The original followers of Jesus called themselves “The Way” because they followed the way of Jesus. They were different. They loved their enemies. They touched the untouchable. They uplifted women. They welcomed the Gentiles. They were weird. They went against the grain. They swam upstream.
When I encountered the term “tech-wise” in Andy Crouch’s book, The Tech-Wise Family, I realized it was something I wanted to be. I want to be wise with the way I use the technology that constantly surrounds me. I want to be the kind of person whose phone doesn’t own them. I want to be the kind of person who is present to my family and friends. I want to build the kind of home where devices are tools we use together and slowly, with intention. I want my kids to live the kind of childhood I lived — full of imagination and sunshine and paint and crayons and the kind of boredom that leads to wonder and play. To do some of the things it takes to be a tech-wise person means looking a little weird today. Part of my inspiration to start the tech-wise conversation was to invite others to join me in this weirdness and I thought, “Who better than my church?”. We’re supposed to be different — shouldn’t that apply to the way we use technology and media too?
I hope that our Tech-Wise Initiative has inspired and encouraged you to join this path of weirdness or has affirmed those of you fellow weirdos who were already swimming upstream. I’ve been so inspired by the stories and methods of books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve listened to, and other resources I’ve found along the way since I started my Tech-Wise Journey. Now I’m calling upon you to share your Tech-Wise stories with us. It could be as little as a sentence or as much as several paragraphs, but would you share with us how Tech-Wise has impacted you? We’d love to compile and curate your stories to act as an encouragement and a resource to share with one another.
Are you doing anything differently? Did you try anything that was helpful? Has your family developed any new rhythms or routines that have been life-giving? What was your reaction when this all began? What do you want to do better? Do you have any resources you want to share with us to curate on our Tech-Wise recommended resources? (If you didn’t know, we have resources that we’re still adding to on our Tech-Wise page.)
If you could email us at techwise@parkchurchnj.com by Sunday May 7th, we would love to feature your stories in a Tech-Wise Wednesday post on May 10th. Please share. Your story matters. If you’d like to share your story anonymously, please indicate.
And it’s last call to register for our Tech-Wise Panel Discussion on April 28th (IN TWO DAYS) from 6:30-8:30pm. It will be an awesome night with our panelists, which include a mental health professional, educators, a tech expert, and a parent and adult son who practiced tech-wisdom in their home. You won’t want to miss it. Visit our Tech-Wise page to register and learn more about our panelists. The childcare is free. The event is free. Registration is very helpful for planning, but if you forget, please just come. And please remember that this is a community event, so invite people as well. It’s not too late!
Swimming upstream is hard, but it’s so much easier when done together. Let’s keep swimming together 🙂
______________
Corinne Karl is the co-leader of the Shrewsbury community group and one of the Beginners teachers in Park Kids.
_____________