I want to give everyone here an update on what I've been working on lately (and part of the reason why I've been slow to respond to posts the last couple of months).
Over the next few weeks Church Tech Community will be launching!
Church Tech Community is a place for church techs and creatives to connect, grow, and share with one another through forum discussions, private messaging, and more.
My hope and prayer for that community is that it unites church techs and creatives across the world to use technology as a tool to serve the Church and spread the Gospel.
Now, I know some of you might be wondering a few things. So here are some answers to common questions I get:
How is it different than this community (JWS Community)?
Great question.
About a year ago, I began to find it difficult to keep up with all the emails, video chats, phone calls, Facebook groups, Facebook messages, text messages, and other forms of contact from people asking questions about video production and gear. So this community (JWS Community) was created simply as a way for me to centralize all my personal communication with you. It was never intended to serve the greater community of church techs or become a place where everyone had a voice. It was almost exclusively a 1-to-1 platform for people to get in touch with me.
But...
I not only personally love helping people, I also love seeing people getting help from others. And I believe there is power in greater community.
So that is a big reason why Church Tech Community was created. Think of it as this community and then some.
Is this community (JWS Community), going away?
I don't know yet.
As of right now, no. You can still reach me here if you have questions about video production or gear.
However, you can also reach me (and others) over at Church Tech Community with the same questions. And the same answers I would share here will be the answers I share there. So there won't be any difference in communication with me, only the added benefit of building a community with others and getting a wider variety of topics, opinions, and ideas.
If Church Tech Community takes off and I find myself spending most of my time there, then I will probably consider shutting the JWS Community down to prevent confusion and (once again) streamline the communication channels.
What about all the church tech and media Facebook groups?
Another excellent question!
This leads to the other big reason why Church Tech Community was created...
Having been heavily involved in quite a few Facebook groups over the years, I could see the writing on the wall as far back as probably 5 years ago: Facebook's reputation is not good, not getting any better, and people are spending less and less time there.
Even the Facebook groups with 10,000+ members and tons of daily engagement I have been part of for many years are now just a ghost of what they were just a year ago.
It's clear - people are leaving Facebook at a rising pace. And simply put - not everyone can benefit from a Facebook group anyways.
So, I saw the need for a neutral space where all church techs could come together to build community, share with each other, and grow together.
You're invited to be one of the first to check it out! Browse around, sign up for a free account, share your feedback, and feel free to invite others!
I look forward to seeing you around Church Tech Community!
