Growing as Digital Disciples

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

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Content creation, engagement, and distribution are not limited to the official church brand and accounts. Make it a point to reach out to young people and let them know that their talents in this area are highly valued even if they are not part of the core team. Some people just need permission and a little mentorship to realize their talents and passion for personal ministry. Everyone has social influence through texting, messenger applications, email, and social media. Encourage and inspire them to use it to build God's kingdom.

The two primary roles in which digital disciples can serve are as engagers and distributors. For this reason, I have decided to unpack the role of digital disciples here in the guide, in-between these two sections of the digital discipleship and evangelism model.

The Bible tells us to become and make disciples. God calls us all to serve in unique ways. Ellen White encourages us to:

Let every worker in the Master’s vineyard, study, plan, devise methods, to reach the people where they are. We must do something out of the common course of things. We must arrest the attention. We must be deadly in earnest. We are on the very verge of times of trouble and perplexities that are scarcely dreamed of. – Ellen White, Letter 20, 1893

Identify people in your church who can be digital disciples, all on their own, as a means to further the mission of your church. This allows and empowers members to engage in ministry and discipleship in ways that aligns with their passion, spiritual gifts, tools of preference, and personal style. There is a spiritual void online because we are not doing enough individually as members or collectively as a Church. The mission field is wide open, it’s our duty to share the gospel through the tools available to us.

The Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ states, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). An easy and free way to reach the nations lies in the palms of our hands. When we hesitate to make the gospel message more available, we allow our own human weaknesses and fears to get in the way of our mission. How can we justify this resistance to boldly declaring our faith online? We live in an era of religious freedom with minimal persecution in North America (in contrast to what is happening in other parts of the world). However, the predominant perception among the Church body is that evangelism is an event run exclusively by a specific set of people.

In Exodus 4:2, God asks Moses “What is in your hand?” and tells him to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. To Moses, his staff is simply a tool for directing sheep, but with God’s direction, it becomes an instrument through which miracles are performed. If God spoke to each of us today, we would answer, “a phone,” a “laptop,” or an “iPad.” Most of us have a smart phone that can be used either for distraction or for positive impact. The responsibility of every disciple is to utilize every available resource for God so at the end of the age, when we face our Master, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!...” (Matthew 25:23). We must commit to work diligently online to share present truth, regardless of who we are and what our official role may be in the Church.

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Tips and Ideas for Individual Digital Disciples,
Adapted from growingfruitfuldisciples.com

• Share your faith through daily digital activities (texting, Instagram, group chats, Snapchat, Facebook posts, blogging, etc.).
• Invite your online community to join you in learning more about knowing, loving, and serving God.
• Be willing to humbly share the story of your life as a Christian. For example, share how you've felt God's presence even when you've made poor choices. Honestly tell how you deal with specific challenges with God's help. Explain what guides your choices. Describe the joy and comfort loving God gives you in today's troubled world.
• Pay attention to what your friends share with you directly and online. Listen with care. Follow up and see how they are doing. Respond to requests for help. Rejoice over their personal victories. Offer to pray with and for them. Record audio prayers and send them to the person throughout the week. Keep track of prayer requests, check back with the person for updates, offer ongoing encouragement, and celebrate God at work in their life. Assess and respond to their expressed needs. Remember, God has called us to serve without judgment.
• Go out of your way to include and uplift friends and followers who are shunned, ignored, or bullied online.
• Support your church's ministries with personal resources (time, talent, and finances). Offer to help with online content creation, updating the website, or funding a community outreach social media ad.
• Reflect the character of Christ in all your digital and in-person interactions with others. Being a disciple involves all of your life, including your life lived online.
• Pray for guidance to detect where God is calling you to serve. Support those with digital callings.
  
• Evaluate the culture of the platform through which you feel called to serve to more effectively reach people within your sphere of influence.
  

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Digital Discipleship Commitments

Grow God's kingdom by:

• Building networks for friendship, fellowship, and support through your digital influence
• Looking for physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs within your community
• Responding mercifully to the discovered needs in a relevant way
• Acting compassionately on behalf of people who are disadvantaged or at risk
• Praying for the Holy Spirit to prepare you to reach others for Christ
• Using your social influence to help tell the world the story of Jesus
• Being able to give a reason for your faith when asked
• Using your social influence to share the story of your personal relationship with Jesus
• Being willing to be humble and honest when sharing your personal spiritual journey
  
  

By living out our mission online and exemplifying the character of Christ, we can become social media ambassadors for the gospel, impacting not only our local communities, but the world.

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