Thomas L. Friedman, The World is Flat: a brief History of the Twenty-First Century (New York: Farra, Staus and Giroux, 2005).  Hardback, 488 pages.  Grade level 10-12.

Thomas Friedman e has appeared on national television as a commentator and correspondent in many forums.  The heart of the book is the listing and discussion of the ten forces (flatteners) that have changed and are changing contemporary America.  The book does not challenge Christianity per se; there are no anti-Christian statements that I recall.  However, the challenge to the church can be found in how we respond to these ten forces:

Flattener #1 (p. 48).  When the walls came down and the windows went up.  The walls refer to the Berlin wall and the windows to Microsoft windows.  We now live in a world that is globally connect as never before.  Churches to expand global connections through world missions.

 Flattener #2 (p. 56).  When Netscape went public.  More and more we are a web-based world.  It is essential that churches have an effective web ministry.  The web ministry not only recruits new members to the church, but it is a supportive resource for existing members.

 Flattener #3 (p. 71). Work flow software.  Software is now integrated.  Word files with music, pictures with text, etc.  Churches now have many new tools for ministry.

 Flattener #4 (p. 81). Open-Sourcing.  Self-organization collaborative communities which build software [Apache software (runs servers), NVu (N-view)--web page editing, Gimp—photo and graphics editing, Audacity—sound editing], the worlds’ largest encyclopedia (Wikipedia), and digital libraries (such as the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, ccel.org).  

 Flattener #5 (p. 103). Outsourcing.  This has been in the news a lot recently.  Could American churches partner with churches in India and other locations?

Flattener #6 (p. 114). Offshoring.  

 Flattener #7 (p. 128). Supply-chaining.  The Wal-Mart model.  

Flattener #8 (p. 141). Insourcing.  The UPS model.  

 Flattener #9 (p. 150) In-forming.  Information on the web, Google, Yahoo, MSN Web Search.  Great opportunities here for churches.  Church directories on the web, lists of small group leaders and meeting times, ministry updates, sermon notes and MP3 on the web, prayer lists, etc.

Flattener #10 (p. 159) The Steroids: Digital, Mobile, Personal, and Virtual.  This speaks to the common place and transportable nature of technology now.  Trinity application:  paper communication (church bulletins, books, pamphlets) may give way to information beamed to personal devices.  When most people come to the services with Bluetooth enabled PDAs, phones, or computers then church announcements, prayer lists, small group information can be beamed when they enter the building.  Shut-ins can enjoy the service from their homes.  Church committees need not meet face to face.  Those on business trips can be virtually part of meetings.  Pastors and leaders can carry the church directory with them in their PDAs etc.

 The book points to many of the opportunities that the church could use to bless its members, the community, and mission fields. 

 Comments by Terry Ewell (March 2006).