The Value of Internet Evangelism

The  president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, wrote that:”The Internet has proved to be one of the most efficient and reliable means of communicating globally with little or no restrictions, which Christians cannot ignore. Like other means of communication, we urge Christians to take advantage of the numerous opportunities provided by the Internet for evangelism” . He pointed out to Christians the importance of  using Internet to win souls for God. In her article, The Value of the Internet for Christians, Sue Bohlin examined how Internet as a tool could be used to glorify God. Her objectivity led her to point out some of the disadvantages that are associated with using Internet. Burnt Swamp Baptist Association also underscores the need for Internet ministry and listed some Internet ministry tips. There are exciting advantages that web media have over radio and televion media. These advantages according to AdventWeb Ministry makes Internet  so unique and stands tall among the conventional media. Having identified the great potential of Internet, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has brought technologists, evangelists and communicators under one umbrella to form GIEN (Global Internet Evangelism Network). The members of the organization meet annually to discuss the creative ways to use Internet to serve people. Other Christian organizations are working hard to use Internet in their works.

Over 2 Million Internet Users Look for God Daily

According to ABC News.go over 2 million Internet users come online to search for God. Five years ealier the Pew Internet and American Life Project had revealed that 64% of Americans who had access to the Internet in 2004 had used it for spiritual or religious purposes. In 2004 the Internet users in USA were 128 million, I just checked the latest users today and it is 251,290,489. There are nearly 1,600,000 Internet users worldwide. Among these users there are surfers who are looking for God. This should be of interest to online missionaries or workers in Christian Internet ministries. Internet users are increasing daily throughout the world, the traditional way of doing God’s work alone will not help, Christian leaders need to find ways to train more online Christian workers to serve the needs of these surfers spiritually. The secular websites with their cutting edge technology and big budgets are attracting people who come online. Christians should do more to win more people online for Christ, whether we like it or not the Internet has become the meeting place in this global village. There will be more people who need God online and it takes prepared and trained Christians online to help those who are hungry for the “bread of life”.

You Can Speak In Tongues on the Internet

Now Christians have a great opportunity to speak in tongues. I do not mean a gibberish language that some people consider it tongues speaking in these days. LifeChurch.tv has created  a software that helps people to communicate with others in 45 languages, it is called BabelWith.me. I think this is a great evangelistic tool for Christians to  share the Gospel with others. Language is not a barrier. I was so glad to use it this evening, I wrote something in English and I chose a language it should translate for me. I was using it to learn my Greek I learnt in school. Christians who are in Spanish countries can chat or send e-mail to Chinese. It is so simple to use. Internet missionaries will love it. It is another communication breakthrough that Christians should take advantage of it.

Christians Must Keep Abreast With Internet Technology

What do Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Rex Humbard, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson and Jim Baker have in common? The answers can vary, they are Christian preachers, what is most obvious is that they used the power of television to beam their messages to their audience around the world. The use of medium of their time helped them to bring their ministries from ‘box’ to ‘mountaintop’. Before the advent of television Christian leaders had used print medium and radio to reach other people with their messages. It is undeniable fact that we live in an era of change, and this world is changing faster than it used to be, by just a blink of an eye. How do we position ourselves as Christians to take advantages of these changes and overcome its challenges? Daniel predicted about increase of knowledge in Dan.12:4. One thing that has brought much change is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) whose ripples are felt on almost all sectors of the society. Let us cast our minds back in the past era where we were using typewriters, telephone lines, we could not withdraw money outside the banking hall, or when there was no price scanner machines, no color TV, digital cameras and computers. Today because of ICT, our tasks are reduced and we do things better and faster. ICT has changed how we work, learn, play and relate with each other. That is what ICT is doing. Nations have realized the importance of ICT on the socio-economic development of the people. No one can separate the relationship between media and religion. Their actions and reactions will continue to permeate. So Christians should learn the dynamics of the new media and how to use it to advance the work of God. The Internet unlike television and radio does not require sophisticated skills before one can use it. More people can use it in diverse ways; it is not for only few church leaders. They can use blogging, chatting, social networking, twittering, uploading of videos, podcasts, Internet radio, and more to communicate to others. The options to use are becoming many and exciting. The rate Internet is becoming common makes it more interesting, it is cheapest to use. All theological curriculums should be reviewed so that that Internet ministry technology or web evangelism technology to be inserted. Church leaders who have become used to conventional media need to be kept abreast with the trends of the new media through seminars and workshops. Church organizations and members’ presence online should be promoted. We should not be technophobic at all, peoples’ online presence these days are increasing daily. Jesus went to where He could find people. We should not forget that. We should move with the Internet technology. The secular websites are gaining more grounds; we should not rest at all when it comes to Internet. More can be done for Christ through Internet, the best time to start what you can do is now.

The Internet Psalm

The Web is my guide, I shall not want; It makes me sit down in front of PC It leads me beside cool websites It informs my mind It leads me in paths of information superhighway For its name sake Even though I browse through the shadow of cyberspace, I fear no virus; For you are with me; Your search engine and your antivirus they boost me You prepare electronic messages before me In the presence of my hackers You anoint my head with password My mailbox overflows Surely Gigabyte of goodness and megabyte of mercy shall follow me All the days of my virtual reality And I shall dwell in the house of the web forever. By Tuffour Francis ( Just for fun, I just did this version using the original Psalm 23 as a guide (If you quote it, add my name to it)