ICCM '96 Session Notes

"Keynote #1: God Has Used Technology to Change the Way We Do Missions"

by Pete Holzmann, Saturday, June 8, 1996, 8:40 am

IT - God's New Tool for Mission in the 90's

Traditional view of missionaries is out in the jungle with a pith helmet and no technology. Pete believes that IT is essential for missions today.

Three Overwhelming Realities underlying things.

Change is constant.
The world is a VERY big place. In can be very difficult for the Christian community to comprehend or grasp
God wants us to cooperate.

We have a whole lot of information to manage!

Illustration of Jigsaw Puzzle

Our task is like a jigsaw puzzle. This puzzle is slowly being completed, and we are getting close to the point where there is little more to do. Computers help us to see what is left to do... Unreached people groups etc.

Computers can be used to reconcile data so that we are working from the same point. Pete collected lists of countries from some of the main missions, and found that all of them had extra 'countries' and missed some that really existed. This is now being extended to people groups....
The jigsaw puzzle has multiple pieces, and some missing. Computers can be used to reconcile the different views so that we are all working together.

Opportunites

The Web is the largest library that has ever existed. It has information that does not exist anywhere else. It is exhaustively indexed (by word & language).

Pete was looking for somewhere for an expert in a particular people group could minister, and the Web pulled up an opportunity in a major university where he could go and minister.

Just about all of the major mission group leaders are now available by E-Mail. 70% of continental level leaders also are accessible. This is transfoming the way AD2000 is doing business bcaause everyone is always acceessible.

There are also many Christian businessmen in key positions who are helping.

Working Together

Many assume that the West has the people resources for mission. In the last 20 years this has turned around. Also the West provides 90% of the funds. GCOWE 95 was only funded 25% by the West.

We need to see what God is doing and give him the glory.

Example: Brigada on CrossConnect

Speed the Need was used to communicate that a boy had been badly burned in Russia. In the past it could have taken a month to get medical treatment, but STN provided it within hours.

GCOWE 95 was put onto the Web as it took place.

ICCM 96 is exerimenting with the next level - using Chat to allow remote particiption.

Cooperation and sharing of data is helping us to find the right pieces to complete the jigsw puzzle.

Prayer is essential to the spread of God's kingdom. By sharing prayer needs we can further the kingdom more quickly.

Challenges

Communication. This is essential for the body to work as a whole. It is almost like the nervous system in our own bodies. We need to be willing to be in the background with a servant heart to ensure that the best use is made of technology.
Shared Understanding of the Task. This needs to be done so that we can cooperate - there are many situations where different groups are working indepentently on the same task- cooperation can increase their effectiveness.
True Unity. We must meet the challenges of building unity in the body, breaking down cultural etc. barriers. It is in true unity that the world will know John 17:21-23.

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