On January 8, 1815 British and American forces engaged in battle in the Mississippi River delta near the town of New Orleans. Thousands died in the battle which was made even more tragic by the fact that both countries signed a peace treaty at Ghent, Belgium on December 24, 1814, meaning the battle was totally unnecessary. News of the Treaty of Ghent did not arrive in the Americas until February, more than a month later.

Contrast that to today. Instant messaging, texting, emails, skyping and other technological advances means the concept of distance is dead. No more are we able to hide at a retreat. No more are we able to spend time alone on a beach. Our cell phones, laptops, ipods and the omni-present Blackberry mean we are never alone. We can be found. We are not out of the communication loop. Where once one would be expected to respond to a letter in a couple of weeks, the expectation is now a couple of minutes. And woe betide the one who fails to respond immediately!

But there is good news. Many of the technological advances enable churches to maintain personal, relational communication with individuals across town and across the world. Technology has also given us a wide variety of ways to communicate the good news with people. In this edition we look at everything from the power of broadcast technology changing lives down to the power of Skype to keep missionaries and churches linked. George Durance, President of Ambrose University College takes a look at the past decade in Christian higher education and we see how yet another Alliance person is making an “Impression” on the community around him.