Digital Evangelism Issues

A questionnaire-based research study into social media evangelism by Christian Vision has just been published. CV’s Andrew Flynn comments, “It basically confirms that Christians are aware of the opportunity to evangelize online but need help in how to – but that they are already a lot more engaged relationally than perhaps we sometimes give credit for.”

View the results including a summary infographic.

This study highlights the need for training sessions – either as regional training days, or as church-based seminars.

In UK, regional training days are being held in various cities. If you are offering such training days in any country, we can add them here.

Ready-made curriculum?

There is also surely a need to create a ready-made social networking curriculum with downloadable materials, that any church or group could adapt and use for their own member training? If you are a church, what would you like such material to cover? If you are involved in social media training, how do you do it? Please add your comments here.

Learn more

Our page on church social networking sums up the potential.

Internet Toolbox for Churches is a remarkable growing resource to help churches understand and use social and digital media with outsiders in mind. Subscribe to the newsletter, listen to the podcasts, and follow Dave on Twitter: @ITDDave.

Helpful imagery for thinking outside the box

In the idiom of this 50-second video-clip, we need to escape the imaginary confines of the jar:

Another evangelism-related phone app has been released. This is a web app which you buy (for pennies – using Paypal ‘buy now’ button or bank card) and download from a website, rather from iTunes/Android Market. It operates in 40+ languages. If you have ever tried to figure out how to naturally start a spiritual conversation, or wondered how to engage your neighbors, friends, family and co-workers in practical, doable, and authentic ways that help them move towards the heart of Jesus, God’s GPS was designed for you. It is produced by Doug Pollock and team – Doug wrote God Space, which was a special book focus and free download for IE Day last year.

This app distills the experience that Doug shares in his books and seminars. Its purpose is to equip Christians to share faith appropriately and conversationally. It is not intended for non-yet-followers to download or look at (unlike the Talking About Jesus app). These principles apply both offline and online.

Get it here: GodsGPS.com

Check our other mobile phone resources.

In this short slideshow, Alvaro González-Alorda suggests that college teaching methods must change, in our new digital communication culture. Does this also apply to the way the church teaches stuff – at local church or college level? Add your thoughts using the Comments link below.

Just published – a new book by mediastrategist Dan Henrich: Evangelism in the Digital Age: Media Case Studies (Volume 1).

The book is a series of case study reports on various film, radio, web and mobile phone initiatives in Africa, S America and Asia in the last few years. And read a sample chapter in PDF format.

Digital media are hugely strategic for evangelism and discipleship in the Majority World, as well as the West. Our new ‘Digital Communication Culture’ is strongly audio-visual rather than print-based, and therefore resonates with oral cultures and those who are not necessarily functionally literate (or lack access to printed books). Furthermore, digital is a seamless robe, whereby video shorts, full-length film, radio, MP3s, ebooks and ebibles, comics, social networking and webpages, mobile phones, computers and media players all integrate with each other, to empower believers and engage with outsiders in amazing ways that have never before been possible.

Henrich’s experience on the ground – developing or enabling film and web initiatives for Asia – makes him an ideal compiler for this series of case studies. Such studies are vitally important, as they honestly analyze past effectiveness or problems, illustrate the potential of digital media, and implicitly envision future projects.

Who should read it?

Who should read this book? Any mission executive. Any missionary hoping to enhance outreach on the ground by leveraging these God-given tools. Anyone involved in film, radio, or animation, or considering training in these areas, who hopes to impact the
two-thirds world. National church pastors and leaders. Web and mobile phone strategists. Bible college students. Trainers. Funding agencies and donors. And more!

May this book catalyze many new media initiatives. Learn more.

It is available from Amazon US as a paperback, Amazon UK and all other Amazon national stores, plus Kindle version.

Dan’s project consultancy advice

Veteran media consultant Dan Henrich would like to offer a free consultation to any person or organization interested in using media more effectively. Using his 35 years of experience in Christian media, he can help you in both the beginning stages through analysis after you have done your project. Henrich has experience is in all areas of media from radio to social media.

“In my experience, media projects fall into one of the following stages,” says Henrich, and here is how I can help you think through your project and make it better.

“THE IDEA STAGE: In this formative stage, I can help you develop a more focused full-fledged media concept, helping you identify the target audience and how to reach the target audience.

THE SCRIPT STAGE: I can look at your existing script and give you some verbal ideas on how to make it better.

THE PRODUCTION STAGE: Helping you think through getting the ideas on videotape or in a website.

And, at the ANALYSIS STAGE: I can watch your video or look at an existing site and can talk through ways to analysis its effectiveness.”

Here’s how it would work.

You send Henrich an email at info (at) comresources.org explaining the project. He will read it and make an appointment to Skype. After about an about an hour talking this will hopefully help you focus on making a more effective media project that will bring glory to God. In the event if you want more of his time you can talk. However, this is a free consultation and there is no obligation.

You are very welcome to republish this review, or Dan’s consultancy offer, in any print or online missions-related newsletter

In this 18-min lecture, TED’s Chris Anderson explains the power of online video in learning and online communication. He suggests that video is a game-changer as significant as the invention of print. Throughout human history, most people have learned things visually, not through print. Video takes us back to that oral communication culture, while leveraging interaction and learning on an unprecedented scale.

The implications for the Kingdom are incredible, especially as a majority of people (even outside the West) will own a video-equipped mobile phone within five years.

Take time to explore the TED site. It offers short talks by some of the world’s most significant thinkers and innovators on a wide variety of subjects.

Making video

Making video is not as hard as you think. Check the highly-recommended book How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suckby Steve Stockman. “Like two years of film school in 248 pages.”

Churches can put introductory videos on the site homepage, as Coton Green Church has done. They did it in-house with their own people, at minimal cost. It’s well-made (perhaps just a few small tech issues), neither offputtingly slick and an advertising sales pitch, nor preachy. A masterclass in good communication.

While it is scarily true that we don’t often recognize our own faults, and “we judge ourselves by our intentions, and others by their actions”, it can also happen that we may not recognize our own talents either.

John Acuff suggests in his new blog post that The talent we have the hardest time recognizing is our own, and illustrates it with the video below:

Some of us can also suffer from Imposter Syndrome, or feel great discouragement at the very times when we are being creative or effective. Comparing ourselves to others is also a big problem: it has been said that “comparison is the cancer of identity.” You can help others escape discouragement by being an encourager: check our recent post Cleaning Toilets.

Latest Web Evangelism Bulletin

The latest issue is now online – if you are not subscribed, check it now.

Mobile communication becomes more significant and strategic by the month.

Learn more: sign up today for the 4-week Mobile Ministry Course. It requires 4-6 hours study a week, in your own home, at times that suit you. The first session of this course ran very successfully in October. The second session starts 10 January 2012.

Other learning options for mobile

• Free ebook: Insider’s Guide to Mobile.
• Read Mobile Advance Blog and Mobile Ministry Magazine.
• Follow the #mobmin hashtag – lots of great tweeted resources.
• Check our previous blog posts on mobiles.
• Watch the Mobile Advance video explaining the potential in the non-western world, from a mission viewpoint (also available to download as a 32Mb MP4 file):

Grab your free PDF copy of this key book on collaborating for the Kingdom.

Phill Butler’s highly recommended book is yours free as a PDF ebook.

Restored relationships are at the heart of the gospel. There is even relationship within the Godhead. And only through relationships can groups of Christians share the gospel (1 Cor. 12:12-31). Sadly, we are not always good at partnering across organizational or denominational boundaries. Yet there are many strategic outreaches which are only possible at a co-operative level. This is particularly true of digital ministry, where there is great potential to integrate web outreach, radio, literature, with follow-up mentoring and local churches. There are a growing number of networks for web ministry in different countries and regions. If you need to link with others in your particular field or interest, please write – we may be able help.

This book is born out of many years experience of helping missions, ministries, and churches to collaborate strategically. (Phil is the ministry leader of visionSynergy which exists to facilitate such collaboration.) He explains, with many case studies, the principles needed to unlock the potential of partnerships. There is really no other book that offers all these insights.

The list of commendations for this book from mission, church and ministry leaders reads like a Who’s Who of the evangelical world. It really is that good! Some organizations are buying the book in bulk for all their ministry leaders (see website for volume discounts). “It’s a must read,” says Bob Buford of Leadership Network.

Download this book, and a range of other free ebooks here.

Smartphones are proliferating fast, as prices come down. Why bother to buy one?

And how are people using them? Tatango have compiled data from Pew Internet research studies to produce this infographic. Check carefully for the missing activity. Yes, you’re ahead of me. Phoning people! Smartphones do so many things that voice calls reflect only a small element of total use. (Pew also offer trend charts on digital use.) Of course, text messaging is particularly age-related, as this infographic shows.

Source: Tatango Mass Text Messaging

Apps

• Amazon is giving away apps.
• Android phones need malware/antivirus protection.
• Google for the many lists of best Android apps, for instance TechRepublic’s page (check the comments and recommendations people have made at the end). The growing variety and usefulness of apps is amazing.

Training for mobile ministry

• Learn more about the opportunities for mobile ministry. The Mobile Ministry Training Course is a distance-learning 4-week introduction to the uses of mobile technology platforms for Christian ministry. It involves 4-6 hrs of home study time each week and starts on 17 October.
• Follow Mobile Ministry Magazine for insights, resources, and occasional local training sessions. Editor Antoine R J Wright is available for consultations, conference speaking and training sessions, and we have other speakers available for digital ministry topics too.

• Free ebook about mobile phones: The Insiders Guide to Mobile Phones.
• There are many ways to use mobile phones for evangelism and discipleship.

Mobile phones in Majority World

• Mobiles (even the cheapest ‘dumb’ and feature-phones) have transformed Africa and Asia in multiple ways, including health-care, distance-learning, money transfer, helping trade and development, and overall connectedness. Many mobile providers have linked with Facebook to offer free connection to Facebook on PAYG phones. For discipleship too, there are multiple opportunities. YouVersion bibles in many languages can be installed even on feature phones.

• Nokia is bidding for the Majority World market with a very cheap feature phone, the Nokia 101. It has space for two SIMcards, enabling the common practice saving money by phoning/texting friends on their own network (also a useful feature for Western tourists to use their own SIMcard plus a local one). Plus FM Radio, MP3 player, and supports 16Gb SD-card. Accesses the Web using Edge technology. 8.5 hours talk time (big advantage over smartphones). Torch. Separate profiles, so families can use as a shared phone. Screen uses icons, to help non-literate people. In India, will include ‘Nokia money’ for micro payments.

• Smartphone use is set to increase in Africa and China. And it’s largely Android.
• Mobiles have huge potential for the Majority World for evangelism and discipleship. Read the Mobile Advance blog for news and ideas and watch their video below, which explains the potential in the non-western world, from a mission viewpoint (also available to download as a 32Mb MP4 file):