In Depth:  technology

Glynn Harrison

You reach for your phone without deciding to. You open it to follow the Bible reading in church and find yourself checking your WhatsApp instead. You open a new message and surface 20 minutes later from a blur of “breaking news”, videos of performing sheep, and a fog of inconsequential information about other people’s lives.

And yes, you find it hard to visit the loo without checking your phone at the same time…

Duncan Williams

More than 500 years before books became cheap and widely available, a German craftsman developed a technology that transformed how information could be produced and shared.

Johann Gutenberg's printing press, developed in the mid-15th century, is widely regarded as one of the most important technological developments in European history. Its impact was particularly significant because one of the earliest and most influential books produced using the new technology was the Bible.

loving your digital neighbour

Tristram Ridley-Jones

In the digital age, Christian organisations, charities, and ministries face unique challenges in protecting sensitive data from donor records, and financial information to confidential pastoral communications.

As stewards of resources and trust, securing digital assets is not just a technical necessity but a moral responsibility.

Alistair Chalmers

We are the first generation in history to carry a portal to the world in our pockets at all times.

With a swipe, we can access news, entertainment, theological debate, and the curated lives of thousands. The digital age has not merely changed how we communicate – it has reshaped how we think, desire, worship, and relate.

loving your digital neighbour

Tristram Ridley-Jones

In our previous article, Cybersecurity: Loving your (digital) neighbour, we established that protecting the personal data of our congregation is a modern act of stewardship, integrity, and pastoral care. Just as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, we are called to post a guard at our digital gates.

However, a wall is only as strong as the watchman who stands upon it. The greatest risk to a church's security is often not a sophisticated external hacker, but a simple human error - a click on a malicious link. This is not a judgment on a lack of faith, but a call to practical wisdom and equipping our ministry teams with a "sound mind" (2 Timothy 1v7) to spot digital deception.

Robin Barfield

A new world is bringing new opportunities.

With those new opportunities come new challenges: challenges to know what is good and right and true; and challenges to know what choices to make around our relationships, intimate and physical. With increasing possibilities come increasing risks.