#HACK2020

The 2020 edition of #HACK split the event into two weekends, with the first occurring October 9-11, the final on October 16-18.

#HACK2020 Numbers

  • 1,088 Participants
  • 141 Locations
  • 316 Missional Projects

Lagos, Nigeria

When an IT consultant was invited to Indigitous #HACK in Lagos, Nigeria, he felt called to bring the vision of using digital and technology to God to his own city. His steps of faith resulted in a #HACK event and ongoing community in Bauchi.


[WINNER: Most Viable]

Chicago, United States

Teams in Chicago, Orlando, and Phoenix worked on a project targeting an unreached people group that has been displaced from their homeland, now living in more than 30 countries. The majority of this people group has smartphones and are active on social media. Because the language is small, there are no existing Bible app translations for it. This app allows them to hear the Gospel in their heart language that is easy to understand. The app will include around 30 Bible stories made for Christians to be able to use to share the Gospel with that people group, but also for those who don’t know any Christians to be able to discover and learn from the content on their own.

“They’re able to make something that’s very customized and very targeted and also takes into account audio and visual learners,” John says.


[WINNER: People’s Choice]

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

A lot of people who are going through difficult times don’t have anyone to talk to, either because they don’t have close family or friends, or because they simply don’t feel comfortable talking about their issues publicly. A team in Ethiopia created the Gemenaye Vent channel on Telegram and an accompanying chatbot to allow people to share anonymously, connect with mentors, and build relationships as they grow.


[WINNER: Top Overall Project]

Melbourne, Australia

With the SwitchOff plugin, a team in Australia aims to help people discover life beyond the screen. The team took a survey of Australians and found that they spend an average of 4 hours per day on their phones. 72% of them want less screen time, but have trouble putting their devices away. By spending less time on their screens, they can spend more time cultivating their relationship with Jesus. The SwitchOff plugin offers time tracking, offline goal setting, analytics, tips & motivation, and accountability friends to help people put the devices away and enjoy time away from their screens.

“This is something that’s affecting the entire Kingdom of God and the whole world and so to tackle that was huge,” John Dyer says. “The core idea is unique, the technology is ready, and we really hope it makes a difference in helping people realize their passion in what God has made them to do to be sometimes online but also be offline.”


[WINNER: Most Innovative, People’s Choice]

Indonesia

There are 700 languages in Indonesia, and the Bible is only available in 100 of them. To help increase biblical literacy and take the Gospel to where it’s not, a team in Indonesia developed a program to automate the creation of a customizable study Bible in tribal languages.

“I can see this being used for rapid creation of hundreds of different apps, maybe under a ministry banner, to reach all of those 700 languages in Indonesia, or maybe just a single ministry that wants to come along and say ‘here’s a non-technical user who can create a Bible app simply with just a couple clicks,’” John says.


[WINNER: Most Kingdom Impact]

Philippines

For those who are unemployed, depression and a feeling of being meaningless can set in. A team in the Philippines created the Hanap-Buhay website to help those who are job searching connect with Christian communities to help them grow professionally and spiritually. The platform offers both spiritual and practical help, everything from how to decide on your direction, to mentors and mental health experts, to job interview tips, to a listing of Christian organizations with job vacancies. A spirit of caring is felt throughout the website, which includes a Gospel presentation and an acknowledgement that true purpose comes from God, not a career.

“This takes two really important problems of joblessness and mental health and really looks at solving both of these at the same time,” John Dyer, one of the global judges. “We can get really down if we don’t have the right job. We love that Hanap-Buhay created a really simple and clear path to work through those issues and to share the hope of Jesus at the same time.”


[Honorable Mention]

Singapore

A team in Singapore targeted game developers for their project, creating a community portal for junior-senior developer communities to form around game development. Many of those developers don’t know God. Through the community portal, those who don’t know Jesus can grow with others in the community, be discipled by mentors, and develop their technical competencies. Those mentorships would be key opportunities for their mentors to share the Gospel.