Technology’s Impact on Missions
June 15, 2010 – 10:45 amIn a discussion on short-term missions (preparations before taking one, their long-range effect, the perspective of the Global South on them, etc.) Paul Borthwick provided some helpful thoughts about missions and technology (pp. 2-3 of the article):
Question: What new global trends are likely to impact the way short-term missions is done in the future?
Answer: Probably the most significant trend would be technology, and it’s both a positive and negative influence. Positively speaking, short-term teams today come back with more ability to stay in touch with the people they served alongside of.
Unfortunately, technology can also have a negative impact. It’s getting increasingly difficult for Westerners to be emotionally present where they’re serving. Rather than becoming culturally immersed, they go out during the day and do ministry, but come back at night to check their Facebook pages and update their blogs. They don’t become part of the local culture because technology is keeping them connected to home.
Paul also gave some helpful advice (which he received from residents in the Global South) regarding the make-up of short-term teams:
I emailed some of my non-western friends and asked, “If you were going to speak to this group, what would you say?” The number one answer was, “send us smaller teams for longer periods.”
If you send a team of six to work with six people from the host country, you’re much more likely to become “culturally embedded” than with a team of forty.
View complete interview by Round Trip Missions.
Cf. discussion of this topic on Brother Euguen’s blog.
Obviously, we at MM are not opposed to using technology (websites, blogs, videos, etc.) for the cause of missions, but articles like these ought force all of us to stop and reevaluate how we use the various forms of media that are available to us. Like anything, they can be distracting, used as a tool for slander, etc. Let us bring these tools before the throne of Christ and ask Him how we can best utilize them for the sake of His name and glory.
