Cybermissions

1
Cybermissions

• The International Aspects of Internet
  EvangelismIEC Conference September 2005

2
Our Place In His-Story

• Matthew 2414 KJV And this gospel of the kingdom
  shall be preached in all the world for a witness
  unto all nations and then shall the end come.
• Habakkuk 214 KJV For the earth shall be filled
  with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as
  the waters cover the sea.
• Daniel 124 KJV But thou, O Daniel, shut up the
  words, and seal the book, even to the time of
  the end many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
  shall be increased.

3
A Witness Unto All Nations

• So far Internet Evangelism has tended to be
  mono-cultural, English language based and overly
  focused on Western post-modern youth.
• But it is a BIG world out there!
• 2/3 of the Internet is NOT English speaking!
• Broadband is still rare in developing countries.
• Leaders and older folk are often the main users
  of technology.
• We need to go a lot deeper than the Roman Road or
  KGP online we need to tackle entire
  non-Christian worldviews
• Yet the Internet has enormous potential for
  cross-cultural outreach

4
The Internet Advantage

• The Internet reaches
• Many people about 1 billion!
• In many nations simultaneously
• And can build community
• Reach a mass audience
• Or communicate just one-to-one securely
• Using text, graphics, ebooks, audio, video,
  email, conferencing, VOIP, forums, web pages,
  blogs.
• In a wide variety of languages
• And can be regionally or culturally targeted.

5
More Advantages

• No airfares needed
• No visas required
• Less health problems
• Greater personal safety
• Enters closed countries
• Reaches community leaders
• Works even when you are asleep
• Very cost effective
• Ideal for retired missionaries

6
The Possibilities

• Web evangelism
• Bible teaching
• Online seminaries
• Discipleship in discussion forums.
• Online counselling and mentoring.
• City-wide Christian web portals.
• Target a specific people group.
• Target a particular interest group
• Offer practical help such as how to purify
  water.
• Coordinate and connect Christians and
  non-Christians, teachers and students, problems
  and solutions

7
More Possibilities

• Safely witness to Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.
• Language and culture exposure.
• Build friendships before going to the field.
• Use websites to follow-up after crusades.
• Tightly coordinate the website with your other
  outreach efforts - build relationships offline
  and put the information online.
• Network widely scattered missions specialists.
• Raise up informed intercessors by using websites
  and email lists.

8
Cybermissions And The Asian Tsunami

• Online databases coordinated massive relief
  efforts.
• Millions of dollars were donated via websites.
• Theological questions about justice, tragedy and
  suffering were answered in blogs, web pages and
  emails.
• Short-term mission teams were pulled together
  using websites, emails and online recruitment
  tools.
• People and locations were prayed for on Internet
  prayer boards.
• The Internet made the Christian response to the
  tsunami far more timely and possible!
• Those who knew how to use the Internet best,
  responded best, when the crisis came.

9
Missiology Still Applies Online

• You still need to think missiologically when
  doing online ministry.
• You still need to learn the language and the
  culture and understand the worldview of the
  people.
• The idea is to assist the implementation of a
  good missionary strategy by using powerful
  technology.

10
More Than Just Changing The Packaging.

• Culture deeply affects how we present the gospel
  message
• We often have to rethink the whole box and dice,
  not just change a few cultural elements of
  packaging.
• Islam and the Incarnation
• Papua New Guinea demons and discipleship
• Different sticking points and problems
• Different spiritual needs guilt/shame, power,
  gnosis, self-transcendence, poverty
• The website has to not just be a Western gospel
  translated into another language.
• It has to be INCARNATED into the other culture

11
Planning For The Harvest

• Spiritual needs surveys
• Network with the indigenous church leaders
• Address world-view questions
• Do the lights go on?
• Adopt cultural forms
• Accept very, very different spiritual goals and
  ways of being a Christian and doing church.
• 80 on getting the content right, 20 on
  presentation and technical issues

12
Christ And Him Crucified

• The website should focus on Christ and Him
  crucified and not drag in extraneous cultural
  and political elements even as talking
  points.
• Most Christian websites that are hacked or
  blocked are not hacked because of the gospel -
  but because of spiritually irrelevant political
  commentary.
• Also be careful to be very modest and appropriate
  in using photos and other graphics.
• Its OK to be a Westerner online
• Its not Ok to ask others to adopt Western culture
  and values.

13
Thinking Strategically

• Who are you aiming to reach?
• What are they interested in?
• What do they feel they need?
• What sort of people do they want to meet online?
• What are their questions about God?
• What language do they use?
• What is their communication style?
• How can all these factors above be reflected in a
  well-designed and easy to use website?

14
More Questions..

• What security issues are there?
• What is their bandwidth?
• What is their level of technological
  understanding?
• How patient are they with technology?
• Are they group learners or individual learners?
• Are they oral learners requiring lots of audio
  and video online?
• How much time can you put in?

15
Meet A Pressing Need

• Start with the need then build the website.
• It is OK to have lots of different websites.
• E.G. Do your grass-roots national pastors need
  free theological training? Can they get to an
  icafe once a week and download what they need?
• Build a website to meet their basic training
  needs then follow up with occasional visits by
  trainers.

16
Use A Bridge Strategy

• Build a website around a strong cultural
  interest.
• Then connect to testimonies and gospel
  presentations.
• E.G. To reach Iraqis - History of Babylon
• To reach Indians What Ghandi Learned From
  Jesus

17
Tips On Strategy

• Language group / interest group is far more
  important than nationality.
• 2/3 of the Internet is non-English speaking.
• Learning style is of critical importance !
• Aim for the 2 who are most responsive to the
  Holy Spirit.
• Command a niche market for maximum impact.

18
But They Arent Online!

• But their community leaders are, and often at
  least one extended family member is!
• If you can reach one key person you can reach a
  whole community.
• This is known as the tunnel and blast strategy.
  Use the Internet to tunnel in and find one man
  of peace, then build a relationship, equip this
  person to win the community - and blast the
  gospel.
• Internet cafes also provide access for many
  people in developing nations.
• You are not just contacting a person, you are
  contacting that persons network.
• Use the Internet to connect with people who can
  connect you to still more people.

19
But It Wont Work Everywhere!

• The fact that you can't do something everywhere
  is no reason to stop trying it somewhere.
• Cybermissions works in the most surprising places
  e.g., Bhutan
• Cybermissions can work via both online strategies
  and through establishing Internet cafes and
  student centers.
• There is an enormous hunger for technology and
  free information in developing nations.

20
Places Where Cybermissions Might Be The Main
Strategy

• If the nation is difficult to reach by
  conventional missionary strategies.
• But they have enough Internet connectivity to see
  people saved and to start a church-planting
  movement.
• There are 43 nations where cybermissions could be
  used as the main outreach strategy Azerbaijan,
  Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei,
  Burma, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Georgia,
  India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan,
  Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia,
  Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Oman, Pakistan,
  Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan,
  Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey,
  Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,Vietnam,Yemen

21
Icafes - The Vision

• To establish a network of Internet cafes among
  UPG communities - as viable Christian businesses
  run by missionaries who have an entrepreneurial
  outlook.
• The icafes can offer Internet access, computer
  courses, distance education, coffee, purified
  water, business services etc.

22
The Community Internet Cafe

• 21 computers one for firewall, 20 for clients
• Computers are donated from USA, Hong Kong,
  Australia Pentium 2 3
• Located in UPG communities
• Also have a range of other services
• No games, no noise, Internet café to attract
  leaders, businessmen and students as clients.
• At 50c per hour, 50 occupancy, can earn 1,000
  a month net profit. (Third World missionaries are
  happy to live on 200 a month)

23
The Team

• At least an entrepreneur, a computer technician
  and a ministry expert. May also include a
  community development person.
• All team members must be mature Christian
  believers with a positive get it done attitude.
• Team elects leader.
• Being vulnerable to each others strengths.
• Share revenues of icafe as income to support
  their ministry.

24
Locations

• In or near a UPG community.
• Near school, college or business district.
• Preferably on the second-floor of a building with
  a security guard outside.
• Clean, cool, professional environment that will
  appeal to premier high-paying customers.
• Malls are an excellent location if the rent is
  reasonable.

25
The Process

• Select location
• Select team entrepreneur, computer tech,
  ministry expert
• Take team to 6 week training course
• Develop business plan and ministry plan
• Test and check team
• Sign franchise agreement reporting arrangements
• Set-up location phone, DSL, etc
• Receive computers
• Coaching period (6 months) solve problems,
  establish ministry
• Start a house church from icafe contacts.
• Attend annual icafe conference for upgrading and
  refreshing.

26
Internet Shortwave Synergies

• Shortwave radio can direct listeners to a
  website.
• The website provides instant feedback,
  counseling, follow-up materials etc.
• The website in turn helps build fan clubs and
  gives information on program times.
• Website can also play programs and MP3 files.

27
Internet Resourced House Churches And Cell
Churches

• Can use Internet to network house church
  leadership
• Provide training materials
• Stream a central service to cell groups
• Online giving
• Yonggi Cho Internet resourced cell groups are
  now his main church growth strategy.

28
Holistic Ministry Web Portal For Urban Slums

• 900 million people live in urban slums
• They are largely without basic social or
  government services.
• Only the church in the slums can help them but it
  does not know how to.
• Web portal water purification, basic health
  care, appropriate technology, ESL, urban
  hydroponics, small business skills.
• Theory, best practice examples, how-to
  practical examples, connections to resources.
• Community impact to lead to house church planting
  and evangelism.
• Free for urban pastors, elders and Christian
  workers.

29
Security Considerations

• More secure than the physical presence of a
  Western missionary.
• Use SE Linux, password-protected websites,
  anonymizer services.
• Avoid PGP and other obvious forms of encryption.
• Keep databases offline
• Dont put sensitive information online especially
  names, places etc.
• Dont leave emails lying around
• Lightsys.Org has a great manual on computer
  security for missionaries.

30
A Final Exhortation

• Isaiah 1427 HCSB The LORD of Hosts Himself has
  planned it therefore, who can stand in its way?
  It is His hand that is outstretched, so who can
  turn it back?
• God has planned the use of Internet Evangelism
  from long ago and stretched out His hand to
  bless it.
• We are at a critical period of world harvest when
  much needs to be done and yet many countries are
  closed to conventional means of preaching the
  gospel.
• God has raised up Internet Evangelism and
  Cybermissions as one way of meeting this need and
  is powerfully blessing it and making it
  effective.
• We need to understand the times and join what God
  is doing among the nations for His glory!