The Bold and Courageous Leader Podcast Episode 26: Faith, Work & Technology: A Conference Reflection

Have you ever experienced that much of what you learn from a conference comes from outside the time spent AT the conference?  That’s definitely been my experience of the Faith and Work Conference.  The value of attending a conference is in:

 

1. New Information
2. New Connections
3. New Insights and Awareness

 

At the Faith & Work Conference 2016, I learned a great deal of new information.  The conference is hosted by the Center for Faith & Work, connected to Redeemer Presbyterian Church.  Rev. David Kim is the Executive Director.  The center focuses on helping workers in all different walks of life see the work they do in relationship to their faith and the intersection of the two.  Work is how we live out our role in the Kingdom of God – what we do, when we recognize it and live intentionally into where God is calling us – is Kingdom work. 

 

The honor of work was the focus of the conference.  This year’s conference was “The Wonder and Fear of Technology”.  Addressing technology in relationship to Faith and Work made the conference more full and robust.  This focus flipped my thought process.

 

• Technology was used in the Bible. “Subdue the earth” requires technology.
  1. We are blind to much of technology.
  2. Technology is an extension of who we are.
• Uses of technology are potentially good. At the conference I experienced this in two specific ways:
  1. Conference app – connections, surveys, information source.
  2. Uber for transportation.

 

Conference Insights

 

Work = Industriousness

1. The production of the world
2. Income
3. Purpose

 

Costs of Technology

1. Good – ease of accomplishing tasks through technology.
2. Bad – job loss, replacing of human contributions in certain sectors.
3. Ugly – ease of exploitation, dark side is it interferes with developing relationships as a developmental part of growing up.

 

Conference Attendance Benefits

1. Knowledge
2. Connections
3. Stretching outside your comfort zone. What new insight will grow you in unexpected ways?

Resources from Today’s Podcast

• Center for Faith and Work: https://www.faithandwork.com/
• Faith and Work Conference: http://www.cfwconference.com/
• A World without Work, Derek Thompson’s article in The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-without-work/395294/
• Every Good Endeavor, Timothy Keller