Yes, I frequently carried one to church – especially if I was teaching or there were no pew Bibles. But, now, I’ve got a Bible with me nearly everywhere I go – and I’ve got it in several translations and paraphrases and several languages. I expect many of you do, too. It’s the Bible app on my smartphone (and my tablet), and it’s one of the simplest ways technology has affected how I practice my faith.

In this issue, Interpreter focuses on technology and how it is changing the ways United Methodists engage in mission and ministry. You’ll find stories of churches using it for congregational care – and to minister to folks who may never enter the building. You’ll read how technology is a tool as we engage in mission to make an abundant life possible for all God’s children around the world.

We are not focusing on the hardware, but on the “why” and “how” of technology as a tool for caring, for reaching out, for building community, for serving. Some of you have already embraced the ideas offered here; some have gone far beyond them. For others, we hope your reading will spark conversations about what you might do and how you might use these God-given tools.