"An incredible new technology enables the transmission of text on a worldwide basis. It rapidly reduces production and distribution costs and for the first time allows large numbers of people to access text and pictures in their own homes."
You've guessed it. The invention of 'movable type' by Gutenberg - the printing press. It transformed education, learning, evangelism and communication. It laid the foundations for the Renaissance, the arts, sciences, and the world as we know it today. The digital revolution is bringing about a similar huge change in evangelism, Christian discipleship and community, in ways which are only just beginning.
"Using a computer for online religious activity... could become the dominant form of religion and religious experience in the next century."
Professor B Brasher, author: Give me that Online Religion (Jossey-Bass)
Although the Internet first grew in USA and northern Europe, it is now no longer a toy for the rich West. Users in China are expected to reach 100 million in 2003. Only one country in the world bans Internet usage - N. Korea.
The needs of the world remain as great as ever: see the Unfinished Task counters clicking up. The Internet is a powerful and God-given medium to help us fulfil the Great Commission. Even its name reflects the nature of the fishing net which Jesus spoke of in Matthew 13:47 and elsewhere.
The same thing applies to most Christian websites. 99% have been written with only a Christian reader in mind. Of course, some non-Christians will visit them too. And if they already have an interest, maybe they will stay to read. But this is like hoping that non-Christians will walk in off the street into our church services. Some do. But most will not. (And site visitors will usually leave in 5 seconds, if they cannot relate to a page.) So we often find that we are only touching the people who may have a Christian background or interest. We reach the 'once-churched', but we do not touch the 'never-churched'.
The sad thing is that because some evangelism does happen successfully this way, Christians do not realize that we are not touching everyone in the society. And of course, some churches give evangelism and world mission a very low priority in their programs. Yet Wesley said, "You have nothing to do but to save souls."
We can help the wider church to understand the importance of online evangelism so that:
You can help achieve these goals by adding the content of this page to your own site. It is easy - just copy/paste a few lines of code. You can also print out this poster for your church noticeboard.
Because everyone sees the Internet as a 'free' resource, and because those involved in online evangelism produce no tangible 'product', it seems true that the wider church does not realize that online evangelism ministries need support and encouragement. There are surprisingly few Christian organisations actually involved in primary online evangelism. Why is this? See this Open Letter to mission executives.
Can you translate this page into your language? There is a big need for online evangelism in non-English languages.