You’re on your way to becoming a digital missionary!

This is the final post in a four-part series where we aimed to break down online evangelism. 

Now that you’ve gone through what online evangelism is, its importance, and the role each individual can play, learn what you can do today to get involved.

Be intentional about using your time, energy, and gadgets for soul-winning. Consider the gifts, talents, and resources God gave you and then choose a project. Learn how to start one here.

Here are 10 personal digital mission projects you can start today:

1. Write a blog
2. Start a YouTube channel
3. Create stunning visuals sharing the Gospel (for social media)
4. Launch a podcast
5. Start an online Bible study group over Zoom
6. Create audio devotionals for WhatsApp
7. Reach out to friends on social media with encouraging notes
8. Produce devotional videos
9. Start an email list
10. Build a ministry website
    
    

There are many resources to help you get started on any of these platforms. Click here to learn more about how to get involved. 

You can support a digital missionary financially through their Patreon accounts or ask them how you can help their ministry.

Supporting is not limited to financial contributions.

Encourage digital missionaries with your prayers and words of encouragements. Those go a long way in helping to fight daily trials.
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If a digital missionary makes a mistake, there are Christ-like ways to deal with the matter instead of condemning criticisms. Also, engaging and sharing a digital missionary’s content helps tremendously.

We continue our overview of digital evangelism. If you haven’t already, read part one about the keywords in online evangelism.

Also, read part two where we cover the three main reasons why digital evangelism is very important.
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In part three, we review the role that each person and institution play in advancing the mission of online evangelism.

No doubt, digital evangelism (or digital discipleship) calls for the development of many skills such as writing, editing, design, and creativity. Though certain aptitudes help tremendously with creating content for people online, one may master these skills yet lack power.

We must never underestimate the need for the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit, the biggest budget and most detailed strategy will not work in saving souls. A video may be perfectly edited and a blog post may be meticulously written, but without divine power, souls cannot be won.

Our skills, experience, or ads will not convert hearts.

But Jesus promised to give power to His workers when they are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
Digital Missionaries must spend more time in prayer asking God for power to bring in a harvest. The Word of God must be constantly consumed. The content we create must flow from the Truth of His Word.

Leaders must, with all diligence, encourage their members to take up their own portion of the Gospel work and do it with the power provided through the Holy Spirit.

If our leaders and pastors show an interest in the mission work being done online, their congregations will also follow suit.

Pastors, you could reach thousands more if you incorporated digital evangelism into your ministry.

Record your sermons and make them available online.

Encourage your department heads to create content that can be published on the web. Ensure that your communication department receives the budget to properly advertise the church’s services and events online.

Create online evangelism training opportunities for members. Make certain that your church has an effective online presence. Your church does not need to be active on all platforms. Choose one and effectively invest resources into that platform until the Spirit opens the way for you to expand your online reach.

By so doing, a church of 100 can grow to include thousands of online members who may not have access to a local Adventist church.
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Use every opportunity to motivate your church members to use their devices for a greater purpose. If training is needed, there are workshops, webinars, and online resources available to churches and leaders.

​Church members are disciples of Jesus. Disciples are continuously on the move, following Christ and calling other people to live as He did. They are actively engaged in or supporting mission work.

The online world is languishing because we are not doing enough individually as members and collectively as a church. You and I will be held responsible for not using every means necessary to share the Gospel with our relatives, neighbors, and friends.

Members must move on from the erroneous belief that evangelism is an event that is organized by specific individuals in the church. Evangelism is like a living portrait; every member of the local church must intentionally work in his colors so that each church can show a beautiful depiction of the Gospel.

As a member of the body of Christ, the Lord blessed you with an exceptionally precious truth for this time. With a sense of urgency, make decided steps today to be more diligent in online work.
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Read part 4, where we explore practical steps you can take today to be a part of online evangelism.

Previous posts in this series:

• Breaking Down Online Evangelism (Part 1)​​
• Breaking Down Online Evangelism (Part 2) - Why Digital Evangelism is Needed and Why Are We Behind?

I haven't talked about this at all in the two years since I started working with churches to help them tell their stories in the community better. For a long time it didn't even occur to me to talk about it and why would I? We don't tell stories because they raise money, we tell stories because they are fundamental to our existence as humans and we're able to connect people to God in ways that spitting information at them will never accomplish.

But the fact is, stories raise money. A lot of money. And serving our community takes money, so we shouldn't be ashamed to fund-raise for God's kingdom.

Did you know there are national conferences for non-profits that exist solely to help them tell better stories to raise money? Ask any development/fundraising professional what they do and they'll tell you "I tell stories." 

Yet often in the church we ask for money in other ways that make people feel guilty or reluctant. In today's culture, people don't give to numbers, knowledge, or information. They give to stories.

Consider the following two appeals:

Story #1: "Our church has seen a 3.5% increase in attendance over the last 3 months, which has led to 13 individuals requesting Bible studies and 6 baptisms! When you return your tithes and offerings, make sure to remember our Small Group ministry which provides funds for materials, refreshments, and other expenses!" 

Story #2:  "Jon and Cheryl are one of the many new folks who have started attending our church recently. Just a few months ago they never thought they'd be in a church. They were overworked, underpaid, and working through a medical complication Jon suffered last year, which has left them in a financial deficit. They say it's because of the Bible studies their friends Chris and Natasha invited them to that got them wondering what more their lives could be. They realized there had been a depth missing in their lives that has now been filled by Christ, which led them to be baptized! But none of that would have happened without our Small Group ministry which allows the space for lives to be transformed like Jon and Cheryl. We need your help to make sure it continues flourishing!"

If you're like most people, you connected with Story #2 because it conveyed more than just numbers. In fact, people tend to give more to of a single story than to a data report of positive outcomes for larger numbers.

Check out the following fundraising video for a church in Brooklyn, NY. They not only straight-up ask you to donate, but go one step further and ask for each person to create their own campaign. But it doesn't feel pushy or harsh because you feel like you're a part of this movement, this mission the church is accomplishing in their community. And it's because it is framed within the church's story.

So yes, ask for money, but do it by telling stories. You may just find that you have to stop asking for money altogether!

This article was originally posted on The Media Story.

We learned from the tithe-studies done in our region that many people don't really choose not to return tithe or give offerings. They just don't get around to it or don't have the money with them when they get to church. We realized that we needed to develop a website and a mobile giving app that addressed how people were managing their finances today.

We've been rolling out the online and mobile options over the last three years. In the first year, we had about two million dollars in tithe coming in from that source, but now, we're reaching almost two million dollars per month! We think that a lot of that increase has to do with being able to access the e-giving website and app. When we looked at the reports, the internet site usage goes up on the days that most people get paid, and on the offering side, i.e. the mobile app, the usage spike occurs during the Sabbath worship service time. It has become part of their worship.

Since younger people and even older ones don't go around carrying cash anymore, we definitely need to engage our younger generation in this way, otherwise it's going to prevent them from giving. Stewardship is about planning ahead!

We are in consultation with a few other divisions in this regard. The app has more than recovered the cost of its development. We are grateful for the vision and dedication of our IT people, and our administrators' support of the project.

Watch an interview with the author>>

This article originally appeared in the October-December 2016 issue of Dynamic Steward.

eGiving app on iTunes