Through digital technology, God has made it possible for literally any church or ministry to broadcast the gospel online day and night. Many are embracing the opportunities, a few including “interactive” and “on-demand” services.

As we continue to look forward at Christian communication, we’re exploring some of the issues related to building an Internet broadcasting platform for the gospel.

We’ve talked about “creating legacy” and “improving effectiveness.” In this segment we look at progress on the building site, opportunities for media workers, and the importance of prayer to the building project.

A call to build

I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land. (Ezekiel 22:30)

Churches are building. According to a 2008 Barna Group report “Use of Technology in Churches,” about 62% of Protestant churches have a website. 26% have some presence on social networking sites. 16% are podcasting (47% in churches attracting more than 250 adults). 13% have blog sites or pages where people can interact with church leaders.

Hundreds of churches are regularly broadcasting live video streams of their worship services, or other live events. The Leadership Network is keeping track of churches with an Internet campus. As of November 2009, the number stood at 48.

People are accessing content through the platform. In a 2005 Barna survey on Christian media, the Internet was the only mass medium that showed a growth in audience share during the past decade. The proportion of the population using the Internet for faith purposes has increased by two-thirds since 1998.

An enormous audience of roughly 45 million Americans are going digital to acquire church sermons and teaching content. In all, 23% of adults said they downloaded a church podcast in the past week, according to the 2008 Barna study.

Churches are reporting significant numbers of people joining Internet campus communities for regular live interaction.

A call for workers

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

Since 1940, traditional terrestrial Christian media has influenced tremendous multitudes for Christ. And since 1995, there has been straight-up growth in the number of people going online for spiritual content. So what’s the report?

It’s estimated that there are only about 2 billion Christians in the world, those that would say they’re Christian. That number doesn’t indicate how many are truly committed followers of Christ. The rest of the world’s population of 7 billion people are unsaved.

The mission is not complete. More workers are urgently needed.

I see opportunities for workers in two fields of labor. First, in church planting. Workers are needed to help establish a church within easy access of every person on earth. Second, in Internet gospel broadcasting. Pastors, church leaders and technology workers are needed to help make the gospel available online to every person on earth, until the churches are established.

The local church is God’s primary instrument to evangelize the world. Internet gospel broadcasting is God’s tool to help the church evangelize the world faster.

A call to prayer

I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will never be silent day or night.

Isaiah 62:6

Throughout the Old and New Testament God instructs His people to watch and pray. In Isaiah the call was for the people to take their places on the wall as watchmen. This wasn’t to be a one-time prayer meeting. It was to be a continual commitment.

What a breadth is given to the watchmen’s prayer:

• Prayer for protection from an enemy that will attack and disrupt any church that seeks to use technology for the gospel; double-down on its commitment to complete the Great Commission; and, work with others to accelerate the process.
• Prayer for God’s will regarding strategies, such as Internet broadcasting. The last thing you want to do is create a project of your own.
• Prayer that God would begin to surface the people, resources and technologies needed to accomplish His plans in your church.
• Prayer that doors will open for the gospel in your city and other nations through your Internet broadcasting efforts.
• Prayer that the glory of God will be seen among the nations.

Every church can be an Internet gospel broadcaster. It begins by ascending the wall to pray.

Questions: What is your church doing to determine what type of online presence it will have? What type of online initiatives have been undertaken in the last 12 months?