For example, a few weeks ago while connecting with a brother, I mentioned the All Books Project as one of the new things happening since he and I last sat together. I pulled out my mobile to show him what it was and he was genuinely impressed. I explained to him that building this is challenging me to take just having a Bible on my mobile beyond simply having the text with me to being able to make it relevant. So then questions and discussion about design decisions, the amount of books, and even the choice of translation became part of the “reading” experience that I’m cultivating in this. It got me thinking a bit more about that point made a few times about Biblical literacy being this ability to not just read the Bible, but create it.

A mobile Bible reading application motivating you to create the Bible, not just read it? Yup. Let me dive a bit more.

Its already understood by all of us that when we read, listen to, or watch something that we are engaging within this process of consuming it. But here’s the rub when it comes to the Bible and the general function of faith-texts, we’ve got to expel something. Now, hopefully, its a good thing we are putting out there, but sometimes the case is that no matter what we are putting in, what comes out doesn’t look/sound/taste so great (Matthew 15:11).

So, we get out communities to this place now with mobile where they are eating on the right things. We’ve got them with Bibles on their devices, and some of us have even pushed to using small group or community reading plans to encourage some deeper reading behaviors (contemplation, discussion, etc.). But then what? What’s next after they have read it? How do we broach that piece about understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 4:7)? And even more than understanding, what does it look like when what’s being read, contemplated, and discussed becomes relevant?

Thing is, I can answer those if I’m looking at faith and faith development through our familiar cultural lenses (faith produces works which validate faith, preaches a Gospel that saves, entreats a Gospel that advocates justice and mercy, etc). But, when I’m sitting with my friend, and he’s asking a similar question, how he can take what it is that he’s most passionate about and turn that into a “version of the Bible?” I’m sometimes sitting looking at this mobile and say – “is consumption of this all that this tool is able to do?”

There’s probably a “no” to that. I mean really, we can look at John 4:1-42 and say that its more than simply having a behavior and tools that makes faith demonstrated equal to faith lived. But, with mobile (mobile ministry), where to we start to see faith lived as being the validation to this channel, window, magic wand, opportunity? Or, is it only worth for being a channel to be broadcast to then consumed.

Which would be a shame if you think about it. Just because you eat three meals a day doesn’t mean that you eat healthy. Can mobile ministry be more than a meal substitute? Does it provoke digestion and nutrition beyond simply taking it in?

 

Where is your phone when you use a tablet?

Not too far away? In your pocket?
Then…

Why couldn’t a ‘tablet’ just be an ‘external display’ for a phone?

1.Everything that is displayed on the phone screen is seen on the tablet.

2.Touch, swipe, tap, type: on the tablet screen to control the phone.

I’m wondering if anyone knows of or has seen something in the pipeline that might fit this scenario.

Do you think there could be a market for a ‘dumb’ terminal type device that connects to a phone for that purpose and that purpose only?

How?

A/V senders and/or Bluetooth 3.0+ and/or WiFi and/or other?

Serious power issues?
In-vehicle use?

Read the rest of the discussion at Forum Oxford. To contribute, you will need an account.

 

Week 1: Overview
Theory: Overview of Mobile Ministry & Its Potential
Practical: Student is introduced to the various main types of mobile phones, and mobile delivery platforms, and their potential for sharing the gospel in various nations.

Week 2: Evangelism
Theory: Mobile Evangelism and Follow-Up
Practice: SMS gateways, use of “text”, mobile messaging, bible apps, evangelistic uses, blended uses e.g using mobile to follow-up after a crusade evangelism event.

Week 3: Training & Discipleship (Low Bandwidth)
Theory: Oral Learners, Storying and Mobile, Reaching The Last The Least and the Lost
Practice: Audio & Video for Mobiles, parameters, file conversion, creating audio and video content, repositories, how to upload, how to distribute audio & video content and how to use these technologies in training situations.

Week 4: Training & Discipleship (High Bandwidth)
Theory: Various kinds of apps and operating systems and application development frameworks, constraints for small .Mobi websites, learn about tablets, e-readers and format conversion software
Practice: Create an Android app and a small .Mobi website to host it. Learn how to convert some content for e-readers.

With that kind of schedule, it makes for a comprehensive and fuller understanding of mobile ministry and it’s various spokes.

For more information, including course pricing and schedule, visit the Cybermissions Mobile Ministry Training Course website.

 

Productivity apps on the iPad continue to be one of the top selling points for the device. It’s no surprise, then, that there are several office suites available in the App Store. This post is going to explore the three main “all in one” suites which are available on the iPad – Documents to Go, Quick Office, and Office2 HD. Apple’s iWork is also available in the App store, but the “separate app” nature of the suite sets it outside the scope of this comparison.

Each suite will be explored for file management, editor layout, editing features, and importing/exporting. We’ll primarily look at the word-processing features of each suite, but will also compare the spreadsheet and presentations modules for each app. Today we’ll be looking at the second comparison – editor layout.

Read the rest of the Mobile Suite Showdown – Editor Layout at Painfully Hopeful.

 

Things started when we got the assignment beforehand to read Luke 19:1-12 and have something ready to talk about during the study. Had the thought to draw the text, not just write notes. So, that’s what I did:

• Adobe Ideas
• Penultimate
• All Books

All Books is the Bible reader that I’m using these days on my Nokia N8. Having that open, I drew three of the four scenes happening in that section of the Gospel on my iPad. Once I was finished drawing, I imported the image into Penultimate. I then started scribbling notes about the text in subsequent pages on a Penultimate notebook dedicated to just this study.

Thing was, I started thinking and writing a ton. I needed more than just the notes from the NET Bible that I was using. So, I fired up the web browser and went to Wikipedia. Learning more about the text meant that I needed to learn more about Jericho. That’s where I went next.

• NET Bible (open licensed Biblical texts)
• Wikipedia (Safari Mobile or any web browser)

My notes became more and more about the sketch and scribbles. But, there was also the study to be had. How does such this approach with a mobile, tablet, sketches, a browser, and a collection of info into a ink-based notebook work out once I get into a group setting?

Pretty well actually. Because I had this nice mix of linear facts and scribbles, I was able to keep with the various points of the discussion, and even added a few more pages to the Penultimate notebook noting some additional facts, comments, and questions stated throughout. As I listened and scribbled, I noticed something, one of the younger participants in the study was more interested in my scribbling than in what was being talked about. It seemed (later confirmed) that she understood the pictures moreso than the amount of words we were spouting out. That got me thinking about mobiles and learning styles.

You see. We are really used to sprinting towards some aspect of literacy and comprehension. Don’t sell this point short, our sermons, lectures, and studies all start from the point that people want to read and have the capacity to understand the text and the resulting discussions. But, what I saw in that small exchange with that younger study participant was something different. She was enamored with the fact that I was doing more than listening, I was drawing what I understood. 

Remember the statistic about literacy we quoted from the Orality Network some time back. 60% of the world is or chooses to be non-verbal. We do a great job in making sure that people can read a Bible, or even share the textual understandings we get. But, with mobile we can do more. Reimagine the Scriptures by taking account of what mobile environments can do. Go beyond linking text resources to text resources. Heck, go beyond just reading. 

No, everyone isn’t an artist. Some people might take this and run with creating video snippets using their mobile and want to learn how to stitch those together. Some folks just might need smaller snippets of text. I’ve got this statement that’s been sticking around for a number of weeks now:

Shouldn’t biblical literacy also mean that we can build our own bibles

Not just building your own bibles. Understanding and being able to teach that wisdom to someone else. Going mobile with your Bible studies, lectures, and sermons can go further than just lookups, collections, and reading plans. That’s not to say these aren’t good enough, but that we can do more. This is how I’m pressing the pedal. Do you push things the same in your communities, or, are you just getting around to the apps that do things the same way you’ve always done them?

 

This is a series of case studies that will help novice and professional alike learn how to use all forms of media in the evangelism process. These case studies come from Africa, Asia and Latin America and most have discussion questions to help the reader grasp the key parts of these examples from radio, television/film, mobile/Internet media.

To download this resource, including information on upcoming versions, visit Dan Henrich’s website.

 

As I was just going through Twitter and seeing what all people have been posting about today. I came across a neat Biblical visualization from Tim Challies. Seeing this reminded me that I’ve not done much of an update here (or MMM) about the All Books Project that I’ve been working on. So, let’s talk spatial interfaces (a topic seen in a recent meetup I attended) and theological literacy – and why these merge nicely.

Read of the rest of Spatial Interfaces, Theological Literacy at Blog.AntoineRJWright

I make some bold claims in that piece (“theological literacy isn’t just reading/comprehension, but its able to (re)create the Word contextually” for example). What are your thoughts? Especially for those of you whom are teachers/pastors, can you teach to this level? And if not, are you misapplying the term literacy in light of the command in Matthew 28:18-20?

 

Shoebox Prayers is a mobile and desktop app (web-based) which a person can use to send and recieve prayer requests from all around the world. Here are some of the sailent points about Shoebox Prayers:

Shoebox Prayers is built in 15 languages with auto-translation. After choosing your language, everything sent and received within the app will be in that language (custom language translation engine has been developed for this app). Languages include German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, two in Chinese, Japanese, Haitian Creole, Italian, Portuguese and Hindi along with English.

After creating an account and logging in the user will be taken to their own Dashboard and personal Prayer Board. Personal prayer reminders can be set (which are sent from the app to any device registered with the Shoebox Prayers account). This Prayer Board also includes the ability to join and/or create private prayer circles, one-on-one accountability relationships, and open (public) prayer circles where prayer can occur with people from all over the world. Posting a direct link to Facebook to invite FB friends to join only takes one click on the app. Tutorials are available to help assist in understanding how to maximize the features of the Shoebox Prayers.

The desktop and mobile app will work across all platforms (Apple, Android, Blackberry) and is web based. It is a cost/premium serivce ($4.99/year). However, you can download the app to any device(s) you own by simply going to the Shoebox Prayers website. 

 

…Despite the growing prevalence of mobile devices, Ahonen warns that the future isn’t going to be about mobile only, but about its role in cross-platform interactions. He says television, radio and other media won’t die, but that mobile will continue to grow as a complementary media channel that does other things like payments.

“US jewellers Tiffany’s e-commerce website wasn’t optimised for mobile. After optimising it, sales grew 125% from the website,” says Ahonen. He says this proves there isn’t going to be “one Internet”.

“The PC Web needs to be PC-optimised, the mobile needs to be mobile-optimised.”

Ahonen says in Japan all websites are designed for mobile first and that it should be the same in Africa.

In another example of the potential of mobile, Ahonen says in China mobile newspapers have converted 39% of their readers to pay for MMS news headlines. “’Tomorrow’s headlines today’ is the selling point.” China Mobile has 40m paying users on SMS- and MMS-based twice-daily headline services of branded newspapers’ headlines…

Kind of blunt, and frankly speaking, probably a bit further out there than most want to plan and work towards. Still, the facts about mobile are clear, and the implications of such a change on several aspects of society just can’t be ignored. We either see mobile for what it is, and what it will be; or, we wither under it hoping for some other kind of savior to communications and opportunity to live this faith we espouse towards.