Silicon valley is known for technology but did you know that some influential players in the high-tech world, use their talents, “striving for the mark of the high calling”? Their creative power, they unreservedly commit his great passion: the gospel.
Silicon valley is the place where some of the greatest minds in technology and innovation. Their knowledge and skills used by such companies as “Apple”, “Google” and “Facebook”. And the acquisition for the companies, but the loss to the Church. A Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, Kevin Kim, have long noticed that the local Church miss countless opportunities to learn from those who attend their meetings.
“Among the three thousand people who sit on our benches, huge human capital, the greatest potential, says Kevin Kim, co-founder of “Basil Technologies”. — We have leaders in politics, leaders in government, leaders in medicine, leaders in technology, leaders in the field of Finance. The Church needs to be more creative and active approach. Because God deserves the best we can come up with.”
This way of thinking has created “Code for the Kingdom” is a modern marathon of ideas, or “hackathon”.
Kevin’s friend, Neil, Alston, Manager business development at Google, helped him to start work.
“The hackathon is one of the most common events. The idea is that on the weekends you are going for a joint solution to some problem. And you decide brainstorm. This does not mean that you create something great and lasting. You simply answer a question,” says Neil Alston, the founder of “the Carpenter’s Code”.
“At our first hackathon, we had 250 of our friends, designers and developers from major tech companies, says Kevin Kim. — Friday night all come, you meet them, and then put in front of them some major innovative tasks. For example, say: “this is the problem of orphans in the world. Here global poverty. That’s human trafficking. And that’s evangelism. What ideas, what platforms, what technology would you create to improve the situation?” In the end, was offered great ideas and solutions. Moreover, a Christian leader of a major technology company, who was present, said, “you Guys in one weekend has done as much as my boys could not do in six months”.
Kevin, Neil and their friends hosted these events for five years. During this time, they came up with thousands of ideas, but noticed that they began to lose the fuse because of the difficulties in promoting these ideas to market.
“It is very difficult to support projects that are designed to carry weight and influence. And that’s what Kevin and a lot of work — it is necessary to ensure that the project went live,” says Neal Alster.
With this aim, Neal founded on the principles of faith of their own tech company called “Carpenter’s Code”. The company has developed a prayer app called “Abide”.
“Abide” gives you the approximate audio prayers. They range from two to fifteen minutes. They are all based on Scripture. We take a Bible verse and a theme to which it is dedicated, and then guide you through the process of prayerful reflection,” says Neil Ahlsten.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kim took what he learned and started his own company focused on technology for missionaries. It’s called “Basil Technologies”.
“The idea is that God will fill us, technologists, developers, designers, by the Holy Spirit to do His work. Therefore, we focused on product development,” says Kevin Kim.
Every Monday evening a group of volunteer Christians from the best of information technology companies in Silicon valley is going to discuss the problems faced by Christian organizations. Then they share their innovation, creativity and experience to develop not only problem solving, but also the way of its implementation.
One of the current projects is a partnership with the “International justice mission”.
“We invited its representatives and stayed with them brainstorming, which led one of our key members, who are expert in design thinking. So, in this session of brainstorming with the “International justice mission” we found out that the criminals who are trafficking people use to achieve their black goals of the new technology. Many of our people who work in the field of information technology, simply could not believe it. And we decided to deal with it,” says Kevin Kim.
In this command, hope, reporting on events of major technology companies, they will be able to jointly develop effective solutions. During the year, “Basil Technologies” plans to expand its activities. At the moment, however, they intend to adjust their processes and gradually to spread the word by sending some of the best minds in the field of information technology to work in the Kingdom.