Web-Based Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

“The only constant is change.” This axiom has been attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, though it is likely a variation on his much simpler yet equally perceptive observation, “Everything changes.”₁ The point is clear – we live in a world that is always changing. John F. Kennedy said much the same thing in a speech on June 25, 1963 at the Assembly Hall (Paulskirche) in Frankfurt, Germany. He affirmed, “Change is the law of life. And those who look to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”₂

Kennedy’s remark is wonderfully astute. There is nothing wrong with fondly remembering the past and certainly we must live in the present, however, if we do not prepare for the future, we will find ourselves left behind. The 21st century is not the same as the 20th century was. You can find a myriad of articles online highlighting how things have changed in the last 100 years, 50 years, even 20 years. Every aspect of life has had some degree of change, and many of those changes relate in some way to technology, and in particular, the internet.

How people seek and access information has changed drastically in the past 20 years. Phone books and yellow pages have been replaced by the internet. A Forbes article from April 2018 focused on the importance of the internet to small businesses observed “…97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses…”₃ That is significant for the tailors, hairdressers, travel agents, plumbers, general contractors and such in our communities. However, the impact of online searches by consumers is not limited to the business world. People are searching the internet for information to better themselves. They are looking for exercises, recipes, and advice on various health-related issues, but folks are also searching for spiritual matters on the internet. There are seekers in your community now who are looking for answers to their Bible questions. Some are even searching the internet to find a place to worship. If we (the church) do not have an online presence they will not find us.

Not long ago, having an online presence simply meant you had a web site. Now it means so much more than that. There are a variety of access points available for churches to make information available to potential contacts, and many of them are free! This is by no means an extensive list, but here are several ways local churches should connect with seekers online:

Web site: Every local church needs to have a web site. The main page should have essentials like where the congregation meets, service times and ways for the seeker to contact you. If the church has a bulletin, make the articles available on the site. Other useful things to include would be information about upcoming events (gospel meetings, VBS, etc), an archive of sermons or studies, and links to social media profiles (Facebook, YouTube, etc). Years ago, unless you knew HTML coding, you would have to spend a lot of money on a web designer to have a professional-looking site. That is no longer the case. If someone in the congregation is mildly computer savvy, they should be able to easily maintain a page using WordPress, CongreGATE or some similar platform. With the prevalence of smartphone usage today, it is essential for the church to have a mobile-enabled site.
Facebook: According to Pew Research Center₄ almost 70% of Americans use Facebook. If 7 out of every 10 people in your community are on Facebook, then the church should be there too. For Facebook to generate contacts, it is key to create a following. This can be done by having members “like” the congregation’s Facebook page and share content that is posted. Also, you can create ads and “boost” posts on Facebook to reach out to the community; again, creating a following for the page and hopefully opening the door for studies with contacts.
YouTube: The same Pews Research Center article indicates 73% of US adults use YouTube. Almost 3 of every 4 of your neighbours are watching videos on YouTube. Are they watching YouTube videos made available by the local church? If the church is video recording sermons, YouTube is a great place to share such with the world (and it’s free). In fact, you are able to live stream the services of the church with YouTube (which can be profitable for those who are sick or shut-in from among our number). Lessons can be archived in playlists and made searchable. In an age where most people want to check things out before they would consider showing up, YouTube offers a unique opportunity to do so. Similar to the Facebook page, people can become followers of a YouTube channel, which hopefully gives the opportunity to eventually meet them and study with them in person.
Meetup.com: Meetup is a great platform for connecting with people. There are a variety of social groups to bring people together. You can gather with others in your area who share the same interests (exercising, movies, games, spelunking, etc.). The church can use meetup.com to schedule and host community Bible studies. To be a Meetup host, you need a paid account ($98.94 USD every 6 months). We’ve had good results using Meetup where I preach. A helpful hint – use a descriptive name for your Meetup group (ie. Kingston Bible Study). Meetup does an exceptional job with placement in Google searches!
Google.com: Speaking about Google, have you claimed your Google My Business listing? Do a search for the local church on Google and look to the right side of the page. There will be a link to “claim this business.” Once you have claimed the listing, you can create posts, add photos and information, encourage others to write reviews and link the listing to the church’s web site. And best of all, it’s free.

A few final things…

Appearance is important. Whatever the platform, pay attention to aesthetics. We clean the meeting place, mow the grass, paint both the exterior and interior – we understand the importance of appearance. The same is true for our online presence.
Keep things up to date. Have relevant and current content. Inform folks of upcoming events on every online medium possible. Posting title page images for upcoming PowerPoint sermons or compelling graphics are useful to capture attention and hopefully cultivate contacts.
Like, share, review. Members should “like,” “follow,” “join,” or whatever the unique manner of membership is in each online platform. This is how sites, pages, profiles and channels grow. Be connected and then be active. Share. Comment. Encourage members to take an active role in the church’s online activities. As they do so, their family, friends, co-workers, neighbours and others will regularly be encouraged to check out the Lord’s church. Have members write reviews. Reviews will help visitors to the church’s social media sites to learn about and hopefully encourage interest in the local church.

Doubtless there could be much more said about web-based evangelism, but we will allow the above to suffice for now.

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1 Heraclitus
2 Kennedy
3 Forbes
4 Pew Research Center

20.01.07 | GROW magazine