Pastor's Puddle

Everett Thomas reminded me that I had promised to report on something Serene Jones had said which I found important at the time, but needs some unpacking. She was wondering about the financial implications of increasingly online congregational life, in the same way that MOOCs threaten the business model of higher education. Good question! I am wondering about that too.

Already at CMC we see the impact of this on congregational life. We recently added an invitation to participate in worship via offering for our webcast/TV broadcast, aware that more people share in CMC worship through electronic means than in person. We also have a mechanism for online giving. Increasingly, it seems to me, we are going to have to address this issue.

Now a final note, I have applied, and have been accepted, for a Writer's Workshop on digital media this coming June at St. John's in Collegeville, Minn. It is fully funded by the Lilly Foundation, so is free to CMC. Verity Jones is the teacher. So this conversation will continue!