256. Digital Disruption and the Future of the Church, with Rex Miller, author of The Millenium Matrix

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AI, social media, and other technologies are transforming community, worship, and leadership. To stay effective, ministry leaders must understand these shifts—but also learn from the past. How do today’s technologies compare to those of previous eras? This perspective can help us navigate the future.

In this episode, I’m joined by Rex Miller, author of The Millennium Matrix. A futurist and expert in leading through change, Rex will share insights on how cultural and technological shifts impact ministry and how we can adapt.

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Rex Miller explores the impact of communication changes on Christianity over the centuries.
• The Millennium Matrix analyzes shifts in communication and their effects on church culture.
• Rex Miller describes the transformation from an oral culture to print culture through technological advancements like the Gutenberg printing press.
• The broadcast era introduced personality-driven leadership and large-scale praise and worship experiences in churches.
• Rex Miller explains the transition from analog to digital technology and its wider implications.
• Digital culture fosters interactive, networked communication that reshapes organizational and cultural dynamics.
• In the social mobile era, personalized and real-time interactions dominate communication patterns.
• Rex Miller predicts that AI will enhance personalization and autonomy in community formation.
• The shift from community-centric oral culture to individualistic broadcast culture reflects changes in authority structures.
• Markus Watson delves into how shifting cultural frameworks affect pastoral leadership and church practices.
• Rex Miller sees potential in decentralized, grassroots approaches to modern church gatherings.
• The opportunities for direct community involvement and personalized content create new forms of ministry.
• Rex Miller highlights how technological changes continuously reshape leadership and organizational strategies.
• Church leaders must transition from a certainty mindset to one of curiosity to adapt effectively to cultural changes.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Rex Miller:
  • Rexmiller.com
  • Linked In
  • Mind Shift
  • Genius Spark
• Books mentioned:
  • The Millenium Matrix, by Rex Miller
  • Neuromancer, by William Gibson
• Movies mentioned:
  • Jesus Revolution
  • Pleasantville
• Related episodes:
  • 118. Forecasting and Innovation, with Tom Sine and Dwight Friesen
  • 147. Is Innovation Inherently Good? with Andrew Root
  • 155: Leadership and Looking to the Future, with Tom Sine

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