Web Ministry

[flutem3]

Hello to one and all,

We have been a rather quiet group lately. I have been talking with others about web ministry as opposed to a church web site.

I have a question for anyone or everyone. Do you know of any web ministry which has led a person to accepting Jesus as his/her Savior?

Among all of us, we have been to many websites. I have not ever heard of that happening. I do not know what the results are of people's viewing our various endeavors.

Does anyone have a handle on this at all in any kind of definitive...or even a nebulous...way because I certainly have none?

I am just curious. It seems that with all of us, our energies, and our prayers something would happen. Of course, we might never know if it did. But I am just wondering.

Carol

[David Gillaspey]

Hi Carol,

This website

http://ied.gospelcom.net/video.php#christina

though not a church website per se, has a number of videos with testimonies of people coming to Christ through internet ministry.

Personally, I'd prefer to see someone getting connected to a local church as a result of the internet, and from there becoming a Christian (thus becoming associated with a body of Christians with which to grow in the knowledge of Christ and with which to serve Christ), rather than making a decision for Christ while online and then be unassociated with any local church.

Sincerely,

David Gillaspey
President
Great Church Website

[flutem3]

David wrote:

"Personally, I'd prefer to see someone getting connected to a local church as a result of the internet, and from there becoming a Christian (thus becoming associated with a body of Christians with which to grow in the knowledge of Christ and with which to serve Christ), rather than making a decision for Christ while online and then be unassociated with any local church."

Hi, David,

That is actually what the question is. I certainly didn't state it well. I am glad you picked up on that. I believe that a person needs, if at all possible, to be in community. When I have watched TV and see people say they make a decision for Christ, I wonder if there is any kind of follow-up with them as well. There really needs to be.

Thanks for clarifying my question. I appreciate it!!

Carol

[JackWolfgang]

Personally, I'd prefer to see someone getting connected to a local church as a result of the internet, and from there becoming a Christian (thus becoming associated with a body of Christians with which to grow in the knowledge of Christ and with which to serve Christ), rather than making a decision for Christ while online and then be unassociated with any local church.

I agree with David, but I think I maybe able to give a slightly different idea than what David had.

What if the website was evangelistic (run by a local church), and someone from outside the area came to Christ as a result of it. Then we could refer to a sister church in that area, and get the connection going that way.

[flutem3]

I agree with getting somebody hooked up with a church right away. Many people accept Christ...and then what. There need to be people to help the person find a church and nurture their spiritual needs as they grow as a Christian. We do start out as "baby Christians." I don't know of anyone who doesn't need guidance along that journey. I know I do. And I am probably not much different from most people...a little fatter, a little grayer, etc. but the basics are the same, I think. Or at least they are similar.

I wish there were a way to set up a web ministry that truly in some fashion invited someone who is seeking for something in his/her life. I think most of the time we scare the very people we want to help away. And we do it with the very symbolism which is so important to us.

I do not know the answer, but I am looking for it as well...or at least a tiny piece of the answer.

Carol

[mrbelfry]

We had a teenager come to our church in the UK that became interested in Christ by reading a teen devotional site in the US. She was in email correspondence with the guys that run it and they got in touch with me.

Somehow they knew our church was near where she lived (they looked at our site) and got us in touch with her. She came along to our church and became a Christian.

I whole heartedly agree that if someone becomes a christian through a web site they need to be hooked up to a local church asap. Every Christian who runs a website needs to be prepared to do that.

mrbelfry

[Faithhb_lutheran]

I agree the main focus of web ministry should be to initiate the conversation, even the big evangelism sites a lot of the conversion testimonials start with them meeting christians online and then going to some church event and then an altar call. So how do we build better bridges between web encounters and physical experiences?