Experiencing God in a Digital Age (Children/Young People)
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The document discusses experiencing God in a digital age. It notes that the internet now touches all aspects of our lives and that faith is also present in public life. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube present opportunities for churches to connect with people and be welcoming digital spaces. If Christians lives are transformed by Christ, their online presence should reflect this and image God. The document advocates for expressing values like authenticity, transparency, and kindness online.
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Experiencing God in a Digital Age (Children/Young People)
- 1. Experiencing God in a Digital Age Dr Bex Lewis Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University Director, Digital Fingerprint Tweet @drbexl 124/02/17 http://bit.ly/experience-god-da
- 2. UNDERSTANDING THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE Tweet @drbexl 224/02/17
- 4. Martha Lane-Fox, 2015 The internet is the organising principle of our age, touching all our lives, every day. As the late activist Aaron Swartz put it, “It’s not OK not to understand the internet anymore”. http://www.doteveryone.org.uk/ 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 4
- 9. Tweet @drbexl 9 H/T @God_Loves_Women 24/02/17
- 10. EXPERIENCING GOD IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT Tweet @drbexl 1024/02/17
- 12. • I can't separate my faith from my actions, including those in public life. If people of faith are in public life faith is there too. @JennRiddlestone • How can you separate faith from your public life? Is private faith true faith? @loulou_uberkirk • If being a Christian is loving God and loving others, even if I don't announce why I'm doing something, my faith is unavoidably in *public.* @Hstanley_ Tweet @drbexl 1224/02/17
- 13. Tweet @drbexl 1324/02/17 Images via https://www.facebook.com/anglicanmemes/
- 15. For many churchgoing is no longer the ‘cultural norm’. People don’t actively ignore the church: they don’t even think about it. Matthew 5:13-16 calls us to be salt and light in the world, and for thousands in the ‘digital age’, that world includes social networks such Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. With literally billions in the digital spaces, the online social spaces presented by churches need to be appealing, welcoming, and not look like they are just an afterthought: they are now effectively the ‘front door’ to your church for digital users, and you ignore those spaces at your peril. Tweet @drbexl 15 http://www.churchgrowthr d.org.uk/blog/churchgrowt h/growing_churches_in_th e_digital_age Image: Flickr 24/02/17
- 17. Jesus often encountered people individually. Social media gives us the same personal access to people. This is an every-member ministry, and it’s exciting and inspiring. Rev Pam Smith, author, Online Mission & Ministry; Priest in Charge, iChurch Tweet @drbexl 17 https://theconversation.com/ how-social-media-is-changing- the-church-57405 24/02/17
- 18. [If we are…] means by which God communicates and reveals himself through his Spirit, then our blog posts, status updates, tweets, artistic images, and online comments should be products of a life transformed by Christ and indwelled by his Spirit. As restored image bearers, our online presence and activity should image the Triune God. Byers, A. Theomedia (2013, 196) 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 18
- 20. A good [wo]man brings good things out of the good stored up in his/her heart, and an evil [wo]man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his/her heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45 (New International Version [edited]) 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 20
- 21. 24/7 Values? What do you stand FOR? • Authentic – be a consistent ‘you’ • Transparent – be honest, where’s the source? • Self-aware – note your ‘tone of voice’ • Integrity – own your own content • Self-control – be aware of consequences • Patience – hold the trigger finger before send • Non-manipulative – ‘love Jesus’ = send this! No! • Kindness – encourage others 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 21
- 23. Digital Worship? Illustration by @Mattart1Art 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 23
- 25. “As young people develop their identities they need guidance and support, particularly from the significant adults in their lives. The behaviour that those adults model, whether it’s with regard to digital technologies or great historical events such as the Holocaust, or even in the way the cleaner is treated, is important in helping children define their own identity, values, and attitudes.” Raising Children in a Digital Age, p.101 @drbexl 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 25
- 26. Taking time out.. “It's about family togetherness, personal growth and development, and being masters over our environment - rather than enabling our fast-moving, sophisticated world and electronic equipment to dominate us.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29751577 Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis speaking of ‘Shabbat UK’, October 2014 @drbexl 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 26
- 27. Conversation “The epiphany for me was that I’d become a terrific broadcaster and a terrible communicator…. There was an awful lot of telling going on and not a lot of listening” Daniel Sieberg, The Digital Diet, 2011, p.26 @drbexl 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 27
- 28. 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 28
- 29. WISDOM! Image Source: RGB Stock 24/02/17 Tweet @drbexl 29
Editor's Notes
- Experiencing God in a Digital Age – 20 minutes – particularly looking at the opportunities our children and young people currently have to experience something of God in their lives…. Introduce self, been online since 1997, when published first website, and joined first social network in 2005, getting serious in 2009. Worked within history (KCCO), media studies, ed tech, and last post before this one = 3 years looking at faith and social media, which am continuing in new role … so that’s the perspective that I’m looking at tonight ... Faith in the digital world – why it matters, and some of the ways it may change the church’s engagement with the world.
- As disciples we live for God, whenever and wherever we are. In the 21st century, the digital is an intrinsic part of our complex world. We need to take seriously our online experiences.
- Seeking to demystify the digital environment, with an emphasis upon it not as a ‘virtual’ space, but as a ‘real’ space that needed to be understood on its own terms (not wild west, not virtual) – real people, with real relationships interacting … maybe in a different way to before, but still human interactions. As the then Pope, Benedict, said that “The digital…” – not understanding this space is not really any longer an option, and as social media entrepreneur @unmarketing emphasises – to build a presence online, one needs to be present – one can’t post and run!
- More recently, hear this call from Martha Lane-Fox in the influential Dimbleby Lecture (Science Museum) in 2015 … the internet is structuring our lives in ways that are powerful (some positive, some negative – as always, want the church to be involved in these debates about significant forces that shape our lives) … Just because we’re not active on the internet doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect us…we need to understand it, the media tells us plenty about the dangers, but where are the possibilities… That question on the publicity for the event… How can we change the dominant church culture from ‘conquering and keeping’ to ‘nurturing and releasing’ the children and young people in our midst? What do they love, what do they know? How can we help them use those skills for good, and for the glory of God (and I don’t just mean sharing Bible verses – but in a wider reflection of their lives!)
- So, to give an idea of where we’re at at the moment… Stats from latest Ofcom report into children/parents digital attitudes… over 200 pages of reports, insights and graphs, but thought this one was interesting – what would children miss most – TV is dropping, mobile phone is rising!
- We need a sense of what platforms are being used … this is not specific to children, but it’s a reasonable reflection… (WeChat/Qzone/Weibo all Chinese, VK is Russian). Facebook/Messenger: Friendship based, typically already known, or, like me, move from Twitter to getting to know someone better before meet f2f WhatsApp: Rather like text messaging, but with video/group chats, etc. – often used by families – I chat to younger nieces/nephews… Instagram: Hugely popular with teenagers, etc. Square images, often with vintage ‘filters’… Some ‘Christian’ accounts = standard inspirational, but some v creative and clever attention catching stuff.. Twitter: Interest-based – connect around particular interests, media looks, builds up trust/authenticity Snapchat: Images that disappeared after 10 seconds, building itself to a very successful app (last year huge growth) – possibly for those who’ve grown up with every move documented, they like things that disappear .. Pinterest: Image based (huge online), bit like a pin-board, great for churches to use for e.g. children’s work .. Wedding planning is HUGE No mention on there of: YouTube: Video – builds up hugely influential platforms – think about what people look for – often ‘how to do x’ LinkedIn: Professional platform, for CVs, connecting with huge corporate companies, etc.
- Stats can lead to this kind of reaction... Which I think history will show us is not unique, and part of a ‘moral panic’... Where everything seems to be going out of control too fast (every new tech process has done this – inc Socrates re writing)
- So often, especially within the church, the focus is on the face-to-face interactions, often drawing upon the idea that Jesus came to earth in human form, and therefore this is the ‘best’ form of interaction, and I love this quote from Prof Sonia Livingstone “Even though…”. In danger of repeating myself, we need to look at digital on its own terms. We need to avoid what’s known as ‘technological determinism’ – that technology is changing everything, and we have no choice but to give into it, and think more about the ‘social shaping’ of technology – in which technology offers us new opportunities, but we have choices in how we engage with those choices – e.g. Like a brick – chuck it through the window, or build a wall with it.
- People know I’m really passionate about this, and get pretty angry when we think people are ‘addicted’ to their phones (most aren’t) … most people are engaging in relationships with others (sometimes people who are more important to them than the people that they happen to be physically with...) and those personal relationships – whether online/offline are key!
- What I find particularly important about this is the notion, summed up here by Elizabeth Drescher, that “we are not selling something”… but BE SOMETHING... We need to be ourselves, living our lives, sharing our lives ‘authentically’ (however overused that word is) ... the fun bits, the difficult bits, fighting for the (e.g. social justice) causes that we believe in...
- Back at Spring Harvest in 2014, I was asked to speak about ‘Faith in the Public Square’, and posted something along the lines of this tweet “now we’re living…”, and got a huge range of responses, so I’m going to share a selection here, as we think about what it means to live with faith in the world, especially in the particularly public world which much of social media is (although there’s a growing number of people using more private forms of online sharing!).... Some people think that digital media means that you can create multiple versions of yourself, and in some games, etc. you can, but if you’re on social networks, it’s hard to maintain lines of separation, which means that you need to be ‘true to you’ … and if a faith is a part of that – then it’s likely to find it’s way into your online profiles – these 3 sayings sum that up well...
- Social media is also helping to open up and humanise the church. The distance and anonymity created between people when they communicate online can help shed inhibitions in a way that is often blamed for abusive behaviour. But it can also encourage people to become comfortable enough to ask questions about faith, especially via private messaging. The humorous nature of many social media posts can also act as a starting point for more serious discussions about religion. It’s been shown that vulnerable or humourous posts engage users the most (with likes, shares, comments, etc.), and it is important that these come from a place of ‘your story’ – e.g. Sharing Bible verses without context feels like ‘street preaching’, whilst explaining how this is important, that you don’t understand it all, etc. Comes more from a place of ‘authentically’ living the life... Or, as a friend said, growing a ‘digital skin’...
- Can I just say ... typically this does not include those posts that say if you type Amen this person may recover … those are effectively chain letters, and inappropriate! Often these pics are of random children, illegal to use, and used by scammers to collect details ... And clearly Jesus is not waiting until 1 million likes before he will heal or otherwise ... Same as if you have more faith, etc. Let’s engage with wisdom online.. But also...
- In 2010, when I started looking at faith and the digital, it was seen as quite a weird thing to do, with people questioning ‘why do we need to do that?’ By 2013, when I wrote this piece for CofE Church Growth blog, the question changed for many to ‘we understand that we need to do it, but how do we do it’? With a lot of concerns about the extra workload this might bring for the vicar, the need to ‘get it right’, people needed a lot of convincing.. As this article says “For many…” I would probably play around with the final sentence for this bit ... Social media is RELATIONAL so whereas a website might be the ‘front door’ – the church members are where the REAL POWER of these medium of communication is ... And they are more like side doors/windows, etc. The accompanying question that always seemed to work within my ‘Social Media for the Scared’ courses (run for various flavours of churches, faith organisations, etc.) is – with billions of people using these tools every day – can we afford not to be online – what are people seeing otherwise? For the young in particular, this is their everyday experience of life – if we are the door with ‘you can’t come in with that’, it’s offputting… although there’s also the counter-argument that it’s a space to ‘breath’ and disconnect from social (without the other peer pressure) – definitely something to talk about in sermons, youth groups, etc. Image: https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/131/375646158_b2755ca5bf_b.jpg
- Think about recent experiences with Pokemon Go – last summer’s big mobile gaming hit (and still a steady number of dedicated users, with Pokemon adapting elements of the game!)… I wrote about my experience, was picked up by Radio 4 & London School of Economics… (links at top) – for once CofE seemed to be ahead of the game – ready to talk on the day of release … lots of ‘sneering’ from some = also not helpful Good tips in the blog post referenced at the top – and a real joy in being part of something people enjoying, invitational rather than overtly evangelistic – e.g. child asking questions in graveyard … see it as A BRIDGE within relationships, rather than a tool! As the original video said - Critical issues of our world – politics/business – making things worth for children/young people – want an approach to faith that is committed and passionate – not on system of belief, but way of life/way of love… a mission to join God in the healing of the world…
- Last year I wrote a piece for ‘The Conversation’ (academic research presented journalistically, had over 30k views), looking at the way that we have become used to ‘broadcast Christianity’ – where all our lessons come top-down via preaching from trained priests, whilst social media is re-enabling a relational model that allows many ordinary Christians to have one-to-one conversations about their faith with non-believers, whilst developing their own disciplieship with and through others. In chatting with Pam Smith (the first online minister with iChurch, book author), we noted that this provides a much more realistic picture of the church as a collection of followers of Jesus rather than a large organisation which makes pronouncements is then judged by its organisational failures…. We are back to more ‘individualised’ and ‘participative’ discipleship and ministry .. Exciting times... Altghough of course challenging in our current culture with a necessary emphasis on safeguarding.
- One of my colleagues hopes that this is true in some ways – we are the face of the God online … we need to think about what that means for a whole church, but also how we provide an atmosphere in which our young people feel confident to do this in their everyday interactions – online/offline … how do they know they have solid teaching, how do they know that they are encouraged to be ‘in the world’ (if not of it), how do we help them think about what this means for their everyday lives!
- Couple of Bible verses to think about what we project… this one has been a powerful one for me – taking our “everyday, ordinary life” [READ OUT] … day in/day out, in which digital aspects are a core part…
- For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. We have to think about what we stand for … what will come from the overflow of what we believe … think also about the SOURCES of information – do we know what young people are using (YouTube, Snapchat, etc.) and do we acknowledge that this is important to them – ask them to demonstrate it to us, give them the courage to share what you are working with – relevance, etc. Do we provide content that they might want to engage with … if Barna a few years ago said core thinking about Christians = homophobic, judgemental and obsessed with £ - how do we show a different way of living! What values define you? Core values for me are authenticity/integrity: come to know yourself, what gifts and passions God has given you, and look to live those out authentically & with integrity in whatever spaces you are. You were made to be unique, so be unique – live life with passion. The Christian life is supposed to be transformational – how do we move on from: The reason why some Christians are so constipated, miserable, judgmental, misogynistic, religious and up tight is that they were like that before they became Christians! Roger Ellis Essence: The Manifesto of Jesus 2012? What are we filling our lives with – those things that will be at the top of our minds, and therefore the most likely to be the first to come out? how far are we living ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” and what does that look like online – a space where it’s incredibly easy to share things without checking, in a fast atmosphere, competing to be first, and for likes … how can we be something different – how can we ensure that earth is crammed with a bit of heaven (whether that’s salt and light or...)
- Not a fan of standing AGAINST where possible? So what can we be for… how does the digital change the shape of WHAT IS POSSIBLE?
- The obvious is being able to build up your spiritual health via engagement with your Bible – yes – you may not be carrying a paper copy everywhere, but most of us have phones on us … download an app such as ‘YouVersion: The Bible’ to access the Bible in a range of different languages, do it individually, allow it to hold you accountable, find a group discussing what you’re reading, etc.. Also e.g. this app that lets you put prayer requests in, reminds you, allows you to diairise responses, randomise requests, etc. – I more randomly pray for those who appear in my timeline – and quite often ‘like’ something I’ve prayed for (Cranmer Hall prayer group) What can I learn about them from my timeline … e.g. those suffering from depression wouldn’t text 50 people, but we can share more widely online… know who to connect with – but how do we help protect people from oversharing … how do we ensure that grace and love are at the heart of what we’re doing? And note ‘The Worship Cloud’ – importance of recognising creativity of those within the Christian world and not expecting everything for free/not professional quality, etc. http://www.theworshipcloud.com/view/images/ipad-bible
- What does ‘digital worship’ look like – pros/cons, including worship band iPads, preaching from iPads, collective worship, St Pixels, etc. – corporate prayers from bed? Talk about CODEC session we did – importance of focusing on worship .. Opportunity to bring in a range of voices connected with CODEC, and also seek prayers from around the world… Corporate – what about individual? E.g. Watch Lansdowne
- ‘The Worship Cloud’ – notions of ‘what is creativity’ – we’re all creative – how do we create spaces – online/offline (with options to share online?) – is it about digital art, about art we share online, about baking, about something more widely ‘creative’ (we’re made in the image of God – refers back to previous point) … What about activities such as geocaching – creative ways to use the tools that the world is using – we already had a quick look at Pokemon? How do we help people encounter God in their everyday – are all kinds of things – e.g. QR, codes, etc, but we need to be LISTENING – what are people searching for/looking out for, etc? How do we value some of these more esoteric things? How do we share because we are part of God’s world, and if people become interested in us/relationship with us, they may start to see that we are different… What will happen once we have more embedded devices – e.g. home-interneticus? Is it about participating, sharing, encouraging, just being? One big thing = sharing our lives online, e.g. via Instagram … visually focused, question of CURATION, but can demonstrate a different way of living… are we being ‘salt and light’ in a world that otherwise can feel quite shallow? How can we encourage others before they get ‘sucked in’ to this way of life…
- People in the past hardly ever complained of stress or depression, but these have become almost synonymous with the modern way of life… http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2011/12/men/ but do we blame the technology, our culture, or our behaviour? How much do we learn from each other, support and encourage each other to think about how we engage online! How do we bring these kind of conversations into topics with young people – possibly asking for their expertise, but still recognising that the digital largely reflects our ‘real-world’ (offline/physical) world in the powers that it endorses, what we find important, etc. … Can we find stories in the paper, ask them to consider how they would respond (to digital issues such as cyber-bullying, etc.), but also to iconic pictures such as Ayan Kurdee (refugees), and listen to their ideas of what might work in digital … preferably with a bit of wisdom that has an idea of how to shape/support/help them limit what they use… … and let’s not forget that our actions speak louder than words …
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat#mediaviewer/File:Shabbat_Candles.jpg P181 Raising Children - Some have tested extreme detoxes. Susan Maushart, writing for the Daily Mail, undertook a six-month “technology blackout” for her entire family, which she viewed as a consciousness- raising exercise rather than a long-term strategy.7 Paul Millar, a technology journalist, disconnected from the internet for a year but found that, after the initial feeling of “freedom”, he picked up other bad habits. He ignored his post and his friends, allowed the dust to gather on his exercise equipment, failed to turn boredom into creativity, and sat and did nothing. On analysing this for an article for The Verge magazine, he was able to make more informed technology choices once he reconnected. Can be hard culturally – especially if other people expect you to be there (p129 book) - Because of “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), mobile-free time is seen as a bit of a luxury enjoyed only by those who feel secure in their position in their social network (and I’m not just talking Facebook here). Thus 80 per cent never turn their phone off, partly to enable friends to be able to get in touch if they are having a bad time. One sixteen-year-old girl, however, said: I believe that in order to have a healthy mobile phone culture we need to find out how we can avoid the demand of being publicly present around the clock. To have some clear restrictions when people have time to turn off their mobile, the computer, and log off completely – to prevent stress becoming a national disease.3 Antony Mayfield, a digital consultant, notes that we like to pretend that we’re in thrall to our machines: “Oh, I must take this call”, but the machines don’t care what we do. (attention spans – maybe we’ve found a space that works for us, but if you are getting distracted, what behavioural changes have you considered - and addiction - term that is overused and very much like other addictions when real – something that people seem to be proud of … could all fit here)
- 1990s – what many people remember – was quite ‘lonely’ and nerdy … but common practice in the same way as many used to phone home – are really being antisocial if talking to range of people online, but question how the balance is again I think comes into this – spending all time online (a complete boon for those unable to get to x, but probably not to encouraged as a general rule), and also, what kind of interactions are you undertaking… Remember the ‘listening’ side of all this…
- A Bible verse re-written for the digital age! Importance of encouragement… and remember that most relationships are built on a range of activities, including redundant topics, and random – e.g. at the weekend was part of a Facebook Eurovision party … able to join in the fun when didn’t have capacity to leave the house/have anyone round! Started with around 20 people, by end of evening = over 50 (also kept it off our timelines) http://bigbible.org.uk/2012/09/wisdom-from-the-bible-on-building-a-digiparadise-by-vahva/ It’s so easy to get bogged down in theological debates … how can we part of the world’s wider conversations, but bringing our Christian worldview to it … how can we help young people to prepare for 1 Peter 3:16 http://biblehub.com/1_peter/3-15.htm “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”
- Overall, this requires wisdom, a willingness to engage with the digital at a deeper level, thinking about how we can use it well, help the world use it well, and how we can seek to be counter-cultural where necessary, etc.
- Thank you. Qus?