People must be successful in communicating with each other on both a personal and organizational level.  Breakdowns in effective communications can lead to misunderstanding, conflict, or a major disaster. 

Good communications happens when people are willing to cooperate in the communication process – one that is more than talking and listening.  When we reach people at their point of felt need in language they understand, we cross the threshold into effective communications. 

When people “connect” in respectful dialogue and mutual understanding, relationships grow and community gets stronger.  This opens the door to progress and transformation. Effective communications transforms a community into an organic environment that blossoms with authenticity, trust, and cooperative teamwork.  People are happier, more committed, and united with common purpose.

By now you may be asking yourself, “How do I make this happen in my situation?”  The answer involves simple education and intentional process.

Communications is a two-way path where thoughts and feelings travel back and forth.  A one-way stream of good information to people does not constitute good communications.  Without feedback or the proper response of a listener, there is no communication!  Effective communications implies two-way understanding.

Mutual understanding is the highest point in effective communications.  This is achieved through an intentional process that involves hearing, seeing, and personal participation.  Scientific experiments have shown that on average, we remember:

• 10% of what we read 
• 20% of what we hear
• 30% of what we see
• 50% of what we see and hear
• 70% of what we say
• 90%  of what we say and do
  

Organic vs. Organizational Tools

For every task that needs to be accomplished, there are right tools and not-so-right tools.  Tools are designed to make jobs easier.  Using the wrong tools can oftentimes be counterproductive and sometimes hazardous.  You wouldn’t want to use a kitchen knife as a screwdriver, but the truth is, you probably have.  You may have done it because the tool that you needed, at that moment, was simply unavailable.  So, you proceeded with what you had.

Many organizations do the same thing, everyday.  They use the wrong tools to get jobs done right.  This happens because the tools that they really need are out of their intellectual reach (lack of knowledge and understanding), unavailable (didn’t know they existed).

Now, I realize that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of specific tools organizations use; but for sake of simplicity, I have combined all of these tools into two categories – organic and organizational.  Regardless of the type of activity that organizations engage in, both organic and organizational tools are absolutely vital to seeing health and success.  In fact, this revelation has caused the re-alignment and transformation of many organizations around the world.  So much so, that research articles, best-selling books, and philosophical treatises have been written on this subject in volumes!

To better understand the difference (and importance) of organic and organizational tools, we must first look at history.

For many years, modern society has used a traditional approach to organizational structure, born out of the Industrial Revolution.  Organizations have been defined as well-oiled machines – efficient, reliable, and predicable.  In order to keep things running smoothly these mechanical-like structures relied heavily upon the efficiency of all its parts (including people), strict standards, and formal procedures.  Maximum productivity could be assured, as long as the organizational environment remained stable with little or no change at all. 

But times have changed, and so has organizational design.  Today’s successful organizations have turned more toward organic models.  Organic models suggest that organizations are more like living organisms capable of adapting to their environment.  The organization is composed of interdependent, closely connected cells, each requiring proper nourishment for the entire organization to stay healthy.  The organizational environment is characterized by steady change, organic transformation, and forward progress.

I believe that the future success and growth of all organizations will be dependent upon leaders knowing the difference between organic and organizational tools.  Consultants suggest that any lack of knowledge or misunderstanding could prove disastrous to organizational health and growth.  Consider the following distinctions:

Keep in mind that all organizations are made up of people (organic entities) and resources (organized things).  We must remember that people are the most valuable assets.  This implies that organic life supersedes organizational effort; in other words, organism is best served by organization.  If the opposite occurs, people are reduced to impersonal, “human resources” – things to be used for getting things done. 

As for me, I rally behind the importance of using both organic and organizational tools.  
 

 
Successful organizations are quickly learning that trying to make organizational tools do the job of organic tools is fruitless, and sometimes, quite hazardous.  Using the right tool for the right job can make work easier, more productive, and maybe even enjoyable.

With the “winds of change” blowing across the global landscape, successful organizations are weathering the storms.  They are drawing up “organic blueprints” along with their organizational designs.  They use both organizational tools to re-engineer, and organic tools to ignite transformation (change, progress, and growth).

People are allowed to be human, and organizations come to life!

What does Web 2.0 mean for the local church?

An ordinary church web site can be easily transformed into an interactive community.  A virtual neon sign can flash: Open 24/7.  This will attract “seekers” and visitors to a cultural relevant, online community of believers.  This opens the door for dramatic results in Oikos e-vangelism.

Web 2.0 tools can help maximize communications, vital to building of healthy relationships. Communication promotes cooperation, collaboration, and creativity.  Organic, relational networks can be built that strengthen and develop congregations.  Prayer networks can be empowered and enabled to connect in real-time. Trained volunteers can help in pastoral care while they are at home, and small group ministry is easily managed.

Web 2.0 can also help get more people excited and involved in shared ministry.  Ministry leaders can now broadcast a compelling vision for cooperation in building ministry synergism.  Staff can now spend more time in ministry; less in management, saving time and money.  This can help spark communal transformation, resulting in both internal and external growth. 

For the church that is ready to reach out beyond their four walls, Web 2.0 is a powerful tool.  This is where things get really exciting for me.  Church can go where people are; rather than waiting on them to come into the church.  With millions of internet users integrating their online world with everyday living, churches can move far beyond their four walls and into people’s homes, workspaces, and school environments.  New paradigm ministries can be launched, providing effective ways to minister to multitudes of people. 

Web 2.0 is also a great tool for planting new churches and local missions.  An organic, interconnecting network can emerge, strengthening support and leadership development.  Training resources can easily be placed on the web, available for viewing 24/7.  Web 2.0 is great for multi-campus churches, cell-based ministries, house churches, and apostolic networks.

With Web 2.0 technology, ministries can easily connect with good communication and collaboration.  Greater vision and mobilization happen as people build relational synergism, working together for greater purposes realized only through concerted efforts.  Using Web 2.0, area leaders can work together in City-Reaching, impacting the whole city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As more and more Christians come together on common ground, they will experience the power of unity of purpose – a force of many…moving as one!  With this, ministries can cross the threshold into explosive, biblical dynamics with synergistic results.  This will readily apply to denominational initiatives, parachurch missions, campus ministries, and marketplace outreaches.

Web 2.0 is here, now.  There are several ways to expand a ministry using these new technologies, with more being created every day.  One of my purposes for this blog is to help spread the word that Web 2.0 is a resource worth investigating.

How will Web 2.0 impact the Church?

For the first time in history, the Body of Christ can experience universal connectivity.  Not bound by time, location, or costly expense, Christians all over the world can now get together, talk in real-time, and join forces in advancing the Kingdom of God.  This helps bring evangelization to critical mass all over the planet.

Thousands of ministry leaders are now searching for new ways to utilize the internet for mobilizing coalition forces in worldwide evangelism.  They believe that God is using the internet to change the world and transform people’s lives.
 

In 1997, ministry leaders from churches, denominations, and parachurch organizations gathered together at the Billy Graham Center to discuss ways the internet could be used to stimulate and accelerate worldwide evangelism.  Their passion for evangelism gave birth to the Internet Evangelism Coalition in 1999.

According to Dr. Sterling Huston of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Chairman of the Internet Evangelistic Coalition,

“The rapid growth, broad international reach and economical cost of the Internet offers individuals, churches, and ministries an unprecedented opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide.”

Today, the Internet Evangelism Coalition (IEC) is facilitating the growth of strategic partnerships among Christian organizations now engaged in internet evangelism.  I had a chance to sit in (video via the internet) on one of their recent gatherings in Chicago this past year.  There was a resounding cry for a Web 2.0 tool that’s designed exclusively for Christians to use. 

What are ways Web 2.0 can benefit the Church?

There are a number of ways Web 2.0 can be used by the Body of Christ.  The church now has many new ways to connect, collaborate, and build community – using the internet as a powerful ministry tool.  Ordinary Web 1.0 websites can be transformed into interactive gathering places where people meet and share common interests.
 

The Web 2.0 church website captures attention.

The average attention span of an online user is 10-20 seconds.  Web 2.0 websites are designed to capture a viewers attention in a short amount of time.  The websites are simple, straight to the point, and easy to understand.

The Web 2.0 church website is inviting.

Gone are the days when having a traditional church website was all that was needed to attract new visitors from the internet.  Today, websites must not only look good, they must feel good.  They must look less like a digital brochure, and more like a vibrant community. Web 2.0 websites are welcoming and inclusive.

The Web 2.0 church website offers community.

The recent developments of Web 2.0 can provide organizations with the ability to build their own social network, something I call an online gated community.  These social networks can be customized for personal preferences and needs.  These communities can be both private (with sections for members only), and inclusive (with sections where everyone is invited). 

These benefits throw the door wide open for new and innovative ways for organic transformation – a back-to-basics, natural process for church health and growth.  The Church can now draw closer to people in everyday life. Unlimited possibilities prevail, limited only by imagination!

Universal connectivity (on a local and global scale) is now available.  Christians can now take advantage of cost-effective means, connecting with family, friends, and co-workers at anytime, and anywhere.  This means that for the first time in history, the Body of Christ can connect and collaborate in real-time, worldwide.  Mobilization of local, national, and global forces for evangelism is now possible.  This could easily engage millions of new evangelists and draw in millions of new believers.

Web 2.0 technology may find its way into the history books by having as much impact on the Christian landscape as the invention of the printing press in the 1440s. The printing press released the power of human communications and therefore changed human history, especially the Church. Today, Christians all over the world are fast discovering the power of the internet, which may prove to be a ministry tool that revolutionizes the way we think we think of church for generations to come. 

The impact that Web 2.0 technology will have on Christianity, will largely depend upon visionary leadership and innovative strategies. Web 2.0 is a tool; and like any tool, is only as useful as the craftsman’s skills and talents. As more and more Christians “grab hold” of the power of Web 2.O tools, millions of people will be affected by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, this largely depends on who you ask. Some say Web 2.0 is the next generation of web-based services, including online desktop applications, VoIP, and social networking. Others define it in terms of “s-commerce,” using Web 2.0 technology as means to boost e-commerce.  And there are those, like me, who see Web 2.0 as an exciting way to connect people and build healthy relationships.

Web 2.0 technology serves as an emerging platform for building organic, interconnected relationships that serves both the individual and an organization. 

What’s the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0?

The following video is a simple illustration of my point:

How is Web 2.0 impacting the Internet?

The internet is in the midst of a major “paradigm shift” – it traditionally served as a way to gather information; now, it’s growing to become a gathering place for building relationships. Social networking is taking full advantage of Web 2.0 technology. According to a recent marketing report by Compete, Inc:

Growth in online social networking has been explosive…increased 109% since January 2004, while site usage has increased 414%, four times faster than member growth.

A new research report just came in from the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California. Their 2007 Digital Project revealed that:

More and more statistics show that online social networking is here to stay, with dramatic increases continuing for years to come. Here is where the Church can “seize the moment.”