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	August 2003
		Gracespace: networking and getting the 'Net' working by Kevin Booth
			'Twas the night before census and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...except of course, the mouse! t's true. Well over 90% of residents within a kilometre radius of our local PO were on the Internet, or had used it at some stage, the day before the last census was taken. Enter Gracespace One of the great aspects of being involved in a new ministry is the opportunity to explore new avenues of connection with people. The 'web page' shouldn't be a new concept for anyone. It's one way in which a person or organisation can be 'out there' in cyber-space. But have you heard about 'groups'? 'Groups' are not new either, and could be a highly useful and free tool for organisations like ours. Two companies offering free sites are MSN and Yahoo! The beauty of what they offer is that 'groups' can be as public or as private as the person posting the group wants them to be -perfect for ongoing communication within a small organisation. Broaden a sense of community Depending on the company providing the service there are several options: e-mail, calendar, address list and notepad are the basic services. MSN offer a free newsletter page space to post pictures, and usually a 'chat room' for some live on-line communication if someone else in the group is active at the same time. At Yahoo! you will find a poll, in which members can respond to a question posted by the moderator (the person in charge of the group). Whilst a 'group' or church 'web page' may never replace weekly or monthly paper newsletters, they certainly provide a great opportunity to connect with each other and broaden a sense of community. Gracespace seeks to connect with the 'busy'. Many of the 'busy' use the internet heavily, for business, research and pleasure. Cyber-space therefore becomes a great space for Gracespace to explore. Perhaps this is a ministry opportunity for you? Fishing If you're interested I have posted a group site with Yahoo! E-mail me at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gracespace_experience_groups/ and we'll add you in. You'll be able to be part of the action as we encourage each other in the use of this great tool for the gospel - come on in, the fishing's fun! PS. A word of warning to anyone contemplating such a ministry: I quote Edward De Bono, 'The ability to send hundreds of emails does not ensure the ability to write something intelligent or amusing.'