Why do we do evangelism? Why do we carry out mission? It is because we have a God who loves and wants all human beings to love him. It is also because we have a God who communicates. He speaks to us through Jesus, through the Bible, through creation, through conscience and in other ways.

These are the opening words of a sermon preached by Tony Higton and recently published on the Church in the Woottons website. These are not just rhetorical questions; they are questions that not only demand an answer, but should be answered in the fullest possible language available.

As Christians we are called upon to communicate the word of God, He is after all a God who communicates with us. As I have spent more time recently working closely with developing online missionary outreach projects, I am finding it increasingly frustrating how little there is available online for those people out there who are actively searching for information on faith, spirituality, Jesus, the Bible and what it means to be a Christian. But what about those that aren’t searching, that perhaps need our help to find their way to God?

The internet has developed as the primary mode of communication in the 21st century; it is used by over a billion people throughout the world and shows no sign of slowing down. By 2012, the internet is expected to expand by 200%, with thousands of new visitors finding their way onto the internet each week. It was announced in the news last week that 'silver surfers' have become the largest group of internet users to dominate the use of the internet. People 55 and over are using the internet more now than ever before, and it is 55 and over women who are leaping ahead of their male counterparts. 'Silver surfer' singletons are relying on the internet as the main way to communicate with friends and family across the world, using communication tools such as email, messaging services and video conferencing.

With all of this in mind, why then can’t more clergy and church leaders use the internet as a means to communicate the Good News? Why is it that this most vital of communication tools is not being harnessed to its full potential by church and faith groups? There are some examples of excellent missionary and outreach projects online, however I strongly believe that there is a wealth of experience being missed out on here. Think of all those clergy who have something to say, a style of communication that could help bring someone new into the presence of God – think of all that lost potential!

Go back 10 years ago: a parish priest may have only been responsible for the souls within his or her parish, a small geographical boundary that kept the communication of that parish self contained and isolated. However, with the internet spreading the Gospel worldwide, as it communicates the teachings of Jesus Christ, just like St Paul did after Christ’s crucifixion, the internet holds the potential to turn one local parish priest’s ministry into an international ministry.

As we continue to work closely with parish groups to develop online missionary projects, we are constantly amazed at the data we receive from search engines, data that tells us exactly how people are searching on the internet to find information relating to Christianity, faith, spirituality, Jesus, the Bible, God, marriage, life after death and much, much more. We use this data to inform the development of new content, responding to the needs of those who are visiting our websites. If you received a phone call from a parishioner asking about information on marriage, you would do your utmost to help and support them? Why cannot this be the same for those who are visiting your website? If people are searching for information on marriage, and your site does not give much support on this, then why should you not spend some time and create a paragraph or two to add to the website?

Critics of the Church today say that it no longer holds any relevance, which it does not adapt and change to the needs of the average person in the street. There is, in some people’s eyes, a widening gap between those who attend church and those that do not. Using a website as a missionary outreach project is a perfect way to remain relevant in the lives of internet users, whether they live 2 miles away or 12,000 miles away. I often hear clergy preach about the ‘international church’, with the development of the internet moving at such a speed, words like ‘international’ will no longer hold any relevance – we are all local when it comes communicating on the internet.

Recently the King’s Lynn News reported on the story of a local benefice taking up the challenge of developing an online missionary project. The editor in his article said that this new website was no longer just about a list of future services, favourite links and the usual news listings for garden tea party and church fetes, but instead it was posing questions like ‘Does God Exist’ and encouraging people to respond to the articles and statements published by the Rector. Is this the way forward for church websites? Absolutely! Why then is it still a difficult subject to discuss with many clergy today? Why is it that comments such as ‘I really don’t care much for the website, it doesn’t interest me’ are so widely accepted as being the standard response from most church leaders and clergy? You may think these are rhetorical questions, but they are no less important than the questions posed by Tony Higton in his sermon a few weeks ago: ‘Why do we do evangelism, why do we carry out mission?’ Remember, we have a God who loves and wants all human beings to love him – why can’t we use the internet to develop more missionary outreach projects, replacing the ‘old’ and ‘traditional’ format of a parish website, turning it into an internationally used resource for bringing people closer to God?

How do you go about creating an online missionary project? Getting people on board to the idea of creating regular content for an interactive missionary website is the first hurdle to overcome. Developing a missionary editorial team is a first step, bringing together individuals within your parish who are enthused by the idea of communicating as an ‘international Christian fellowship’. A good missionary website should have new and fresh content developed weekly, by a range of individuals from as many different backgrounds and walks of life as possible. Anonymity can be guaranteed, people do not even have to put their name on articles or publications on the website if they are uncomfortable with the idea of public acknowledgment.

Our goal is to support all who want to develop online missionary projects, we stand ready to provide whatever help and advice you require in order to achieve your online full potential. You can contact us through our website, or if you would prefer to discuss this over the phone, then please call us on: 01760 759094. If you would like help or advice with setting up a ‘mission editorial team’, then please do get in touch. We are here to offer whatever help you need.

   
Daniel T. Gibbins
Operations Manager & Senior Project Leader