Description

The Internet age is out of its infancy. Smartphones are here to stay; Google Glass is on the horizon. The potential for connection in the digital age is powerful and inspiring. And the need for intentionality and thoughtfulness about our consumption of technology is just as strong. Building on McKibben-Dana’s work in Sabbath in the Suburbs, this conference will equip church educators to guide congregations in engaging with technology in faithful, life-giving ways.

Topics may include:

• cultivating a million-year mind in a sixty-second world: synthesizing information, deep thinking
• what is “real life”? the incarnation and online community
• expanding circles of community and combatting compassion fatigue 
• self-curation and the “Christmas letter syndrome” 
• novel ways to pray with technology
• it’s not narcissism, it’s connection: a balanced look at social media
• levels of intimacy: filters, lists, and privacy
• tech sabbath and tech silence
• retaining a sense of mystery in the Google age