This is going to require hundreds of hours of conversation, and a seismic shift in how we ministers do what we do. The internet as a mission field instead of a place to park content. Wow.
I appreciate this so much. For a long time the Christian community has been guilty of making really bad movies. I think because we are not respecting the medium that we are using. As a former overseas missionary, I think your ideas on digital missions are spot on. Particularly for youth pastors (as I am) we need to be inspired and challenged to be creatives as much as we are mentors.
💯 - just as Martin Luther led the charge of putting the Bible in the hands of Christ followers, I know with every fiber of my being that the church needs to equip believers to share Jesus digitally.
Thanks, Mehn I'm here in Lagos, Nigeria. I lead teens' ministry and also part of a campus ministry. I am passionate about tech and stuff, but now I don't know how to make social media stuff... SOS guys, help needed to create short engaging spiritual content
Absolutely brilliant man...this is what the church needs..thanks so much for your thoughts, you’ve just put so well...why haven’t you had more views & subs..keep up the great work bro. SteveO from Uk
Very good points you raised up, especially 'Digital Missionaries' - I definitely see God raising them up.. Its like mission in the marketplace, the subcultures, the digital spaces. So good! Its akin to pouring new wine into new wine-skins. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I have some swirling in my mind as well.. We acknowledge that God is doing a new thing, and He's shaking whatever that can be shaken. And so, there's also a tension between allowing God to shake what is shakable in the church, and creatively communicating the gospel in this time. Its almost like a paradox. We know that there will be a great falling away one day, yet, God is consistently giving His church creative ways to share Jesus. More than ever, the church needs to pray and ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation that transcends cultures, subcultures, time and space.
Muchas gracias por compartirnos esa realidad. Yo mismo lo noté y supe que tengo que hacer algo totalmente fuera de mi molde. Me gustó el comentario en el que comparaste la comunidad online con el campo misionero - hay que conocer el contexto. Cómo conectarnos con las diferentes sub-culturas y hablar con ellos en el lenguaje que ellos entienden eso va a ser nuestra misión. Equipar a otros que vienen de esa cultura o ayudarles a que ellos lo hagan como individuos - wow. De nuevo; mil gracias.
I think the key is not watering down or misrepresenting the message while reaching to a new mission field. This is the same principle that missionaries had to work through in a new mission field: stick to the fundamentals of Biblical Truth (not the cultural legalism of their origin culture), but strongly hold those Biblical Truths. A lot of times, the Message will not be popular because it doesn't fit the narrative of what the world *wants* to hear. We need to be steadfast in remaining grounded in the Message they *need* to hear instead.... That's what I fear: that the churches that are the "popular" ones in the age of online media, are ones that are essentially heretic in one way or another, that appeal to what people *want* and not what people *need*. Not retracting from anything you said (we are on the same page, I'm pretty sure) but just make reaffirm: we are to preach and disciple the true Gospel, which not something that will naturally become popular, even in the best, most modern, most contextual form. Our goal is to help people see the glory of the Almighty God, who is Worthy of our praise, not revel in their own glory and worth. Blessings, brother! o/