Reimaging the Great Commission
Almost every week, we ask ourselves this question: How should we do discipleship in the present day? What is the best way to nourish God’s sheep? In an environment where everything has to be fabulously grotesque, extravagantly diverse, intensely scary, or extremely marginal, what should 21st-century discipleship look like? All of us have our conceptualizations of the good old days and the “old-time religion” of the past. At the same time, we must be mindful that societal norms are changing all the time, and as they shift, so do the needs and expectations of those who are hungry for a word of hope.
Not only are God’s people hungry, but they are also curious about how to survive when things are topsy turvy. As disciples, we must be in a position to provide new answers to old questions – all based on the word of God. That might involve looking at the world through new lenses. For these reasons, modern-day disciples continually discern new ways to reach out boldly to those in need of hope.
Cyber Outreach
Cyber Outreach: How to Develop and Evaluate Your Digital Ministries is a “how-to” text for anyone who is just starting to explore the use of technology for discipleship, worship, outreach, and other forms of service. All of the approaches we mention are simple and inexpensive to implement. The book is written at a basic level. Throughout the text, we will help you find answers to several questions:
• How do we redefine “church” in an era of physical isolation?
• How do we build a sacred community when we are distanced from each other?
• What is the purpose of Christian outreach?
• How do we care for each other spiritually while sheltering in place?
• How do we know if we are doing a good job?
The overall purpose of this book is to provide guidance to small, cyber churches and other digital outreach initiatives that are trying to continue their ministries with limited financial resources. Our intended audience includes pastors, ministerial leaders, media coordinators, seminarians and lay people who are drawn to new ways of reaching out to audiences hungry for inspiration and hope by meeting the people where they are to be found. Those involved in digital outreach might use approaches described in this book to expand their current programs. Succinctly, this book will appeal to anyone who wishes to know more about spreading the gospel in the 21st century using the strengths and resources of the Internet.
Unique Contribution of this Book
Cyber Outreach: How to Develop and Evaluate Your Digital Ministries is a book that stands alone. No past or present text on the subject draws extensively on research, real-life examples, and organizational principles to raise awareness about the changing nature of Christian outreach in the present day. This resource provides practical explanations and definitions to help would-be leaders deploy cyberspace solutions and social media to spread the gospel among people who may have shied away from the church in recent years.