Online Ministry

Multiplying Disciples in Digital Strategies

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Growing up in an African nation where Christians face persecution for their beliefs, Teresa felt isolated as a new follower of Jesus. She wanted to grow in her walk with Christ but didn’t have anyone to talk to about it; she felt a call to spread the gospel but didn’t know how. Where she lives, there are no printed Bibles and no churches, and any believers who meet together must do so discreetly and in small groups. Despite those challenges, Teresa felt called to share the love of Jesus with her community.

Because it’s unsafe to discuss such topichabeshastudent screenshots openly, Teresa turned to the internet in her quest for answers. While searching for material on spiritual growth, Teresa found HabeshaStudent.com, the Amharic version of EveryStudent.com. She began emailing the volunteers and staff who provide support to the website. Her primary concern was finding a way to share the gospel without having access to a printed Bible. Efrem, an Indigitous volunteer with HabeshaStudent, introduced her to an Amharic Bible app for feature phones that he developed during an Indigitous event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She excitedly took this app and used it to share the gospel with her friends and family.

Teresa is especially concerned about helping her family members to know Jesus. “If I don’t share the gospel with them, who will?” she asked. Upon her urging, Teresa’s family has started reading one chapter of the Bible every time they meet. Her prayer is that her family will come to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Teresa has also started leading a Bible study group out of her home, though it is unsafe to meet in groups of larger than three or four. Teresa is passionate about evangelism, knowing what is at stake. “Whenever I think about eternity, I get shivers,” she says. “I believe that it is not good that our brothers and sisters go into eternal death as a result of not knowing the truth.”

Teresa’s biggest need is evangelistic materials that fit her context. She is grateful that due to digital strategies, she is able to get the help that she could not get locally. “Nobody around me was able to give me advice on how I could serve and do ministry, but even if you are 1,000 kilometers from me, God used you to equip me for this work.”

reblogged from Global Leadership site

 

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Lake Hart DDOSome comments from our first ever Digital Day of Outreach at Lake Hart.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to take some time to engage friends online with the gospel. In addition to chatting with several people who watched the #FallingPlates video, I also connected with quite a few friends and relatives via FaceBook and Skype. It was good to remember how easy it is to spend even a short time to take a step of faith and reach out to people right from my laptop. I am excited to follow up more with a cousin who I chatted with a while whom I hadn’t been in touch with for a long time.
– Erik B

It was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to connect with some family I haven’t spoken to in a while who I know are not believers and several of them took the time to watch the video. One of my cousins even reached out to me after watching the video to thank me for sharing. I am so excited to see what the future will look like for this tool. I’m so thankful I got to be a part of the Digital Day of Outreach.
– Angel M

I really like the outreach today. I was able to connect with a FB friend who also make surf films in CA. He is open to hearing more about Jesus so I’m going to send him some short films that I have worked on here. Praying for him to really know Jesus and give his life to our Lord.
– John I

I was impressed with the tremendous possibilities to reach such a broad group of people so quickly. This presents a wonderful opportunity to start spiritual conversations in a very nonthreatening way. And then even opens possibilities for on going growth. Thanks for sharing this opportunity!
– Don T

I was able to share it with friends in Kuwait and Guatemala. What an easy way to get the message out worldwide.
– Lynn M

 

Read more about Lake Hart Digital Day of Outreach here.

Want to learn how you can run your very own DDO (Digital Day of Outreach)? Check out this very helpful resource site done by our Philippine CCC ministry.

So what’s this ‘digital strategies’ thingy??

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Some folks have wondered… what has Simon been up to lately ministry-wise?
I know he’s talked something about involved in ‘Digital Strategies’ and ‘Online Movements’ and all that jazz… but what’s that all about?

That’s a great question! To be frank, it’s not something that I can easily explain in 1 or 2 sentences. But if I’d to do it briefly, it’d be using this new document that we recently put together.

 


VLM Vision Map v1.2 December 2011

 

This provides an outline to some of the broad strokes stuff that I’ve been engaged with in one way or another.
The Global Coalition team that I’ve been part of help crafted this ‘Vision Map’, to express what VLM needs to be about.

These 4 priorities (Offer, Lead, Help, Collaborate) all drive towards the goals of ‘Connecting People‘, “Sharing Learning‘, ‘Increased Evangelism‘ and ‘Increased Discipleship‘.

Btw, ‘VLM’ = ‘Virtually-led Movements’.

It’s our ministry’s lingo to refer to various creative, digital (online/mobile) strategies to engage & connect with our changing generation, to essentially ‘win-build-send’ christ-centered multiplying followers of Christ to launch spiritual movements everywhere.

Online Filter Bubbles

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I just came across a very thought provoking video from TED talks, by Eli Pariser

What if all we’re getting from the web is merely highly filtered ‘information junk food’, and not the kind of information diet you should be getting.

Watch it. It is sure to set you thinking about how you use your web, and what shapes our thinking….

Online Filter Bubbles

 

No more crumpled tracts…

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Looking for an easy way to share the Gospel with those around you? The perfect complement to your favorite Bible app, God Tools puts some of the most effective and widely used evangelistic tools of all time on your iPhone and iPod Touch! Check it out.

The iPod and iPhone are now easily the most recognizable gadget that at least 1 in 3 of your friends (and even yourself) are using. In fact, many are opting to buy other phones, just so they are not spotted using an iPhone. But truth be told, it’s the hundreds of thousands of iPhone apps that are making this device super useful.

Now you can use your iPod or iPhone to talk about Jesus. It’s not longer the crumpled tract that you stuff inside your wallet that you need to use.

Download and install this app, and pray for divine appointments to show it to your friends and family. =)

Mobile phone ministry in Africa!

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I recently came across this article. It’s a classic case of how we need not be unduly ‘afraid’ of technology as the church… but to carefully & prayerfully consider how these ‘new ways’ can help us better engage people for God’s glory. Read it and share your thoughts.

African Churches Use Mobile Phone to Ring Up Growth in Members

Here’s an excerpt:

“Mobile phone suspended on a belt round the waist, or from the neck, is a common sight among members of church congregations in Africa. Now, church leaders are heaping praise on mobile phones, sometimes called cell phones, because they say the instruments help congregations grow.

Mobile phone use increased rapidly in Africa about 10 years ago. At that time, however, some Christians on the continent criticised the phones for being “marks of materialism”. Now, that has changed.

“It is as if cell phones have come to revolutionise everything, even Christianity,” says Anglican Bishop Charles Gaita of Nyahururu in central Kenya. “They are making things happen quickly.”

Read the rest of this encouraging article

The ‘State’ of the Internet

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The Internet is changing so rapidly that it is hard to keep up. Jesse Thomas has artistically wrangled this statistical juggernaut, in his video State of the Internet, to give us a visual of where things stand … at the moment. Watch it to get a sense of astounding growth (& potential!)

[vsw id=”T6MfnuvH4Rs” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

Wanna learn & grow more in your understanding of how the Internet & Technology can integrate with your faith, and how it helps you connect & reach others? Join me at IED@SG this coming April!

The Buzz about Social Media

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social-media1Much is abuzz on about Social Networking, and how and where it connects with life & ministry.  Here’s a few links to articles that will generate some thinking (and perhaps some engagement) on our part as we consider Internet Evangelism or Online Ministry. Tell me what you think… Post a comment.

1. “How To Improve Your Blog Post” (by Ed Cyzewski)
“Bloggers are always told that the most important step in drawing readers is writing great content. ‘Content is king,’ as they say. Even if you have a great idea and some excellent writing skills, here are a few ways to improve your blog post:”
http://bit.ly/5A5ojH

2. “How and Why I’m Tweeting” (by John Piper)
“I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others. One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans…”
http://bit.ly/58XScK

3. “Is Online Community Real?” asks Justin Wise
“It’s not that the question is wrong, per se, it’s that the question is irrelevant. It’s a question that’s already been answered,” says Justin Wise.
http://bit.ly/6KYwML

(links compiled fr Web Evangelsim Bulletin)