Fantastic.  I run a Catholic Web Development company and this is exactly the message I preach.  People presume that I am passionate about social media integration and viral marketing and I always inform that the contrary is true.  I do not get that excited about web development.  I just believe that the WWW can be a very natural expression of a Catholic community and the Great Commission.  Sharing!

Any tool we can use to share Jesus Christ is a tool well used.  The internet is a means, not an end.

Right on Matt! You hit the nail right on the head. It’s easy to get confused with having such great technology to work with, we sometimes forget the purpose behind using these tools.

Excellent.  Pretty much all woes from technology of any stripe come from being ignorant of Matthew’s point. 

Like money, “technology is a great servant, but a terrible master.”.

I agree that our Church mission is all about people & is best “face to face”.  But emails can be useful when organizing a parish dinner, funeral, prayer chain, etc.

Nancy - I wasn’t saying that everything is best “face to face”, nor was I implying that technology is not useful. In fact, I’m saying the exact opposite. Technology is hugely useful in accomplishing the mission of the Church (not to replace the “face to face” part of it, but in assisting it and adding to it).

We just need to do a better job of connecting our use of it directly with the goals/mission of the Church. If we can more effectively do that, many of those in the Church who are lagging so far behind in these methods (and causing the whole Church/parish to lag behind) will be motivated to move ahead.

It’s not that they don’t want to the Church to accomplish her mission, they just haven’t been shown very well how all of these new tools can help them do that in ways never before imagined.

In East Texas anything styling itself a church usually features any number of microphones and large speakers dangingly from the ceiling, large video screens that appear by the magic of electricity, and a control room redolent of the bridge of the Starship Enteprise. 

Happily, Our Lady of LaSalette focuses on the Altar.

Thank, Matt for the great message.  Bottom line is this - the Church is at its best when it takes the Word to where the people who need it reside - wether that be the Areopagus in Rome or Facebook.  No, social media doesn’t replace face-to-face evangelization, but St. Peter would agree, you need to set the hook before you can reel in the fish.  Let’s “Be Not Afraid” and use the tools at hand to spread the Good News!

Did the irony of this article strike anyone else in the face like a cold wet rag?  A blog article about having no technology strategy - fine and well in itself, I suppose (although anyone who reads it might wonder, well, fine, we want to bring more people to the sacraments and we want to use technology to do it, which leads us back to a technology strategy), but rendered almost laughable when found in the midst of:

A carefully crafted manipulative advertisement for a charity urging me to donate,

A button to “like” this article on facebook,

Another advertisement urging me to subscribe to donate to this site,

So forth and so on, all of which are the result of nothing other than planned technology strategies.  Very well, we have a big goal, but such a goal is an abstraction: you need concrete technology strategies to achieve them.

Thank you…

“We still have one and only one thing that matters, and it’s people”—no, it’s God. Everything else that matters (and people are right up there at the top of that list) matters on account of Him who made us. I think, Matthew, that you have some potentially good points in your post, but they need to be expanded upon so as to make clear what you are trying to convey. For example, in a reply to a comment you state “those in the Church who are lagging so far behind in these methods[...]” Could you elaborate more upon what those methods would be, specifically, and their proper use? Also, would you clarify what you mean by lagging behind and why it is important (and different from) charging headlong into the newest trends? Thanks.

Dead on. Technology is a tool. Having a “social media strategy” doesn’t make much more sense than having a “typewriter strategy” or a “bathroom grout strategy.

Figure out what you want to accomplish (and why!) first. Then decide what would be the most useful tools for that task.

Hi, I know my question really doesn’t have anything to do with social media and internet, but it does have to do with technology.  I run the projectors during Mass, using a powerpoint presentation, I put up the songs, some prayers, and about 3 images during the Mass. I honestly don’t feel it’s right to have that during Mass, as i feel it is a distraction but the reason I started was because the person doing it before me was using firework images and dancing angels during the Amen and after communion, I couldn’t believe it and after several people asking me to volunteer, I decided that was the sign to start. Now my question is, what do you all think about the projectors? Should it even be allowed? I’ve seen some good things come from it, people sing more, and open their misalettes for the readings.But, I still have mixed feelings about it! I know this was a long message, thanks for those who read :)

Technology is just a tool - and a fool with a tool, is still a fool.  What matters is what are we trying to accomplish and what is the best way to do it?  Sometimes highly technical solutions are not the best.

I agree with Mary about the use of projectors in Mass that they are a distraction and detract from the reverence of the Mass.  It is a very useful tool but Mass is not the place for it. 

The use of microphones is an example of a good use of technology.  It amplifies the natural voice but does not change it.

Actually, we could stand to use microphones much, much more sparingly in our society. But at least they’re not inherently abominable at Mass, unlike projectors.

Even outside of church, I’m trying to think of the last time I was subjected to a PowerPoint presentation that enhanced my engagement with and understanding of the subject matter, to a sufficient degree that it was worth taking my eyes off of and distracting me from the speaker. Coming up completely blank to be honest.

Remember, power tends to corrupt…and PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.

@Mack Hall:  Thank you for sharing your bigoted opinion that the only acceptable form of worshiping Christ must be done within the confines of a Catholic church.  Jesus must have been lying when He said “Whenever two or more gather in my name . . . ”  For your information, mega screens, modern speakers and yes —even soundboards with technicians are quickly becoming commonplace in American Catholic parishes.

I getcha, Matt. Some of these folks are missing the mark here.

There’s too much talk in the new media marketing world about “strategy.” It’s a buzzword that people are making money off of. All the talk freaks out businesses and, in this case, ministries or parishes…because they don’t know of a “strategy.” But the truth is what Seth Godin said.

Now, does that mean we get to chunk everything we’ve learned about effectively using new media out the window? Indeed not! At the same time, as I like to quote so often, Marshall MacLuhan reminds us that the medium is the message. We must understand what message we’re sending as a Church or as individual Catholics by utilitzing the new media. But the very first step comes with Seth’s words. We must work on ourselves; we must allow God to craft our hearts into reflections of His own.

This is perfect! Just last night we were talking about the difficulties of having today’s churches embracing digital communication and the how it’s become such a polarizing experience that we often forget the true mission and true message of Jesus Christ that we are all called to live out and follow! Thanks for posting Matt!

Embracing and implementing digital technology for the sake of the gospel is not difficult at all.  Whether it’s the Vatican, your diocese or your parish, it depends upon the people involved maintaining a proper focus regarding “whom” is receiving the glory.  If the frustration is due to competition by those involved seeking credit, personal applause and acclaim, then your mission has strayed off course toward self glorification and prideful sin.  The right perspective is ensuring Christ is at the center of all we do.  We honor Him by doing our best so that He is glorifed —not us.  Technology is a tool and Jesus is the architect.  The idea that He cannot be honored by modern technological advancement is absurb.

I could not agree more. Tools are great but nothing beats one one one relationships.