Evangelism, Missions, and the Internet
- Information – The Internet is bringing an enormous amount of timely strategic information into the hands of even the smallest church or mission agency.
- Ratiocination – People "think aloud" in cyberspace. The theology and practice (including ecclesiology and missiology) of most Christians is now primarily formed as a peer-to-peer online process with occasional expert input.
- Exploration – People do their private, personal, and controversial thinking online. If a person wants to find out about a suspected medical matter or investigate a forbidden political opinion, they first check it out online.
- Collaboration – The Internet is facilitating collaboration across denominational boundaries and across national borders. Experts are now able to link up with other experts in fields such as church planting and theological education.
- Validation – People use the Internet to check things out. This applies to everything from a "too-good-to-be-true" investment scam to the local church they plan to attend when they move to a new city.
- Allocation of Resources – The Internet is allowing donors, foundations, and churches to efficiently assess projects and receive applications for funding across national boundaries.
- Proclamation – The gospel is being proclaimed on websites, in chat rooms, on YouTube, on cell phones, and on numerous Internet-connected devices. Evangelistic crusades are using the Internet both as a decision mechanism and as a follow-up mechanism.
- Education – Online education has been a huge success and has revitalized Theological Education by Extension (TEE) and distance education..
- Mobilization – The Internet facilitates making connections and imparting information and motivation necessary for effective mobilization of pastors, evangelists, and missionaries into the global harvest.
- Multiplication -The Internet brings leverage to networks and enables contacts to be made for the multiplication of house and cell churches, church-planting movements, and small TEE-based Bible colleges resourced via an Internet-based curriculum.
A great and comprehensive list! Read some more of John's unabridged thoughts here.
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