Computer Applications

Computer Security  
by the Rev. Charles Austin
It is a dangerous world, even for the computers that sit in our offices. Bad things can happen.

Surfing Management
by the Rev. Charles Austin
There is such variety in the pastoral ministry that everyone feels overwhelmed at times. And the daily ministry in our varied communities ebbs and flows with unpredictable and sometimes disturbing force. It seems impossible to be prepared for everything that challenges our days.

The Church and the Computer — Then and Now
by the Rev. Charles Austin
I’ll bet that on the day in 1979 when you took the first issue of Lutheran Partners out of your mailbox, you did not have a computer in your office. That year a few electronic hobbyists might have had computers, but the world of bits and bytes was foreign to most of us.

Computer standards for the parish: Do you need a technology specialist?
by the Rev. Charles Austin
Computers are supposed to save time. Telecommunication is supposed to make work easier, right? But anyone who has ever stared at incomprehensible symbols on a screen, pushed Ctrl/Alt/Delete, caught an e-mail virus, or tried to help a friend write or print a report knows that often computers take up time and can make work more difficult. We need to find ways to fix that.

Internet-Shaped Preaching
by Richard A. Jensen
How the Internet may impact the art and practice of preaching.

Tips for On-line Discussions
by the Rev. Charles Austin
When I first went online in the early 1980s, we were so enthralled about the ability to communicate via computer that what we actually said wasn't very important.