Digital Technology — How to Make Ministry Experience Matter in Any Job
By Jeff Eads, Co-Executive Director of Muncie Fellows
Part 5 of 9 of a series about workplace competencies. Read Part 1 here.
Transferable Skill #4 - Digital Technology
Digital Technology: Leverage existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies. (Source)
Digital technology has been important since the beginning of time. Exhibit 1: Eve had an Apple. Ok, please don’t stop reading! That was a terrible joke and completely Biblically inaccurate. Eve ate an unspecified “fruit”. Which just goes to show you, that there will always be some critics hate’n on Apple. (Ok, now I will stop.)
You may be asking, “What does digital technology have to do with my faith?” Let’s start simply with the technology part.
Technology is a product of people who were created to create. How long do you think it took for Adam in caring for the garden before he thought, “You know Eve, this would be easier if we had some tools”? We were designed as co-creators. Perhaps one of the most prominent places the Bible shows this is when God provided the gifts for the makers of the temple in Exodus 31. Christians have valued using resources to serve the world throughout history. Think of the hospitals built in order to use medical technology to care for the sick. Or the schools that have been built to use resources to educate children.
Just this past year, I was in a conversation with a friend who serves on the board of a non-profit that aims to alleviate homelessness in a major city. They have created a system that can get a homeless person from anywhere in the city to available food and shelter within minutes. They have accomplished this by using existing Google products that we all use every day to map the resources and hours of operation of the many organizations within the city and bring a collective order to a web of disconnected services. Technology can be a force for good.
The Biblical worldview is one that sees the richness of creation as a beautiful invitation to explore every square inch.
In the NACE definition of this competency, there are a few critical components worth mentioning.
First, problem-solving. We already did a post about this, so I won’t add much here other than to say as a Christian we value problem-solving.
Second, the word “ethically.” Perhaps this should be more obvious than it is, but Christians of all people should hold ethical work in high regard. After all, we are not looking out for just ourselves but for the good of others, we are not working only for personal gain and we are serving God not man. We should be the annoyingly consistent example of ethical behavior. (Phil. 2:4; 1 Thes. 2:4; Eph. 6:6–7)
Third, “effective adaptability.” The challenge that many people have with technology is that by the time they master something, they are already behind the times on new technologies. Adaptability can be frustrating, perhaps especially for “old people” like me. I think this is because the learning of technology is often seen as an unnecessary obstacle in the way of actually getting my work done. However, if the employer is saying, “Hey, I want you to know and understand how to use this new technology” then that is the work (or part of it). This is an area where some of us need to give ourselves permission to be curious.
After all, the Biblical worldview is one that sees the richness of creation as a beautiful invitation to explore every square inch, yet never in all of our searching to get bored from exhausting our possibilities. Solomon is a good example of this as he observes his surroundings, and from his observations, draws wise conclusions. Digital technologies are part of the created world that we can explore.
Are you using technology to manage programs in your student ministry?
Perhaps Google products such as Google Drive for collaborating on content, Sheets for working collectively on budgets or schedules, or Maps for charting your trip? As it turns out, you probably are already enjoying the efficiencies of certain tools. And, as it turns out, employers want that. You don’t have to be a software developer to value the advantages of useful technology.
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