With more than 1.7 billion Internet users in the world today, mission opportunities are opening up – online.
In observance of Internet Evangelism Day on Sunday, April 25, technology ministry Global Media Outreach (GMO) will host an online seminar to share the tremendous impact of the Internet and its potential for online missions outreach.
Michelle Diedrich, Global Media Outreach Communications Director, will host the Webinar from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
Webinar attendees will learn:
1. How people use the Internet today to get spiritual help
2. What churches are doing to engage people online
3. Usable tools to share the Gospel online
4. How churches can begin an online missions program
The goal of the Webinar is to help individuals participate in not only Internet Evangelism Day, but to learn how to use the Internet to share the Gospel year-round. By providing articles and Gospel widgets for blogs, Facebook pages or other social networking sites, GMO’s available resources can help one independently share the Gospel online, as well as introduce an online missions program to one’s church.
Special guest, Rob Jackson, Senior Pastor Forestville Baptist
Rob Jackson, Senior Pastor of Foresville Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C. will be on hand to talk about his church’s experience with online missions. Forestville has been partnering with GMO in its GMO Always Ready program since 2008.
“We are a very mission-minded church,” said Jackson. “This program has continued to cause us to expand our vision and excitement for the privilege of answering the Great Commission. The GMO Always Ready program only takes a little time and a computer and can even be done from your living room chair. My seven-year-old daughter sits on my lap and gets a burden and a passion for the world as we pray together over these requests.”
About 70 people from Forestville Baptist Church’s congregation of 1,050 are serving as online missionaries.
“While evangelizing can intimidate some people, there’s not a lot of fear that comes with being an online missionary,” Jackson said. “Volunteers may talk with people dealing with real-life issues, but GMO provides resources for how to answer tough questions. This builds the confidence of our volunteers and allows them to share their faith more openly in their community. About 60 to 80 people a week go out from our church now to share the Gospel with visitors, and I attribute part of the continued expansion of this vision at our church directly to the participation in the GMO Always Ready program.”
Global Media Outreach
Through one of GMO’s 102 Web sites, such as www.GMOReachtheWorld.com, GMO freely offers a wide range of information available for Christians and churches to share Jesus online. GMO also ensures that seekers get a personal response from their trained responder base – online missionaries – who answer e-mails coming from one of these sites.
You can learn more about how to open the door to people seeking Jesus at www.OpentheDoorGMO.com.
From seeking to shepherding to connecting, as millions search for spiritual help online, GMO online missionaries meet them at their point of need. The GMO vision is to provide every person on earth multiple opportunities to accept Jesus, build them in their faith and connect them to Christian churches.
These cost-effective online strategies provide ways for individuals to connect with people from all over the world as they seek to learn more about Christ, while churches can more readily embrace online missions programs.
Since its inception in 2004, GMO has seen the number of people indicating a decision for Christ grow from 21,066 people annually to more than 10 million people in 2009, while more than 4,200 Christians have become online missionaries.
Teaming up with GMO is one the most exciting things I have ever been a part of in my 26 years of Christian media ministry. It would be great if you could participate in the Webinar. Let me know if you’re already registered. I’d love to get your thoughts and ideas about online missions after the meeting.
If you would like to attend, leave a comment or email me and I’ll make sure you get registration info.