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Why Web Ministry?
By Chuck Russell
 Do you remember the first time you used the Internet? How about email? I recall my first experience with email. It occurred in 1995, my senior year at Texas Tech University. I bumped into a friend walking across campus and we began chatting. He told me he was on his way to send a message to his girlfriend who was studying abroad in France. He explained that there was this “new machine” that would allow him to type a message, hit send and she would receive it THE NEXT DAY! The first thing I asked was, “how much does it cost?” Nothing, he said, and I was stunned.
Of course between now and then the Information Revolution has transformed our society. We are well aware of the radical new way we do almost everything in our lives. How did we book flights, buy books, sell our old stuff, or communicate with friends before the likes of Expedia, Amazon, E-bay, and instant messaging. In the wake of this revolution many institutions were destroyed or radically altered. Others were created and emerged as the major players in the shaping of the digital future.
The question for us, of course, is how the church is going to interact with this cultural sea change. How should the church move forward in the digital age to continue its apostolic calling to go and make disciples.
The vast majority of the church has consistently been willing to adopt the use of basic Utilities in service of the kingdom. Few churches operate without electricity, running water, air conditioning, heating, or any of the other “modern conveniences” of our daily lives. In this millennium, a web ministry presence is a utility as essential as any of these. Our pastors preach from pulpits, our choirs sing from lofts, and our music flows from pianos, organs, guitars, and drums. Today the Internet is joining these ministry tools as a vital element of congregational life. For a substantial and growing segment of today’s population, a church with no web presence is a church that does not exist.
It is absolutely true that the Internet should never replace the gathering of the saints we call the church. The incarnation bears testimony to God’s commitment to ministering through a face-to-face encounter with his people. Likewise the glow of a monitor can never adequately compensate for the warmth of a caring smile, the hugs of an elderly matriarch, or the power of communal worship. Life is infinitely more real than 1’s and 0’s can convey.
Having said this, there are a number of reasons why it is crucial that individual churches adopt a strategic approach to utilizing the web for the sake of the kingdom.
The Internet can significantly assist the historic work of the church in its efforts to reach out to non-Christians and bring them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
It can be used as a tool of discipleship, helping to shape the spiritual development of believers through the delivery of devotionals, sermons, newsletters, writings, and a host of other innovative initiatives.
The web has the potential to assist the development of community between weekend services by facilitating mid week interaction through the use of discussion boards, chat rooms, and instant messaging.
The web can be used to streamline administrative tasks as well as a communication medium for the strengthening of leadership structures.
The web has the ability to shape and extend a churches sense of calling to the world including extending it in mission, service, and social witness.
These are only a few of the ways the web can add value to the work of the local church. In truth, there is almost no area of the Christian life that cannot be assisted by the communicative power of the Internet. It is crucial as we go forward that we analyze and articulate the benefits of this medium so that the Gospel moves forward, and the Kingdom grows.
This article was reprinted with permission from the United Methodist Church, www.umc.org
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