The great promise of computer networking and the internet in its initial explosion two decades ago was the idea of being able to work and interact with others anytime from anywhere. That idea failed to materialize in those early years due to slow network speeds and the reality that being tethered to a wire was still required.

Today smart phones are making the idea of instant, always-on interactions through the internet a reality. The rise of devices like the Blackberry and iPhone, and more recently Google Android devices, are drastically reshaping what is possible on a mobile device. More than 40 million North Americans now enjoy “the internet in your pocket” and that number is expected to quadruple to 160 million in the next 3 years. One estimate puts smartphone penetration worldwide at more than 500 million devices by 2012.

From a communications perspective, smart phones open up yet another immediate and important means to connect within the church and to the community. Smart phones do not replace another media means, but instead add a new method of connection. They allow the combination of both internet and telephony means of communication—email, social media, the mobile web, SMS text messaging—with nearly ubiquitous portability and “always available” accessibility.

From telephone to mobile. We’re quickly reaching a mainstream generation that does not remember a time before cell phones. My 4-year-old daughter has never known a world where you could not carry a phone around with you wherever you go.  In a general sense the mobile phone has increased the level of one-to-one connectivity for most North Americans. Does anyone remember stopping to make a call, and needing the other party to be near their actual work or home telephone if you were to reach them?  Mobile phones have made it easy to connect directly with others.

From mail and broadcast to internet. Equally stunning has been the shift from written and broadcast communication to the internet.  Casual correspondence by mail has all but disappeared. And now, even garage-based organizations with a brilliant idea can bypass major median to access millions of potential connections online.  Email and websites have democratized the ability of any size organization to connect with members and broader markets.

Enter the smartphone.  The smartphone is a revolution that combines both mobile telephony and internet connectivity. Not only does one possess the internet’s limitless searchable information base, but also a means to instantaneously act, any where and at any time.  Smartphones are already opening up tremendous new possibilities for communication, from internet-connected dedicated applications within the phone, to location-aware social media, mobile e-mail and mobile photo and video.  Once you experience a smartphone for a few days, you will have no doubt that the future of personal communication is headed directly for these connected devices.

Reorganizing ministry for instant connectivity. One adjustment churches can make as a result of this new wave of instantaneous and personal connectivity is to embrace opportunities for instantaneous and personal ministry. Where ministry communication and motivation to action was once largely confined to church gatherings where information could be shared and appeals made, now that can be accomplished anytime, anywhere. Additionally, people also have the ability through their technologies to respond and engage.

The new questions. Among the questions we can now ask when formulating ministry opportunities are, “How can we make this something people can respond to anytime, anywhere?” and “How can use people’s availability and connectivity apart from church gatherings to drive these ministry opportunities?”  We must not be content to try to shoehorn new technologies into existing ministry models, but rather to adjust those models—or adopt entirely new ones—to take advantage of the new ways in which people interact and communicate.

Tremendous potential.  The potential for ministries to become more local, personal and “grass roots” as a result is astounding. Already we are beginning to see the mobile aspects of online social media transform our church’s contact and activity within our body of believers and the larger community. With the rapid adoption of smart phones by an increasing number of people this trend will continue to grow significantly in the short-term. Even as we ask new questions, we must also be brave enough to try out ideas, so that we do not settle for mere potential, but instead attempt to make a tangible difference as we at the same time learn how smart phones and the instant communication they bring can impact our communities.

About the Author. Eugene L. Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...