Wanted: Internet evangelist

by Rev. Dr. Arne H. Fjeldstad

The Great Commission challenges us to serve the Lord Jesus in a new
“reality”, the cyberspace. Also this new computer-based reality belongs
to the Lord of all the Universe.

The World Wide Web provides new, effective and strongly personal
tools for evangelism through e-mail, news groups, web pages, Internet
Relay Chat (IRC) etc. Oftentimes you will find people surprisingly open
to discuss religious issues and share their own questions and problems
about life and faith.

Start by building a team for prayer and support. Try to find people
with various interests and skills, and make them partners in the projec.
A strong foundation of prayer support and people willing to do “follow-
up” work to counsel people is a must. If at all possible, try to
establish face to face follow up in the real world!

Carefully define and monitor your target group and repeatedly
consider new ways to communicate with the people you are working to
reach with the gospel. Keep in mind that you often cannot “control” who
your audience is, for example the readers of a web page. Always try to
be culturally sensitive to people from a different cultural and/or
religious background than yourself.

The Internet is all about relationship and interaction. Concentrate
on finding virtual places to build fellowship and community; invite to
e-mail conferences, chat groups, etc.

The Net is strongly personal and, in a strange way, very emotional.
Therefore, use your head and communicate to the heart! Remember, you are
always a part of the message you communicate.

Aim at an open, non-judgmental dialog, not confrontation. Always
encourage people to ask questions and even disagree. Then you may
prevent misunderstandings about what a Christian life is all about and
also give yourself additional opportunities to communicate the love of
Christ to a very unique person.

As an Internet evangelist, you are commissioned to communicate
Christ not only by word but by representing (even sometimes, virtually
embody) Christ for other “Netizens.”

Be honestly and genuinely interested in the other persons life,
ideas, experiences and opinions. Help them to understand that you care
about his or her life. The Internet has an exciting history of giving
and sharing tools and knowledge. Continue this tradition by a humble,
friendly approach.

Internet evangelism is challenging us to find new friends. Joining
news groups or e-mail conferences discussing topics of interest is one
option. Or, use our hobbies and personal interest to start our own
group? challenging our creativity to find new ways to communicate the
gospel using various tools with a lot of humor and imagination.
challenging us to be personal, sharing our life and our history with the
Lord Jesus Christ with other people challenging us to have the same
attitude as Jesus Christ (Philippians 2, 5-11) This may be particularly
hard in the tempting anonymity of the Net where gender swapping,
immorality and all kinds of temptations are flourishing.

Reproduced with the permission of the Lausanne Website –
http://www.lausanne.org