Discipleship via ooVoo and Google Docs

I talked to a guy catalyzing communities in universities in California.  He uses a service called Oovoo to videoconference with some guys he is discipling through the internet. 

“So how does this work?” I asked.

“Well, Oovoo allows up to six people to videoconference through the internet.  All they need is a computer, a webcam, and a mic.”

“Does it cost anything?”

“No. Totally Free.* Through the internet, we read God’s Word and pray.  Group members use different colors to write their reflections in a Google Doc.  The cool thing about Google Docs is that it allows us to edit one document together.  When we are done, we write our obedience statements in the Google Doc.

“That’s cool!”

“Yeah!  During the week we can review each other’s obedience statements.  Sometimes the guys in the group email each other just to see how things are going and to check and see how they are doing with obeying the passage.”

Just because Bible study is on the internet doesn’t mean that it is less personal or that accountability is thrown to the wind.  My guess is that these guys have more points of contact during the week than most.

*Oovoo just changed their pricing and is now free for only up to three people.  More than three people have to pay for an account.  The cost is $10 per month for at least one person in the group..