Church IT roundtable ... interest survey
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Calling all church IT geeks! This is an interest survey to see if any other church IT staff would be interested in getting together spring 2006 for an IT roundtable.
I really enjoy hanging out with other church IT folks ... and truly believe some really awesome stuff would come from us gathering for a time of peer learning, dreaming, collaboration, and discovery. I've been kicking this around in my head for a while and tonight decided to put it out there for feedback.
I had the opportunity to be involved in 2 church web roundtables led by Mark Stephenson from Ginghamsburg Church. I hope Mark doesn't mind if I use his definition below:
DEFINITION OF A ROUNDTABLE
A roundtable is a peer-learning event where the participants are both teachers and learners. A roundtable is:
o Small enough to emphasize interactive learning
o Led by a facilitator and peer
o Includes participants who have an affinity with each other
o Does not include a strong agenda beyond sharing knowledge
Roundtable members are selectively invited with less than 25 per group [I'm skipping the selective invite at this stage]. The participants set the agenda and interaction among participants takes precedent over presentation by “experts.” In fact, in one-way or another, most of the roundtable participants are already experts.
PURPOSE OF THIS ROUNDTABLE
1. To meet other innovators
· Encouragement - "I am not alone." "Here I am understood."
· Confidence - "I'm not so crazy after all."
· Relationship - Develop on-going friendships
2. To advance the diffusion of innovation in a given topic area
· Sharing knowledge, lessons learned, and experiences
· Sorting out the big picture. How does it all fit? Where are we= going?
· Synergy of new ideas, new perspectives, and new dreams
3. To facilitate collaboration
· Explore opportunities for teaming up to accomplish common goals
· "Network" - Learn who knows what and who is doing what
If you're interested please leave a comment or shoot me an email. If there's enough interest I'll start putting the wheels in motion.
Geeks for Jesus!
This sounds like a great idea! I'd love to participate.
Posted by: Brian Glass | April 29, 2005 at 10:27 AM
Hey Jason, that sounds like a great idea. I would love to be part of something like that. I just wish I was closer. Maybe you should set up a 'virtual' roundtable. :-)
Posted by: Jim | April 29, 2005 at 05:59 PM
I'm thinking this would be a once or twice a year gathering ... and at a different church each time. It's always fun to go visit other churches and other parts of the country. So budget in some travel $ each year if this becomes a reality :-)
Posted by: Jason Powell | April 29, 2005 at 06:08 PM
I have wished it were possible to get together with others who have similar goals and challenges so this is an answer to prayer. Count me in!
Posted by: Keith | May 02, 2005 at 12:47 PM
I just recently became the IT Director at my church and am really interested in participating in a round table. Sounds like a great idea.
Posted by: Glenn | May 06, 2005 at 01:00 PM
Jason, a comment and then a question: it seems the IT guys at many churches have a large space to cover than just IT. How much of your brainstorming/research is geared towards moving/sharing audio and video data and/or deploying media strategies?
Just curious...
Posted by: Anthony D. Coppedge | May 13, 2005 at 06:47 PM
"How much of your brainstorming/research is geared towards moving/sharing audio and video data and/or deploying media strategies?"
I'm aiming towards pretty strict IT/IS areas. If you're referring to capturing and streaming video or media storage strategies that could certainly fall under the IT/IS umbrella. That's probably as far into the Technical Production area as I'd go...unless others really wanted it. Aside from hooking up pretty complicated home theater systems, I have no Production Tech background.
Jason
Posted by: Jason Powell | May 13, 2005 at 11:27 PM
Hey Jason,
I am certainly up for another one. We missed you at the last one we hosted here at Second.
Drinnon
Posted by: David Drinnon | May 25, 2005 at 02:11 AM
Jason,
I'd love to be involved. thanks for doing the lead dog work.
steve brewer
Posted by: stevo | June 09, 2005 at 04:42 PM
I'm down, but I'm in Texas. Would you consider doing a weekend round-table ending with Church on Sunday?
Posted by: Stuart Cowen | July 08, 2005 at 12:44 AM
Stuart,
A weekend sorta thang is where I'm leaning ... maybe start at lunch or so on a Saturday ... order in dinner ... and attend our 7:30pm service. Then gather for a few more hours Sunday morning and wrap up by noon.
Jason
Posted by: Jason Powell | July 12, 2005 at 01:07 AM
That sounds sweet! Keep us in the loop.
Posted by: Stuart Cowen | July 20, 2005 at 09:58 AM
I'm keen to your ideas of hosting a roundtable. I've been exploring how I might use my gifts as an IT architect in service to my church and our mission. I have a bias for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, but has have a respect for open source and Linux. I however don't let my "IT religion" get in the way of making wise IT choices.
Posted by: Bryan Miller | August 26, 2005 at 12:45 AM
I am really interested in something like this.. Count me in!
Posted by: Ryan Hickman | October 16, 2005 at 06:34 PM
This is a great idea. I was just introduced to this site as part of my work to develop/expand a formal IT department structure for our church so I definitely need to be networking with church IT people.
And I don't mind the 4 hour drive from Peoria to Granger - it's mostly interstate anyway.
Posted by: ShannonM | October 18, 2005 at 11:11 PM
Go Jason go! Please feel free to use any and all you'd like to use from the previous Internet Roundtables. An IT Roundtable is a much needed resource and you are the right guy to make it happen! At some point, I hope I can share with this group about the Web-Empowered Church, http://webempoweredchurch.com. Go for it! :-)
Posted by: Mark Stephenson | October 26, 2005 at 07:42 AM
Jason,
I'm seriously considering putting this on my calendar. I have to limit my travel to just two trips per year, which forces me to make tough choices. This opportunity is definitely on my short list. Put me down as a "definite maybe".
Clif
Posted by: Clif Guy | February 02, 2006 at 12:58 PM
I like your idea of limiting this to 20, but of course, then I want to challenge it too! :-) Is that 20 people, or 20 organizations? In other words, can I bring somebody else with me? Either way, count me in!
Thanks,
Posted by: Tony Dye | February 02, 2006 at 04:50 PM
Very interested -
I am currently helping a few churches here in NJ with the WEC system - as well as in charge of the Vine project - www.vinehosting.com, a division of the Foundation for Evangelism and the parent organization to WEC.
I am especially interested as being a geek for Christ already I would love to be involved. From doing powerpoint to restoring servers, setting up VPN's etc...
the churches within the Greater NJ Annual conference are keepin this volunteer busy.
Posted by: Glenn Kelley | February 07, 2006 at 09:54 PM
Count me "IN", and I'd be interested in discussing a wide variety of topics. We are a true hybrid shop in Seattle running everything from Ubuntu to XP on our desktops and everything in between. I'd like to help out any folks that want to ask me questions in person about web technologies, church management, web services (not CHURCH web services, big diff!), audio/video streaming... I'm really just about down for whatever.
Posted by: Sam Barrett | February 16, 2006 at 12:25 PM
I'd love to actively participate in something like this! I'm open to just about any type of forum be it in IN or regionally based (I'm in TX).
Posted by: Garrett Schaeffer | April 20, 2006 at 09:53 AM
Feel free to share your experiences and ideas on IT Discuss! http://itdiscuss.org
Posted by: Jeffrey Thompson | June 30, 2006 at 10:11 AM
Love the Roundtable info. When is your next roundtable?
Posted by: Matt Tischler | November 12, 2006 at 08:16 PM