Building the Case for Community Centers in Missions

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Building the Case for Community Centers in
Missions

• Andrew Sears
• Executive Director
• www.techmission.org/missions/

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Outline

• Technology in Church History
• Christian Community Computer Centers in Urban
  Missions in the USA
• Christian Community Computer Centers in
  International Missions
• Outcomes Data from existing Christian Community
  Computer Centers
• Biblical Foundations for Technology in Urban
  Missions

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Technology in Church History
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Learning from the Success of the Jesus Film

• 2 billion viewers with 200 million decisions to
  follow Jesus
• Reasons for success
• Recognized global trends in growth of
  Christianity
• Recognized need to translate into local languages
• Partnered with indigenous leaders
• Local implementation of global resources

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What is the killer app for Christians and the
Internet?

• We do not know yet!
• Principles for finding it
• Based on global trends in growth of Christianity
• Putting tools in the hands of indigenous
  Christian leaders (in local languages)
• Local implementation of global resources
• Takes advantages of differences between broadcast
  and Internet

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Differences Between Broadcast and Internet

• Broadcast
• One to Many Communication
• Broadcast is a medium
• Centralized content development
• One way communication

• Internet
• Many to Many Communication
• Internet is a tool (and a medium)
• Centralized distributed content development
• One way and two way communication

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Christian Community Computer Centers in Urban
Missions in the USA
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Killer app for Urban MissionsChristian
Community Computer Centers

• In the past 15 years, over 2,000 community
  computer centers have been started in Christian
  organizations
• Over 500 of these sites are now members of the
  Association of Christian Community Computer
  Centers (AC4)

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About TechMission

• Mission to support Christian organizations in
  using technology in urban ministry
• Programs
• Association of Christian Community Computer
  Centers (AC4) providing technology training to
  over 500 Christian organizations serving at-risk
  communities
• TechMission Corps provides 20 full-time urban
  ministry interns to programs using technology to
  serve at-risk youth
• TechMission Safe Families program focused on
  protecting at-risk youth from pornography and
  other dangers on the Internet

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Three Values of TechMission

• Jesus
• Justice
• Technology

Having these three values is what makes
TechMission unique Their level of importance is
in that order Jesus then Justice then Tech
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Christian Community Computer Centers in the USA
(C4s)

• Vision Computer skills to make a living and a
  spiritual foundation to make a life
• Types of C4s
• Computer classes for the unemployed
• After school child care involving computers
• Adult rehabilitation programs using computers
• Adult education (GED, ESL) using computers

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Digital Divide
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Computer Literacy and Jobs in USA
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Locations of USA AC4 Members
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AC4 Members in Other Organizations
AGRM
40
AC4 Members
Youth UYWI Compassionworks
Salvation Army
30
200
CCDA
HUD NN
92
60
CTCNet
HLIC
93
?
World Vision
?
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Christian Community Computer Centers in
International Missions
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Why Information Technology (IT) in Missions?

• IT provides Tent Making Business for missions
• IT plays an Essential Role in Education and
  Holistic Ministry
• Global economic growth primarily in Information
  Technology sector
• Growing digital divide between countries with
  IT skills and those without with further economic
  divides
• Data from experience shows it is an extremely
  effective tool for missions

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International Digital Divide Graph
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AC4 and International Members

• AC4 currently has over 150 members outside of the
  USA
• Although AC4 started with a focus on the USA, we
  are becoming increasingly focused internationally
• As an effort to grow our international
  membership, organizations outside the USA with
  limited budgets may have membership fee waived

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International Model 1Tent Making Model for
C4s

• Description C4s can operate as tent making
  businesses for missionaries
• Cybermission.org model (John Edmiston)
• Provide for-fee Internet access in developing
  countries
• One cyber café can support four missionaries
• Café provides forum for evangelism
• Replicated at eight sites
• Focus on normal users and techies in developing
  countries
• May have low range radio station

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International Model 2 Using C4s to Start
Christian Colleges

• Description C4s form the basis to start a
  Christian college in developing countries
• Sim-tec.org model
• Start C4s in Developing Country to offer
  computer classes
• Develop C4s into fully accredited Christian
  colleges
• Focus is on non-users, normal users, and techies
  in developing countries

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International Model 3 Technology in Holistic
Christian Programs

• Description technology is one component in a
  holistic program addressing poverty and providing
  jobs (focus on non-users)
• Example Christian program models
• Computer classes in a Christian jobs/vocational
  training program
• Discipleship or rehabilitation programs involving
  technology
• Micro-loan program which provides a computer

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Example Technology Centers and Evangelism in AGRM

• Association of Gospel Rescue Missions was founded
  in 1913 and is a group of over 300 Christian
  homeless shelters
• Last year over 85,000 people enrolled in AGRM
  educational programs
• Meeting Spiritual Need Estimated that over half
  (over 42,500) of these made decisions to follow
  Jesus
• Meeting Felt Need 5,000 graduated with a GED or
  other diploma, and nearly 15,000 formerly
  homeless individuals completed training programs
  and became productive members of society

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International Model 4 Equipping Church Techies
with Technology

• Description provide technology training to those
  providing tech support on the mission field
• International Conference on Computing and
  Missions Model
• Provides a conference for those providing tech
  support on the missions field
• Focus is on techies
• www.gospelcom.net/iccm/

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International Model 5 Equipping Church Leaders
in Developing Countries

• Description providing technology training to
  indigenous church leaders in developing countries
  (focus on normal users)
• Examples
• Provide training on audio/visual systems for
  services
• Providing training in getting a ministry website

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International Model 6 Providing IT Skills Needed
for Jobs

• Description Oasis International Net2Work Program
  teaches Information Technology (IT) skills needed
  for jobs on mission fields
• 28 centers in 10 countries
• Over 1,000 students now e-literate huge demand
  for more centers
• Job placements nearly 50
• Students have gone from unemployed slum dwellers
  to good full time jobs within 4 months

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International Model 7 Internet Enabled
International Christian Radio

• Cybercafe also uses low-powered FM transmitter to
  provide community radio station
• Can utilize digital audio content from the
  internet
• Enables improved global distribution of Christian
  message via radio across different languages (top
  sermons globally in Spanish, Arabic, etc.)

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Measuring Outcomes AC4 Site Statistics
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Total AC4 Member Site Statistics
Note these numbers only include active members
who are paid up on dues, the numbers including
defaulted members are Budgets 12,416,081 and
Participants 92,593 These numbers are
extrapolated for all active members based on 130
sites reporting.
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Measurable Outcomes from AC4 Sites
Extrapolated for all active members with 130
sites reporting Note many outcomes of AC4
sites are not measurable in these terms (after
school programs, etc.
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Average AC4 Site Statistics
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Computer Centers and Evangelism

• Total Computer Center Budgets 4,146,833
• Number of Decisions to follow Jesus 3,086
• Of sites that provided data on decisions to
  follow Jesus, over 15 of program participants
  made decisions to follow Jesus

Note according to the International Bulletin of
Missionary Research, the Average Global Cost Per
Baptism is 349,000. January 2005. David B.
Barrett Todd M. Johnson http//www.globalchristi
anity.org/resources.htm
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AC4 Members by Membership Type
498 Total Members
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AC4 Members in Other Organizations
AGRM
27
AC4 Members
Youth UYWI Compassionworks
Salvation Army
49
35
CCDA
HUD NN
78
66
CTCNet
HLIC
84
19
World Vision
??
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AC4 Membership By Region
USA Members Currently Account for 68 of Members
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Number of AC4 Sites with Various Tech Activities
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Participants of AC4 Member Sitesby Race
Extrapolated for all active members with 70
sites reporting
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Participants of AC4 Member Sitesby Language
Extrapolated for all active members with 70
sites reporting
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Participants of AC4 Member Sites by Age
Extrapolated for all active members with 70
sites reporting
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Participants of AC4 Member Sites by Urban/Rural
Extrapolated for all active members with 70
sites reporting
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Participants of AC4 Member SitesBy Other
Demographics

• 78.4 are low-income
• 27.5 are homeless
• 14.3 are disabled

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AC4 Resource Distribution Outcomes

• Distributed over 1.7 million in resources to AC4
  member sites
• Over 400,000 in sub-grants to AC4 members
  through C4T grants
• Over 750,000 worth of new Toshiba equipment to
  AC4 members through Beaumont Partnership
• Over 345,000 to sites and partners through CTC
  grant
• Over 200,000 to sites through AmeriCorps

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Training Outcomes

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Biblical Foundation for Technology in Urban
Missions
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Biblical Model for Missions
1 Corinthians 919-23 Though I am free and belong
to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to
win as many as possible. To the Jews I became
like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the
law I became like one under the law (though I
myself am not under the law), so as to win those
under the law. To those not having the law I
became like one not having the law (though I am
not free from God's law but am under Christ's
law), so as to win those not having the law. To
the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have
become all things to all men so that by all
possible means I might save some.
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Who are We Targeting?

• Biblical Application Technology ministry needs
  to be translated into the local needs/culture
• Killer app depends on who you are targeting
• Developed countries or developing countries
• Urban, suburban, or rural
• Techie, normal computer user, or non-user

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Where Is Growth of the Church?

• Urban
• Since 1900, 70 of new Christians have been in
  urban areas (1.1 billion since 1900)
• 75 of new Christians will be in urban areas in
  the future
• Developing Countries
• Over 80 of growth of the church is in Asia and
  the Southern Hemisphere (1.17 billion since 1900)
• 95 of growth in the next 20 years expected to be
  in Asia and the Southern Hemisphere

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Stages of Technology and Ministry

• By Geeks for Geeks (or techies)
• By Geeks for Normal Users
• By Normal Users for Normal Users
• By Normal Users for Non-Users

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Biblical Basis for C4s
James 215-16 Suppose a brother or sister is
without clothes and daily food. If one of you
says to him, Go, I wish you well keep warm and
well fed, but does nothing about his physical
needs, what good is it?
Jesus always met both spiritual needs and felt
needs!
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What Are Felt Needs?
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Urban and Suburban Felt Needs

• Urban Felt Needs
• Food/Housing
• Jobs/Education
• Child Care
• Safety

• Suburban Felt Needs
• Convenience/Time
• Friends
• Activities
• Self Actualization