soul today.” 6. Compose an prayer to the group (using the name you called the group in the “TO:” entry) in an email and send it. 7. Receive your email by clicking on “inbox” 8. Take the time to read each prayer, prayerfully in silence or out loud.

Activity 2 – Subscribe Me

1. Go to google.com and search one of the following phrases: a. “Bible verse a day email NSRV” to find a site that will send you daily Bible Verses in the NSRV format. b. “Bible in a year email NSRV” to find a site that will send you enough chapters a day that you could finish the Bible in a year. 2. Go to Sojourners are one of the other sites you discovered in lesson one and see if they have an email subscription. 3. When you find an email subscription you are interested in follow the steps to subscribe. NOTE: Keep in mind that at the bottom of each email you receive, there is almost always an option to “unsubscribe,” so you are free to try a subscription out.

Discussion Questions

1. What role does God plays in our communications? 2. How can the use of emails make us better stewards of our resources? Session 3 – facebook Faith

Objective - Upon completion of this session: - Participants should understand the benefits of using facebook to reflect and evaluate their values through the listing of their interests, joining groups, and the friends they invite. - Participants should learn the value of the particular brand of community that facebook has to offer through interacting with classmates and making “friends.”

Introduction

The term for sites like facebook is a social networking site. Social networking sites are places on the internet that are designed for multiple people to share information conveniently with the hope of forming community. Remarkably enough, “social networking site” could also refer to a church narthex or welcoming area. While facebook has some limitation when compared to a one-on-one encounter in the fellowship hall, it also has some great advantages that we will explore during this session.

The following statistics were pulled off of facebook’s own press web page (5). facebook has more than 350 million active users, the average user has 130 “friends” on the site, and facebook is available in 70 different languages. At its most basic, facebook is a system for belonging. You invite friends or they invite you, and if the other party agrees, then you become facebook friends. Friends have access to each other’s information, including friends, interests in status updates. facebook members can also belong to groups, causes, and they can become a fan of anyone of a million different organizations, individuals, or activities. facebook’s built in reservation systems allows people to schedule real life events that they can invite their friends to. facebook’s status update system allows users to keep up with their friends in real time. Finally, facebook can be used from any place with an internet connection and an internet ready device, which means you can take it on the go with a cell phone, PDA, or laptop computer.

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 12:4-8

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit

Reflection

One of the strengths of a community of faith is its variety of experiences, gifts, and interests that each person brings to share with the body as a whole. Those interactions, aided by the Holy Spirit, help the body of Christ to become more than its individual parts. One of the advantages of facebook, is that it gives us an opportunity to reflect on our skills, interests, and activities, and then gives us a chance to share those items with others in our community, our facebook friends.

Activity 1 – Collage of You

Instructor preparation: If your church doesn’t already have a facebook page, be sure to create one. A fan site is recommended as it will allow “fans” to see updates for the church in their news feed. Also, be prepared to create an event for each class session that you can invite the participants to accept during class. Bring a web cam or camera to class to take a profile picture of each person. Practice uploading the picture from the camera to the computer.

1. Go to facebook.com and sign up for an account.

2. Take your time and fill out all the information under your personal profile. Think hard about who you are, and what you want your facebook friends to know about you as a person.

3. Get your portrait taken and upload it as your profile picture. 4. Join your church group, and any causes or fan sites you may be interested in. Find these through the search feature.

5. Friend each person in your class and add them as a friend.

6. Think of what you have been thankful for the most today. Write that as your status update.

Have each person check their news feed to see what the other class members have written.

Activity 2 - Connections

This activity is designed to help you connect with friends, both new and old.

1. On the “friends” page, use the “search for people” box to start searching for friends and family members.

2. Once you find someone you would like to “friend,” click the “Add as Friend” link. TIP: Click the

“View Friends” link to find friends through your friends. Homework: After your friends have accepted your invitation then you will be able to see their full profile. Check it out then write something on their wall.

Discussion Questions 1. Did you learn anything about yourself in the process of filling out your profile? What do you hope others will learn about you? 2. How do you think facebook can be used by faith communities? Session 4 – You-Toobed

Objective - Upon completion of this session: - Participants will know how to construct a testimony that they can share with the public.

Introduction

With YouTube, anyone can be a talking head. Like facebook, YouTube is actually a social networking site, the difference being that YouTube is built around video. You can have your own page featuring your own videos and you can follow or monitor the videos of the people and subjects that interest you. The main difference between facebook and YouTube is that by default, YouTube is public. You can however choose to make videos private. One of the great advantages of YouTube is that you can comment on a video with a video; and with the prevalence of web cameras, including the ones built into newer laptops, more people are choosing to respond “in face.”

Video makes YouTube a great place for ministry. Many churches already choose to share their worship services and sermons over YouTube. Many ministries will choose to make political, dogmatic, and testimonial statements on YouTube as opposed to presenting it in written form. Video allows us to see the speaker close up and personal, more so than we might in a crowded worship space. Furthermore, you can use video in imagery to testify to a situation independent of a speaking role. Think of video of starving children in Africa during an aid commercial.

Bible Reading

John 1.3-13

All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

Reflection Like John, we are called to testify to the true light, the promise of Jesus Christ in our lives and in the world. The world is a dark place, but we know a love the shines justice on injustice and love on despair. One of the best ways to convey this message of hope is to talk about how the light of Christ has shown on the darkness in our own lives.

Computers are great for obtaining knowledge and shedding light on a situation. Many people choose to use their computers late at night in a darkened room, the metaphor is quite apt. Why not leverage the power of the internet to testify to the power of Christ in our lives.

Activity 1 – Testify

Instructor preparation: Create an account for your church where you can display the participant’s videos. Practice making your own video with the equipment (following the guidelines below) and make sure you can successfully load the video the site.

1. Answer the following questions. Be sure to jot down your answers. a. What do you like most about your church? What about your church “shines” the light of Christ? b. Think of a short story or anecdote about the church where you felt the power of the Holy Spirit? c. Extend an invitation for others to participate in your community of faith. 2. Use your answer to construct a short presentation. 3. Pair up and practice your presentation on another member of the class. 4. Record you presentation and have the instructor load it up to the YouTube site.

Activity 2 - GodTube

1. Create your own account on YouTube. 2. Spend some time searching YouTube for videos that subjects that you find spiritually relevant. If you find a video you like, give it a “star” rating, share it with a friend, or leave a comment. Discussion Questions

Q1. What surprised you, or what did you like about the other participants presentations?

Q2. How can YouTube be used as a tool for ministry? Session 5 – Virtuality

Objective - Upon completion of this session: - Participant should be familiar with the basics of setting up and interacting in an online world.

Introduction

The term “virtual reality” could apply to faith just as much as it does to the internet. As a belief, faith is hard to see, yet it is real all the same. Virtual reality is a similar experience in that it doesn’t exist on the material realm, yet you can experience it all the same.

Virtual reality refers to any number of ways in which a computer can simulate an environment that the user can interact with. Perhaps the most famous virtual reality is seen in the movie “The Matrix,” where the virtual reality is so real that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference. An even more common form of virtual reality is 2D virtual reality. These are simulated realities that appear on a flat screen, like a video game.

Despite the limited dimensionality, 2D virtual worlds are become more sophisticated and garnering more users every year. One of the most popular games, World of Warcraft, has over 13 million players from all over the world. This type of game is known as a MMORP (Massively Multiplayer Online Role- playing Game). Players band together to form guilds and to work cooperatively to battle powerful monsters or other guilds. In the process they form a community that espouses their morals and beliefs. Needless to say, Christian participants are able to live out their spiritual beliefs through the complex social dynamics these virtual realities have to offer.

Another important benefit of virtual realities is that they give the user a chance to explore their identities and beliefs in a “test” environment. Conversely, some individuals who find their beliefs constrained by the trappings of the “real world” may find an easier time being themselves online. Users interact online with an “Avatar,” a construct they build that represents who they want to be online.

Bible Reading

Matthew 14.26-33

But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

Supplementary Reading

A verse from “The Summons” by John Bell Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around, through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Reflection

Peter wants to be the kind of person that Jesus is calling him to be, but in the end he wavers. His terrifying surrounding overwhelms him. Similarly, the Summons calls us to seize our faith and use it to bring out the “’you’ you hide.” In some ways the virtual world could almost be seen as cheating. The lack social constraints, and plethora of outlets for personal expression, make it easier to take chances in the virtual realm. However, those same elements also make it easy to turn away from God. Fortunately for us, we have assurance that God will be there to pull us up if we begin to sink.

Activity 1 – Second Life

Instructor preparation: install Second Life on all the computers in question ahead of time. Familiarize yourself with the tutorial.

This exercise will use Second Life, a virtual world that the users themselves create. 1. Create a Second Life account at www.secondlife.com. Be sure to set your starting location as “Help Island,” this will ensure that the tutorial starts up when you log in. Also, use your Gmail email address for the account, this will ensure that you are able to respond to the email verification that will be sent to you in order to activate your account. 2. Start up Second Life and log into your account.

3. Follow the tutorial in learning the basic functions of your Avatar.

Activity 2 – Field Trip

Instructor preparation: find a spiritual location that the group can visit together ahead of time. For instance the United Methodist Church has a church building on Xenia Island.

As a group, use the teleport feature to travel the spiritual location chosen by the instructor. Explore the site and the interactive feature that can be found there.

Do you feel like it would be easier or harder to live out your Christian values in a virtual community?

Class Evaluation

How could you see yourself living out your spiritual life on the internet? What part of the internet are you most interested in exploring? Do you think the internet will help you stay connected to your classmates? How?

Evaluation Questions

Write down your answer and turn them into the instructor.

What session did you like the most? Why?

What session did you like the least? Why? What topic(s) would like to see added to the class, if any?

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest….

I feel more comfortable with the internet than before I started the class ______I intend to use the technologies shown to me in the class on a regular basis ______

I see how the technologies shown can enhance my spiritual life ______

I would recommend this class to a friend ______