New Emergence iPhone app

It’s interesting to watch how mobile technology has changed over the last few years. Apple Inc.’s App Store has been the catalyst for massive changes in the way we interact with our cell phones.

The American Church has always struggled with the tension between the changes in culture/technology and the unchanging nature of the Gospel. Some churches spurn the change in culture, equating cultural shifts with worldliness. Other churches embrace changes in culture, believing relevance to be of utmost importance.

But I believe that a third way is possible. Cultural abstinence yields an ineptitude in living gospel-driven lives. Cultural immersion yields lack of focus on the mission of the gospel.

Instead, what if churches practiced cultural discernment? What if churches allowed the gospel to drive their approach to the culture around them rather than forcing the gospel upon the culture (which it was never meant to do) or forcing culture on the gospel (which it was never meant to abide)?

Okay, so those last few paragraphs were completely unrelated to what I wanted to really talk about here. Which is this: I believe that to be effective in a “Web 3.0″ world, churches need more than just a web presence. Churches need a mobile presence.

Liquid Church has been developing a mobile presence for quite some time now, and their mobile website is a strong representation of a good mobile presence. (To view it, go to liquidchurch.com on your mobile browser; you’ll be automatically directed to the mobile site.) A new version is in the works as well. Here’s a sneak peak.

Emergence has gone one step further and made their presence known on the Apple iTunes App Store. (Click here to download the app.) I’ve placed a gallery of screen shots below. In the coming months, an Android version will be released, as well as a “feature-richer” iPad version.

Advertisement