I remember learning basic office skills on the first “computers” (no color screen, no hard drive, no DVD, no internet, Tandy/Radio Shack model 80s—affectionatly: TRaSh 80s) in high schools. During one lesson, the student next to me questioned the value of learning computer skills—her computer was giving her a hard time. In a visionary moment, I responded that I foresaw a day when the entire Library of Congress would be available in the palm of my hand—unlimited availability of information.
Fast forward to 2010, and enter the eReader era with Kindles, Nooks and other models. Maybe the entire Library of Congress is not available yet, but the selection of ebooks grows by the day. So, how do these new eReaders affect the ministry of eDOT?
Could these tools be used for discipleship; outreach; and training? Some of the textbooks used in our Bible and Theology curriculum are available as eBooks—the text for our New Testament Survey course is shown in the Kindle for PC pictures. What about the availability of foreign translations for eReaders? What about user-generated content? These are questions that eDOT seeks to answer as we continue to explore the best use of technology for our ministry partners.
eReaders have an appeal in that they reduce paper, allow a large library to be carried in a small format, and reduce the cost of individual titles. They are cool and in vogue—but that’s not the primary reason to use technology. eDOT uses technology to connect and disciple PEOPLE. It’s not about the technology—the ministry of eDOT is to introduce people to their need for Christ and to disciple them to maturity in Christ-likeness. If eReaders can help us accomplish that goal, we will use them in ministry.
As eReaders grow in popularity, and eBooks remain at attractive prices–eDOT will continue to explore the use of eReaders to make Christ known and build His disciples.
