Interview with Mat Weiss
Mat is the leader of my ministry team. One of the new guys joining our team this year (Kyle Maxwell) recently asked Mat some good questions. I thought the responses might be of interest to anyone reading this blog because they describe the team I am a part of.
[ BEGIN copied transcript ]
How big is the team will I be a part of?
About 35.
What is the team purpose/mission statement?
We lead technology and media for the whole campus ministry. As the web (and culture) changes, it’s becoming more media rich. You no longer need just old school programmers and admins to build things anymore. You need to integrate media elements. You can imagine how essential this is when your focus is students. So we are to take things to the next level. Putting a bible study on a website. That’s so yesterday. Now we need to leverage things like Facebook [A social-networking site where the average college student spends 20 minutes per day].
How many software engineers are there on the team?
Including you, 6. All but 2 are out raising support right now. There’s also 3 video editors, 2 graphic designers, 3 writers, 7 tech support, 2 trainers, and I’m forgetting some.
What does our team uniquely contribute to the overall ministry of Campus Crusade?
We address the big picture problems. We execute national strategies (like Katrina response and 9/11 response) — things that only can be done at a national level.
What are some dreams that we don’t have the manpower/resources to do at the present time?
We’d like to launch a concept called the involvement portal which would be one stop shopping for folks launching a movement. Develop new tools and strategies around web evangelism. Launch “ministryforge,” where volunteers with technical skills can jump in and help with projects.
The possibility exists for you (Mat Weiss, not the hypothetical “you”) to be out in the field, doing ministry directly. Why has God called you to the position you are in, and why do you believe that this helps God’s purpose in the world more than being in the field?
I have unique talents that are in critical need here instead of the field. A key impact of my work is that I increase the capacity of our field staff and the organization overall. When I first showed up, STINT [a one or two year short term mission for recent college graduates] applications were done on paper. We were experiencing a swell in applicants. Unless a computer based system was introduced, we would not be sending laborers into the harvest. Through my work I increased the capacity of the ministry, consequently several hundred more STINTers were sent.