Disscussion Boards

Technology can be found in nearly every aspect of our lives today. Most of us walk around with a cellphone in our pocket, allowing us to connect with nearly anyone in the world at the push of a few buttons. Pastors no longer hand out printed notes, they use a projector to display key ideas behind them. Missionaries previously sent out physical letters to supporters to keep them updated on recent activities; now, Skype allows them to connect in real time. Facebook groups are started to facilitate virtual Bible studies. The examples are endless! What to include in your initial thread:

1. Picture 1 – From your own community/environment, take a picture of technology being used to further the gospel and include it in your discussion board. (Examples: Church LCD announcement board, church stream online, “skyping” into a Bible Study, etc…) If you don’t have access to a camera, feel free to use an appropriate image found online.

Paragraph 1 – Discuss how the technology you took a picture of effectively communicates the gospel. Does the technology enhance the message? How so?

Discussion Board 2

Topic:

If you have regularly attended church over the past year, there is a good chance you have heard either a sermon or Sunday School lesson about money. Perhaps you’ve heard of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University - a popular series many churches are going through. Finances in relation to the church aren not just about tithing; the Bible has much more to say about the financial gifts entrusted to us. As turbulent times in the American economy have become commonplace within our culture, individuals are taking notice of where their finances are going. Programs such as Microsoft Excel give us the opportunity to create custom spreadsheets which help us to budget and manage those finances. Knowledge of where our resources are going can be half the battle sometimes. What to include in your initial thread:

1. Paragraph 1 – Find a passage of Scripture that deals with finances. Discuss why you chose that passage and how it has affected your life.

2. Paragraph 2 – If you were creating a budget for a family of four in Microsoft Excel, how would you design it and what categories of spending would you include?

Not required – Feel free to attach a sample budget to the discussion board if you’d like.

Discussion Board 3

Topic:

PowerPoint has become the industry-standard software presentation tool. It allows individuals to take an idea and put it in a format which is easy to digest via projection on a screen. Churches across the world use PowerPoint to show sermon notes and song lyrics to their congregations every week. While PowerPoint is still the standard for presentation software, the increased use of social media, sharing of videos, and availability of high-speed internet access has caused increased consumption of audio/video content. As a result, many pastors and spiritual leaders have started to record their sermons, bible studies, or short messages of encouragement for free distribution online. Dr. Falwell pioneered this movement when he began recording convocation messages to be streamed online. As a result, his message, and the messages of many other spiritual leaders, can be accessed by people around the globe. What to include in your initial thread:

1. Link 1 – Find an audio podcast, video podcast, or link to a video online which has personally helped your spiritual growth. Include the link as the first line in the discussion board.

2. Paragraph 1 – Discuss why you chose this link and how it has personally impacted your spiritual walk.

Paragraph 2 – Who would you recommend this audio podcast/video podcast/video link to? Why would you recommend it to them?