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As the Body of Christ, we are called to carry on Jesus' mission.
This great commission, given to us by Christ himself, lies at the heart of who we are as disciples.
The question is how can we engage our digital culture with God's timeless message?
We are aware that the great hope of humanity is the salvation, which can only come from a living relationship with our risen Lord and Saviour. This is the message we carry into the world, and though it has not changed in 2,000 years but the mediums which it is transmitted are constantly evolving.
Today we find ourselves in a digital culture. Surrounded by mobile phones Cash machines, personal computers, and hundreds of other electronic innovations, our senses are often overloaded by the sheer scope of information available to be processed.
Do you remember the first time you used the Internet? How about email? I recall my first experience with email. It occurred in 1997, I had been made medical redundant and was told that I may never work again after having artier replacement surgery. I am one that couldn't sit around doing nothing so I went to night school to learn how to use a computer application as I had enrolled onto a University HND course that September. After a friend said you could do this with a little help. He also went on to show me the in.'s and out's of a computer from building, programming, the internet, and email etc, which would allow you to type a message, hit send and the person would receive it THAT DAY!
Of course between now and then the Information Revolution has transformed our society. We are well aware of the radical new way we do almost everything in our lives. How did we book flights, buy books, sell our old stuff, or communicate with friends before the likes Amazon, E-bay, and instant messaging. In the wake of this revolution many institutions were destroyed or radically altered. Others were created and emerged as the major players in the shaping of the digital future.
The question for us, of course, is how the church is going to interact with this culture change. How should the church move forward in the digital age to continue its apostolic calling to go and make disciples?
The vast majority of the church has consistently been willing to adopt the use of basic Utilities in service of the kingdom. Few churches operate without electricity, running water, heating, or any of the other "modern conveniences" of our daily lives. In this millennium, a web ministry presence is a utility as essential as any of these. Our ministers preach from pulpits, our choirs sing from lofts, and our music flows from piano's, organs, keyboards, guitars, and drums. Today the Internet is joining these ministry tools as a vital element of congregational life. For a substantial and growing segment of today's population, a church with no web presence is a Church that does not exist.
It is absolutely true that the Internet should never replace the gathering of the saints we call the church. The incarnation bears testimony to God's commitment to ministering through a face-to-face encounter with his people. Likewise the glow of a monitor can never adequately compensate for the warmth of a caring smile, the hugs of an elderly matriarch, or the power of communal worship. Life is infinitely more real than 1's and 0's of machine code can convey.
Having said this, there are a number of reasons why it is crucial that individual churches adopt a strategic approach to utilising the web for the sake of the kingdom.
- The Internet can significantly assist the historic work of the church in its efforts to reach out to non-Christians and bring them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
- It can be used as a tool of discipleship, helping to shape the spiritual development of believers through the delivery of devotionals, sermons, newsletters, writings, and a host of other innovative initiatives.
- The web has the potential to assist the development of community between weekend services by facilitating mid week interaction through the use of discussion boards, chat rooms, and instant messaging.
- The web can be used to streamline administrative tasks as well as a communication medium for the strengthening of leadership structures.
The web has the ability to shape and extend a church sense of calling to the world including extending it in mission, service, and social witness.
These are only a few of the ways the web can add value to the work of the local church. In truth, there is almost no area of the Christian life that cannot be assisted by the communicative power of the Internet. It is crucial as we go forward that we analyse and articulate the benefits of this medium so that the Gospel moves forward, and the Kingdom Grows
When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was thrown out of conventional churches, he started preaching in the open air near coalmines and along the countryside, Wesley also required people to attend church in order to be part of his small groups. In the same way Chat rooms, e-mail, and bulletin boards are today's open-air small groups.
Christians are finding new places to meet beyond the walls of the traditional church. The Internet provides an opportunity to share prayer concerns, discuss scripture and debate theology with people at any time, day or night.
Ministers need to take a look at using the Internet as part of their ministry.
"The Internet provides Ministers with the cheapest, most effective, most powerful way to influence the daily lives of their congregations."
David Andrew
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