The tough part for me isn’t in learning about something new: It’s in deciding whether I really need to learn about it at all. The time I spend learning about some new technology is time not spent doing something that may be more important.

This is true for all of us. If your job is preaching or leading worship or discipling teenagers or teaching children, you have more important things to do than to learn everything you can about the technology you use in your ministry. So you do the smart thing: You learn what you have to, and leave it for others to know the rest.

We can count on the fact that the technology knowledge base around us works much like the body of Christ, which Paul tells us works a lot like the human body. I don’t have to be an expert in video encoding because I know someone who is. Richard Brown, our VP of development, has turned video encoding into an art form. When I need to know something about it, the answer is an email or phone call away. And it works both ways: When Richard needs to know about something I’m pretty smart in, he knows where to turn.

OK, I can’t offhand think of anything in the technology world that Richard doesn’t know better than I, so maybe this isn’t such a good example. But you get my point. Just as each of us has different spiritual gifts to make the whole body stronger, each of us knows things that others don’t: Sharing that knowledge back and forth allows each of us to do more of what we’re supposed to do, and less of what we’re not.

Here’s a challenge for the new year: Develop a network of people who know more about technology than you do. Who’s the video expert in your world? Who’s good with computer networking? Who knows how to make a computer do everything it’s supposed to do? Invite these people to play a part in your ministry – to help you in the areas they’re great at so you can do more of what God really called you to do. And if technology is what God called you to, share that with those called differently.

Think of it this way: The technical question, problem or need you have right now is a ministry opportunity waiting to happen. Chances are, someone in your world has the solution. If you’re willing to share what you’re good at, he or she will do likewise.

One of the best places to experience how this knowledge-sharing thing works is in the MediaShout user forums. Every day, people give and receive help about MediaShout and media, swapping weakness for strength, making the whole user community stronger.

– Todd Temple, president, MediaComplete Corporation