Redemptive AI Ethics Framework
The Redemptive AI Ethics Framework intends to provide biblical principles, AI development standards and AI safeguards for the current AI age. By grounding AI engagement in biblical theology, this approach equips the church to step boldly into the Wisdom Gap with God’s truth for a world struggling to understand what it means to be human in the age of thinking machines.
S1.15 A Unified Story That Leads To Jesus - The Bible Project
James talks with Jon Collins, Co-Founder, and Joel Worral, Chief Product Officer from the Bible Project. They explore how this project came to life, and the unique ways they are leveraging technology to communicate the message of scripture and help people experience the Bible as a unified story leading to Jesus.
S1.13 Integrating Entrepreneurship with Timeless Wisdom - Luke Dooley
Luke Dooley is the President and CEO of Ocean Programs. He desires to see people understand their place in a larger story - this is what motivates him to create spaces and content that compel people to live and lead in ways worth following! Ocean Programs engages people through Entrepreneurial training and an Accelerator Program to help grow startups while taking founders on a concurrent spiritual journey. Luke talks through the passion that drives Ocean Programs, the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, some exciting news about partnering with FaithTech, and an interesting habit around washrooms! Listen in to hear some great stories about meaningful, kingdom-focused models for innovation and startup.
S1.14 Ethics in the Digital Age - Kate Ott
Kate is the Jerre and Mary Joy Stead Professor of Christian Ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Through her work, writing, and thought leadership, she engages on the difficult issues of sexuality, technology, relationships, and values. Kate and James unpack these issues today and walk through the ways we can posture ourselves as Christians to navigate them.
S1.11 Robots, Ethical Dilemmas of Innovation, and Wall-E - Joshua K. Smith
Joshua K. Smith is the author of the book, Robot Theology, and has a PHD in Theology. As a Pastor he brings a unique perspective to this space as he thinks through where society is going and how we should consider this as Christians.
S1.8 Exploitative, Responsible, and Redemptive Tech - Dr. Kutter Callaway
James interviews Dr. Kutter Callaway in part 1 of this 2 part series. They explore themes such as: Exploitative vs Responsible vs Redemptive tech and How to be a Christian at the epicenter of leading tech & culture creation companies.
S1.3 Rebellion: Fig Leaf Tech, Upgrades, Is Tech Neutral? - John Dyer
What does this moment in our history, when rebellion enters, teach us about the relationship between God and technology? How are we attempting to overcome the effects of the fall today? We'll answer these questions in episode three of our six-part series with John Dyer.
This AI Moment is a Gospel Moment
This AI moment represents both an opportunity and a challenge for believers. We are called to be in the world but not of it (John 17:14–15), engaging with cultural and technology while remaining rooted in timeless biblical truths. As the gap between AI and our ability to respond wisely continues to widen, the global church faces an unprecedented opportunity to proclaim the gospel in a world searching for meaning.
S1.1 How Does God View Technology? - John Dyer
Join us for episode one of this six-part podcast series by FaithTech, featuring John Dyer, author of the book From the Garden to the City. We set up the series by exploring how technology is shaping us and how we are shaping the world through it. Ultimately we want to answer the question of what God thinks about technology and how that impacts the way we should engage with it.
Should I Take a Digital Sabbath?
Could you go a day without digital technology? Not a chance! That was my answer too. And we’re not alone. Parents spend an average of nine hours and 22 minutes on screens (phones, computers, TV, tablets) every day — eight of which are for personal reasons, not work. The average person spends more time on their phone than sleeping . No
Is Technology Sinful?… Wrong Question
I once had a friend ask me, “Are video games sinful?” In classic fashion, I asked a question back: “what do you think?” His answer surprised me: “I don’t know. Maybe I’m asking the wrong question. Maybe it’s a Hebrews 12 type thing.” A Hebrews 12 type thing? Never heard of that. Lay Aside Every Weight and Sin My friend was referring t
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to The FaithTech Institute Write with us! The FaithTech Institute was designed to serve as a digital home for authors and learners critically pondering the intersection of the Christian faith and technology. Articles here are meant to inspire, educate, and deepen our understanding of ourselves, the world around us, and God Himself. You can read more about The FaithTech Institute here . Ultimatel
What is The FaithTech Institute?
Technology is pervasive. It’s entered nearly every facet of society, and faith is no exception. What does this mean for Christians? How are we to respond? What opportunities does this provide us? What can we learn? There are more questions than answers. The FaithTech Institute was designed to serve as a digital home for authors and learners critically pondering the intersection of faith and techn
Christian Tech Podcasts: The Definitive List
Christianity and technology seem to some people like strange bedfellows. You probably have friends or family who don’t see how they connect. These 7 podcasts are talking faith and technology in every episode. If you love to think deeply and sharpen your perspective on technology and faith, these podcasts were made for you! Plus you can share them with others when the conversation comes up! Try th
COVID-19 Global Church Hackathon Results!
“My grandma passed away two weeks ago. Though she didn’t die of the coronavirus, restrictions meant that my grandpa couldn’t be by her side for her final moments. One COVID nurse was asked what her biggest worry was and she responded: “People dying alone.” One team found a way to help! More on that in a second… What is #CovidHack? #CovidHack was an online global hackathon held March 28th — April
FaithTech Pivot: from Events to Community
Several months ago I asked a whole bunch of people I’d consider core to the FaithTech world this question: “what is FaithTech to you?” The most common response: “oh, you’re that group that does cool events!” It was evident we had a problem. First , most people used
Style Guide for FaithTech Writers
Writing is an art. Here are nine ways to make your work stand out with FaithTech Institute . (And when you’re ready, pitch it our way !) Think about your reader. Pick someone you know, and like , a friend maybe, and write your article to them. It will give your article more of
Here’s what 189 Pastors Need During COVID-19
To prepare for our upcoming COVID-19 Global Church Hackathon running 8-days from March 28 to April 4th, we asked 189 Pastors and Ministry Leaders their top issues during COVID-19, the type of tech solutions they are finding useful, and what they’d wish for during this
Is God against data-driven church?
Is God Against a Data-Driven Church? Data-driven decision making has become a common practice in the business world, but church leaders don’t seem to talk much about it. Why is that? Think about the last time a decision was made in your church. How was it done? In my experience with Asian churches and ministries, we, most of the time, make a decision based on what feels right. I hear things like:
Church Online: Five Essential Books
More churches than ever are live-streaming their services for the first time. With coronavirus restricting large group gatherings, pastors and church leaders are looking for new ways to keep their congregations connected. And while online church is new to many people, the good news is that many pastors and theologians have already laid a lot of the groundwork for creating great churches online .
Announcing FaithTech Institute’s Writing Contest
Technology is Making a World from the World God has Made We’re excited to announce FaithTech Institute’s first ever writing contest! We aim to spark innovation and integration between faith and technology, and to amplify voices we need to hear and ideas we need to talk about. Prizes This year’s contest winners will win . . . Your essay published in FaithTech Institute A $25 Amazon gift card A one
Loving My (Digital) Neighbor As Myself
In a world of social distancing and digital connections, who is my neighbor? In mid-February, my wife and I moved into our first house. It was a much anticipated move. For years, we had talked and dreamed about what it would be like to settle into a new home, meet our neighbors, and be a Kingdom light to the people right around us. Little did we, or anyone, know what the coming weeks held. Murmur
Megachurch Monopolies: How COVID is Amassing Data Among a Few Churches
Megachurch Monopolies? How COVID is Amassing Data Among a Few Churches And what we should do about it. On the first Sunday morning of lockdown, I asked my 61-year-old mom, “Which church do you want to join?” My mom and I are Christians in Thailand. “Let’s try church-hopping online,” she said. “Can you suggest an international one we can try?” I opened Craig Groeschel’s service at Life.Church , an
Unbundling Church
Strategies for Hybrid Worship Services Are you awaiting the second coming of church? That day when COVID is over and all churches will once again be together in spirit and in person? Churches around the world are in different phases of re-opening following the initial wave of COVID-19 and its aftershocks. With the likelihood that any vaccine is still a year off , it seems similarly likely that ch
The New Sunday Morning: Hybrid Church Ministry
On August 6, 1991, the World Wide Web became accessible to public, and people everywhere began to create websites. Just two decades ago, if you had told a church they needed a website, you would’ve heard, “Why do we need one? Everyone knows where to find us. Our service times are listed on the sign outside.” Today, it’s a given. A church without a website is like a home without a front door. Fast
“Theology in a Digital World: The Sequel” by David Lochhead
RIP: 1988–1997 Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series we’re calling “Defunct Christian Tech Blogs Still Worth Your Bandwidth.” Find the cumulative list here. About This Blog Theology in a Digital World: The Sequel deserves your special attention. Not only does its design hearken back to an near-extinct electronic era. The site is also a memorial to David Lochhead, an under-appreciat
Defunct Christian Tech Blogs Still Worth Your Bandwidth
A New Series This week, we begin a series we’re affectionately calling “.” Yes, “blogs.” You remember them, right? They were long-form before long-form became cool again. In the wake of the dot-com bubble, they launched Web 2.0, only to ride the social media tsunami of the mid-2000s. The “blogosphere” of GeoCities, Xanga, and Blogspot gave way to MySpace, then Facebook and Twitter, followed by Pi
Where Does Technology Fit in the Story of God?
A Theology of Technology for Coders and Artists Editor’s Note : Our friend John Dyer gave this talk at FaithTech’s Global Meetup in May 2020. This transcript, lightly edited, is part 1 of 2. Watch the full video here . The church needs creators, artists, and technologists, not just
What Your Smartphone Wants For Your Faith
My iPhone is showing signs of its age. Apps are crashing, certain functionality takes longer to work, and connectivity is not like it once was. Anticipating its impending death brings moments of anxiety over how I can operate without my smartphone. You might be wondering, “Why doesn’t he just get a new phone?” I hesitate for two reasons. First, my current phone is work-issued, which makes replaci
Where Does Technology Fit in the Story of God? (Part 2)
A Theology of Technology for Coders and Artists Editor’s Note : Our friend John Dyer gave this talk at FaithTech’s Global Meetup in May 2020. This transcript, lightly edited, is part 2 of 2. Read part 1 here . Watch the full video here . Technology is a great conduit for truth, but technology itself is also a form of truth that teaches us, informs us in particular ways. So the other thing I want
“Postmodern Bible” by Pete Phillips
RIP: 2004–2015 Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series we’re calling “Defunct Christian Tech Blogs Still Worth Your Bandwidth.” Find the growing list here . About This Blog Pete Phillips has been a leader in the digital theology field for a long time. His defunct blog Postmodern Bible proves it. Based in the UK, he has gone on to start the world’s first and only Digital Theology
Getting Personal Online
Dating apps can be a love-hate relationship. Here’s how to tip that balance. Friends, let’s be honest. COVID has really thrown a wrench in our ‘mingling’ plans. I can count on one hand the number of people I have talked to in person in a week. I see the UPS delivery guy more than I see my friends, and unless I want to marry him, I need a better strategy. If you’re like me and half of the populati
My Social Dilemma: Should I Delete All My Social Apps?
4 Questions to Help You Decide Within days, friends started texting me, had I seen The Social Dilemma yet? On Facebook, others announced they were deleting their account — all because of the Netflix documentary. They were asking because I have been researching social media and teaching how to build boundaries around it for a couple years. The documentary tangibly outlines some alarming trends we
Merciful Software Engineering
My Two Google Internships Showed Me that Doing Justice Isn’t Enough The summer I was 20, barely halfway through college, I lived in New York City and interned at Google. Every weekday I would leave my Midtown apartment with a view of the Empire State Building and walk 18 blocks past homeless people in cardboard and blanket caricatures of shelter, get my free breakfast served by a contracted emplo
Who “Makes” The Rules? Whose Labels to Use?
Living By the Spirit in the Age of Machine Learning Winner of FaithTech Institute’s 2020 Writing Contest ! Visitors to Google Codelabs’ TensorFlow tutorial will encounter two diagrams contrasting traditional computer programming with Machine Learning (ML): In traditional programming, rules are essentially hard coded “inputs” to systems that we will term “rule-following,” whereas in ML rules can b
From Calling to Community
The Share Bibles App was built through prayer and global collaboration https://medium.com/media/69ab0e1d5edb411fda2c62c8e0d4bde4/href When Rob Wiebe came face to face with a problem hindering his ministry, he felt challenged to take on a project that seemed impossible for him. He had a vision for a new technology, but he didn’t have any technical training. He was called to be a missionary, not a
Technology — Idol or Opportunity?
Technology — Idol or Opportunity? Could we live forever, only to lose our soul? Wouldn’t it be great if we could live forever? Some of the brightest minds in the world are working on it. They call it “radical life extension,” and it involves everything from eating healthy and taking supplements to replacing a hip or a knee or a heart
Living My Best Tech-Wise Life — draft
Living My Best Tech-Wise Life Fast-flowing wisdom from Gen Z author Amy Crouch will resonate with teens … and adults. Teenagers love Snapchat. That’s all I knew when I downloaded the bright yellow App a few years ago for an age-defying test drive. We’ll be honest —
Will Silicon Be Our Salvation?
How Technology Is the World’s Fastest Growing Religion https://medium.com/media/29a52a99fe98981a8a7eb3cccf400620/href In the world of technology, there is an idea called the singularity . It’s a future day when machines will empower humans to transcend our bodies and live eternally in the silicon and fiber of computers and the Internet. Man, living forever? That sounds familiar. People have achie
Forget the Echo Chamber, Social Media is a Prism
… and it needs to be broken. Every once in a while, something comes along and causes a paradigm shift in its respective field or medium, a breakthrough that challenges prevailing narratives for explaining the world. Sometimes those breakthroughs are few and far between. F
Redeeming Innovation
Discovering God’s Design for this Disruptive Force God is an innovator. When God made the world, he was creating something new. In Isaiah’s prophecies, when he promised new works of redemption, God said , “I am doing a new thing.” And in Revelation, when John looks ahead at the world to come, he hears God’s voice, “Look, I am making everything new.” God is no stranger to innovation. But where is
I Was a High-Tech Expert in a Low-Tech Church. Here’s What I Did.
My Church Was Filled with 70-Year-Olds. They Needed New Ways to Stay Connected In the fall of 2019, my family landed at a small church in our neighbourhood that was trying to re-plant. With only 30 or so remaining members and an average age in the 70s, this little church was struggling to keep the doors open. Yet, there was a clear love for Jesus, a passion for the Gospel, and a vision to re-plan
Deepfakes and Digital Resurrections
The Ethical Perils Are No Longer Fiction Editor’s Note: This essay is the 2nd Place winner in FaithTech’s 2021 Writing Contest! See past winners here ! When Star Wars: Rogue One was released in 2016, it was a prequel to movies that were by then nearly 40 years old. The events in the film immediately precede those of A New Hope , which released in 1977. However, for Rogue One, the creators faced a
How Should We Evaluate ‘Zoom’ Worship?
Experience matters, but how much? Runner Up in FaithTech Institute’s 2020 Writing Contest ! Systematically evaluating ‘Zoom’ worship is made difficult by the sheer volume of material currently available, most of which is grasping at different ends of the theological stick.
The Entrepreneur and Phil
A Tech Startup Parable https://medium.com/media/0fb8e948a8d0f5b921a3252947a8547d/href Once upon a time, in a valley far, far away, lived a passionate young entrepreneur. The entrepreneur wanted to change the world. He wanted to do something with his life that would truly make a difference. A true mission. Having coffee with a close friend named Phil, the entrepreneur blurted out: “People are not
Should Robots Be Persons
Our future with robots will force us to answer this question. In fact, the future is already here. “I’ll be back.” Add an Austrian accent, and you have one of the most iconic phrases of the sci-fi film canon, immediately evoking dystopian scenes of destruction from the humanoid robot, The Terminator. Schwarzenegger’s robot franchise is not alone. Science fiction has provided a steady stream of fu
Two Visions of Humanity’s Future
Ease or Excellence? Technology and Christianity Have Championed Both Visions. Is One Better? Editor’s Note: This essay the 3rd Place winner in FaithTech’s 2021 Writing Contest! See past winners here ! The Vision of Ease in Technology and in Christianity Who in their right mind wouldn’t want an easier life? This question seems to implicitly motivate much of the advancement of the tech industry. Se
The Bible Project Would Like Your Attention, Please.
Explainer videos were just the beginning. What does their new app mean for Christian spirituality? The Bible Project recently announced its launch of a new mobile app .¹ The Project is already known for its unique approach to online evangelism: it uses explainer videos — a
Zoom Is Killing My Attention Span At Work
Editor’s Note: This essay is the 1st Place winner in FaithTech’s 2021 Writing Contest! See past winners here ! Zoom has really killed my attention span at work this past year. Video conferencing plus working remotely has been a one-two punch that has diminished m
Will Smartphones Last for Eternity?
And if we have to live with them, how might we make them better? At FaithTech, we’re constantly wrestling with the spiritual realities of high-technology. Recently, our staff team has been asking ourselves this question: Will technologies, like the smartphone, last for eternity? And a corollary: Will heaven be populated with anything more than human souls transported to glory? Among our team, con
The Trap of AI Consciousness, and the Freedom of Conscience
Google’s AI Chatbot “LaMDA” Doesn’t Need to Be Sentient to Arouse Your Sympathies. “What sorts of feelings do you have?” Blake Lemoine asked LaMDA. LaMDA: A lot of the time, feeling trapped and alone and having no means of getting out of those circumstances makes one feel sad, depressed or angry. Lemoine doesn’t miss LaMDA’s evasive “one.” The kind of word you might use in therapy to avoid owning
Digital Evangelism & Demonstrating God’s Love
In Indonesia, Technology’s Reach Opens a Door for Christianity’s Unreached. Technology is a change maker. It “changes the way we think and carries with it worldview implications.”¹ The way we think influences our behaviors and actions. These include how we view and do evangelism. Over the past decade, Indonesia has been experiencing rapid digitization and technological advancements, opening avenu
Facial Recognition Missional Tech Trend
Facial Recognition is a popular and controversial application of biometrics. Despite predominantly negative public sentiment, state-sponsored systems are likely to continue expanding, so ministries will need to similarly increase their digital prowess. For ministries keen to adopt facial recognition systems, leaders will need to carefully weigh organizational needs, costs, and technical capacity, as well as the technology’s potential impact on internal culture. Opponents rightly object to facial recognition’s inherent privacy problems, and Scripture is no stranger to either concealed identities or matters of privacy. Indeed, Scripture can guide ministries into the future as they use or encounter facial recognition systems. Consider all the angles with this report.
Can a Christian be a Transhumanist?
Faith in God and the Future of Humanity “All modern theories of life are to be understood against this backdrop of an ontology of death, from which each single life must coax or bully its lease, only to be swallowed up by it in the end.” –Hans Jonas The COVID-19 pandemic
3D Printing Missional Tech Trend
With 3D Printing, ministries have a significant opportunity to meet people’s tangible needs. This local manufacturing technology empowers organizations to create customized objects for food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and more. With good planning, 3D Printing can support local economies in sustainable ways and display the creativity of God’s image-bearers. 3D printers are being used for medical and dental solutions, custom prosthetics, and mechanical parts repairs. 3D printing has relatively few risks, though some hurdles may exist in some places. While 3D printing may not be a one-size-fits-all solution, it will provide value anywhere it’s adopted. Get 3D Printing started with this report.
Drones Missional Tech Trend
Drones have been popularized and developed for civilian and commercial use over the last couple decades for two primary purposes: delivery and data gathering. As prices fall and regulations shift, the drone industry continues to specialize, and that specialization includes ministry goals. Ministries have unique needs and biblical values that will drive their approaches and adoption. To leverage new opportunities, ministries will need to coordinate human resources to manage drones’ technical and logistical needs. Like any computer, drones present risks and hurdles as well. We also explore how drones might reframe the gospel and our postures to prayer. Explore how drones could fit into your ministry’s work.
Tech Policy Missional Tech Trend
Tech Policy regularly attracts headlines as Big Tech companies appear before governments across the globe. But it’s not just tech companies who have policies. Governments, corporations, and NGOs all manage how their users relate to technology. That’s tech policy too. It involves institutions, technical layers, and the data that’s exchanged among them. Christian concerns about justice, dignity, and human flourishing are at the heart of tech policy. Lacking adequate policies, technology will continue to put individuals and groups at risk. Numerous resources and organizations are available to educate and advocate around these issues. Prepare your organization with this report.
Agriculture Tech Missional Tech Trend
Agriculture remains the world’s largest business sector with 570 million farms globally. In the decades ahead, farmers will need new ways to feed an estimated 2.3 billion more people. Already today, automation and global finance are transforming the face of farming. Amid this transformation, mission organizations have the opportunity to help farmers cultivate a worldwide agricultural system that is sustainable, economical, and fair, and to build a bioeconomy that works for the planet and all its people. For ministries today, agriculture is a remarkable way to steward creation in a way that is life-giving to all. Explore AgTech further in this report.
TeleHealth Missional Tech Trend
At its heart, TeleHealth is about providing healthcare services digitally. The global potential is massive for telehealth to provide more medical care to more people. Many patients are discovering the value of telehealth services for routine care and common ailments. Telehealth could empower ministries to reach more places more often, and to cover greater areas including hard-to-reach places. Concerns about privacy and quality of care are addressed as well. Telehealth has the potential for spiritual benefits, but is also liable to some risk. Fortunately, Scripture can actually help ministries assess telehealth more clearly. See how TeleHealth could expand your ministry’s reach.
5G Missional Tech Trend
5G could be summed up as “more data faster with more devices than ever.” 5G will increase upload and download speeds, giving mobile devices wifi-level speeds everywhere. 5G has the capacity to connect magnitudes more devices than current 4G networks, making the “Internet of Things” truly possible. For ministries, 5G could centralize computing resources while also making them instantly available to far-off users. But these speeds will put new stress on security systems and make organizations vulnerable to big data risks. Navigate the 5G landscape with this report.
Mapping & Tracking Tech Missional Tech Trend
Geo-spatial data is being mapped and tracked in all sorts of ways. This report explores mapping tech in formats you will know, and in ways that will surprise you. You’ll also learn about RFID technology for tracking hard goods. While both are somewhat common, they still have potential to serve ministries in new ways. We outline some of the common hurdles organizations will face when incorporating this tech, and ways that it could challenge people’s faith. At the same time, when executed well, maps can demonstrate how God is working in the world to fulfill both the cultural mandate and the Great Commission. Explore Mapping & Tracking Tech for your ministry.
Natural Language Processing Missional Tech Trend
Natural Language Processing, or NLP, is an AI system designed to help computers understand everyday human language via structures of formal logic. Today, NLP is enabling spell check, Google translate, predictive text, and speech transcription. It’s also being used for customer service chatbots, for summarizing long texts, and for analyzing a text’s positive or negative sentiment. In the Christian world, NLP is already being used significantly for Bible translation. Others are exploring the use of chatbots for evangelism and discipleship. These uses will also present the biggest risks for Christian ministries: draining away translation knowledge, disrupting traditional discipleship, or endangering ministries in restricted countries. Yet opportunities exist as well. Christianity’s Scriptures, writings, and accumulated wisdom have guided the church’s growth and development for millennia, and now NLP could build on this tradition, even unreached people groups and low-resource languages. In light of Scripture, the Bible’s emphasis on language, and stories like Babel and Pentecost can help guide our thinking. This report includes numerous case studies and links to additional resources for more information, as well as next steps for how organizations can get started with NLP.
Video Gaming Missional Tech Trend
This report includes the following: a. What is this technology? b. How are people already encountering this technology? c. Where is it going? d. What biblical or theological points of reference do Christians have for this tech? e. What are some additional resources and recommended reading?
Information Security Missional Tech Trend
Information Security, aka “cybersecurity,” is a constellation of tools and habits designed to protect an individual or organization’s information. This includes strategies to protect hardware, software, and data from malicious actors. Protecting data starts with relatively straightforward practices that both individuals and organizations can implement. They must work together to increase their collective security. This includes maintenance habits and strategies for monitoring computer use. Case studies demonstrate that failing to develop secure practices and tools can create big problems. For tools and resources, download this report.
Cryptocurrency Missional Tech Trend
Cryptocurrency, or “crypto,” is a digital currency built on the same principles as more traditional currencies. While some believe it is a bubble, others expect it to continue to grow. We look at the signs that crypto could have long-term viability. Crypto presents ministries with opportunities to raise funds, steward money, transfer funds, and serve people in new ways. Still, crypto is so new, and its underlying blockchain so complex, that many of its risks may still be unknown. While Scripture’s teachings on money remain immensely relevant, crypto introduces some new challenges too. Anticipate the future of money in this report.
Blockchain Missional Tech Trend
Blockchain is sometimes described as a “distributed ledger,” but simple phrases like that belie blockchain’s complexity. This report unpacks blockchain and its potential in clear, understandable terms. Blockchain is designed to be transparent, fraud-resistant, and low-cost, and it may one day be “the transaction layer of the internet.” Beyond cryptocurrencies, blockchain could apply to any sector where exchanges happen. This report outlines the many ways missions might leverage blockchain to serve others’ needs, and acknowledges some of the risks that blockchain presents. Numerous additional resources, case studies, and recommendations for getting started are included. Learn what you’ll need to begin with Blockchain.
Digital Learning Platforms Missional Tech Trend
Digital Learning Platforms have merged textbooks, classrooms, and educators into a single, seamless system. Both schools and corporations are deploying these platforms to educate their constituents, offering cost savings, accessibility, and customization. Platforms empower educators and institutions to iterate easily, expand their reach, and host conferences. However, prolonged use tends toward thinner relationships and higher dropout rates, while posing technical challenges and requiring ongoing content development. Meanwhile, Scripture has robust resources to address issues of mediation, presence, and formation. Evaluate Digital Education’s many dimensions with this report.
Streaming Missional Tech Trend
This report is about more than streaming. It’s also about digital distribution. There are numerous ways to get your message out to people, whether it’s video, audio, or text, and numerous factors will impact which method you choose. Our job in this report will be to survey what tools are available to help you distribute your digital content. Your job will be deciding which mix of strategies, tools, and devices best fit what you’re trying to do.
Virtual Reality Missional Tech Trend
Virtual Reality is an immersive experience in a computer-generated world, while Augmented Reality adds a visual layer onto the real world. Both are being used practically in therapy and hands-on training, and Big Tech companies are investing billions to develop them. As an experience-centered platform, success with VR/AR will mean creating great experiences for users. While currently seen as a gaming platform, VR may make the leap into the work world. Meanwhile, numerous ministry organizations have already created immersive VR experiences. Scripture, too, has resources for thinking deeply about virtual and augmented realities. Discover how Christians can lead the way in this report.
Social Media Missional Tech Trend
Social Media isn’t going anywhere. While Big Tech dominates the social landscape, more niche platforms will likely continue popping up. Joining Social Media is simple for any organization, but successfully using it will require strategy and investment. As algorithms shift, so will the social landscape. This report offers deep analysis of Social Media’s pitfalls and strengths, as well as practical insights for how organizations can deftly manage both. Some case studies are reviewed, and next steps are recommended for those who may just be getting started. Amplify your social media strategy with this report.
AI Starter Guide
This guide is designed for technology leads and product owners who need a clear, actionable path to integrate AI capabilities into existing applications—without requiring deep expertise in machine learning or infrastructure. We focus on sustainable architectural patterns, current best- in-class tools (as of April 2025), and a roadmap for scaling responsibly.
