Christian Leadership Alliance
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The Shape of the Future
A four-part ministry Web strategy.| Outcomes, Fall 2009
We live in a time when technological change seems constant. Five years ago, people could not predict the phenomena of Facebook, mobile Web, or cloud computing, all technologies that impact how we interact. In this changing environment, many strategic leaders are eager to leverage new technologies, but understand that this requires new thinking to prepare for the road ahead. How will the Internet require your organization to adapt? What new advances should your ministry begin to use? What trends are wastes of time? What do ministry leaders need to consider when creating their organization's strategic Web plan?
Before answering these questions, it is helpful to examine the state of the Internet. Kevin Kelly, executive editor of Wired magazine, presented a session titled "Predicting the Next 5,000 Days of the Web" at the 2008 TED Talks. Kelly compared the 55 billion website links and their quintillion transistors with the number of synapses and neurons in the human brain. He stated that the complexity of the Internet had reached the equivalent of one human brain. As Christians, this is cause for worship, as we see trillions of dollars poured into these technologies to equal one wonderfully made brain. But, unlike the Internet, our brain is not doubling every two years. If the Internet continues to double, it will surpass the processing power of all humanity by the year 2040.
As the Internet grows in pervasiveness, it becomes like a black hole, consuming into its vacuum the way we live. It is not far-fetched to imagine a world in which our shoes communicate if we do not walk enough, eyeglasses include a viewable area to access data about the people to whom we are speaking, and our personal preferences follow us wherever we go. Our Internet dependence will grow as more things are put online. Access to technology changes how we behave. For example, today as people store phone numbers on their cell phones, they no longer remember the numbers. In the same way, people forget many facts, trusting they can "Google" the answer. The Web is becoming a deeper part of the fabric of our lives.
Four-Part Web Strategy
Organizations must plan a Web strategy two to five years out to prepare for these changes. When planning a Web strategy, items to include are a website, social media, online advertising, search engine optimization, website analytics, community engagement, and automated business functions. These can be grouped into four categories: website, Internet presence management, community engagement, and backend services.
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