evangelism help

Mission agencies and the Web

The Web is no longer just a Western toy. Internet cafes are springing up across Africa and Asia. There will be 100 million Net users in China by 2003. India and the Middle East are (among the educated and influential middle-classes - traditionally a very hard group to reach) becoming 'wired' societies.

Another aspect is that people in these countries are desperate to learn IT and web skills. Christian groups who teach these at ground level are finding that it is a 'way in' to the Gospel, just as teaching English has been.

So the Web has become a significant medium for outreach to unreached people around the world, including the 10-40 Window. There is a big need to create evangelistic sites to target these people in an effective and contextualized way, in both English and other languages. This is an opportunity for both evangelistic agencies and individuals, including returned or retired missionaries who can maintain an outreach to their field of service.

Surprisingly, very few mission agencies actually use the Internet as an evangelistic tool. Almost all use it to communicate with their Christian constituencies, or to communicate with and resource their mission staff. There are also many online resources to resousrce missions and missionaries. This open letter to mission executives explains the amazing opportunities available to mission agencies, returned/retired missionaries, and indeed anyone.

God has given all of us a new and highly-effective means of evangelism: the Internet. Yet to a very large extent, it is only being used by Christian missions for the perfectly valid uses of publicizing their work to the wider Christian world, or communicating with and equipping missionaries on the field.

The potential of the Web extends far beyond the rich West: a projected 100 million people in China will be online within a year. Even sub-Saharan Africa is being wired up with Internet Cafes, and many small-town African teenagers are using them. The Internet is a key to sensitive evangelism in the Middle East, as well as being a lifeline to disciple isolated converts anywhere.

Yet few mission agencies actually use this tool for evangelism. Yet who else is better equipped to understand the culture and language of other countries, and have the time and resources to produce evangelistic websites? I know of no website effectively targeting Hindus in India. There is nothing for Sikhs and Buddhists; none for Parsees, Falun Gong or Bahai; only a few sites effectively communicating with Muslims and Jews.

Another key factor: many missionaries have to return home prematurely due to health problems, care for elderly relatives, or children's schooling. The Internet provides a remarkable option for returned and retired missionaries to continue to minister to the people they were called to, from their own homes.

Internet ministry is not just for technical people! Simple websites are not so very hard to make. And anyone can make a virtual visit to another country to witness in a chat room. One man speaks of 'visiting Kuala Lumpur every Saturday night' - by chat room.

This Web Evangelism Resource Guide is designed to explain how mission organizations and individual Christians can directly reach the world online. It is not designed to promote our own group in any way, but to explain appropriate strategies that work in online outreach. If you can use the site to encourage both your staff and supporters to use the Web for evangelism, I believe - indeed promise - they will find an exciting and fulfilling ministry that can touch millions!
Online evangelism - the new resource for mission agencies

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