We are inviting all Fellowship congregations to participate in the “You’ve got the Time!” Bible listening initiative during 2010. Each youth and adult participant will receive a FREE MP3 disc with the dramatized New Testament on the disc. Each child will receive a FREE MP3 disc with Bible Stories and original songs.

Some of the resistance from some church leaders is around the MP3 format and the confusion of the technology. They are not sure that older adults can embrace the MP3 idea much less figure out how to get the disc to play! (About 87% of us have access to some technology that will play the MP3, think IPods, Computers with disc drives, DVD players, smart phones etc.)

But here is the wrinkle: Try REVERSE mentoring! Your youth know exactly how to download MP3’s ; they know exactly how to work the technology.  They are not intimidated by a little MP3 disc!  So let your youth TEACH your older adults how to use the disc! That’s reverse mentoring, when the “student” becomes the teacher!

Think about starting a Bible Geek Squad where youth “adopt” Senior Adults and help them learn the technology. Think about youth and older adluts listening together to the Scriptures once a week. Think about youth and older adults having spiritual conversations about what the Bible passage means to them.  Suddenly, an innocent MP3 disc holding a dramatic recording of the New Testament becomes the instrument of friendship, spiritual formation, and fellowship.  Technology is just a new tool for delivering a fresh understanding of God’s truth.  In one or two visits, youth and older adults will bond friendships that will have eternal implications.  Youth will love being the “experts”!  Older adults will love the interaction!  Ain’t it amazin’ how God works!