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Reaching The Military On The Web!
By Dr. John Wagner
We live in a day and age of ever increasing technology. People are learning to use computers earlier and earlier. The technology explosion is here to stay! Someone once said "Knowledge is power." To assume ministry only occurs when people enter the doors of a church building or to intentionally remain ignorant of today's technology and communications media is to lose touch with modern reality.
We live in a time when many denominations would like to believe they can still control what their congregations are taught and tell members what they are to believe and experience. This is just wishful thinking!
With every creed and cult under the sun able to purchase air time on national and international radio and television, and practically everyone having radios and televisions in their homes, cars, places of business, and even their pockets, what people listen to and watch is not controllable by religious leaders.
Add to this the fact that every creed and cult can also publish newspapers, flyers, books, and pamphlets about their beliefs and practices it is also impossible to control what people read. With more and more people being able to read worldwide and interpret for themselves what enters their minds from the printed page, a person's beliefs are no longer controllable by the clergy from the pulpit.
Now enter the internet revolution. With a computer in almost every home the information adults, teens, and children, have access to is phenomenal! In the privacy of their own home people can research, in depth, any religious belief they want (or anything else for that matter)!
Internet Revolution!
Churches have done an excellent job of taking the message of Jesus Christ to the world through the printed page. Christian bookstores abound in every community in this country! For years they have also taken the message of Jesus Christ to the air waves on radio. They have been slower in taking the message to the televisions in people's homes, but to some extent there is some penetration of this media, although regrettably, mostly for the broadcast of church services and sermons.
Does your church have an interet presence?
But now, we must examine the "presence" of the church on the internet, and the message that is being presented to the world. How is it doing? Does the church have a presence on the internet? What does that presence say? What message is it conveying to the vast audience sitting in their homes?
Let me ask another question: Does the church have a "field of dreams mentality?" Let me explain. There was a movie that came out in the United States several years ago starring Kevin Costner called "A Field Of Dreams" where the actor built a baseball field on his farm in Iowa and thousands of people from all over came to watch some of the old greats in baseball come back from the dead to play a baseball game. Throughout the film the message was repeated over and over again, "If you build it they will come."
I believe, to a large extent, this is the attitude in the American church. Buidling bigger and bigger church buildings the thought was that the unchurched masses would flock to them! If the church provided the most comfortable pews, the most professional musicians, the most contemporary music, people would come and lives would be changed. We believed that 'if we built it they would come.' But alas, research indicates that dream to have been just that: a dream; they haven't come. But, even if the biggest churches in existence today were totally filled there would still be enormous masses of unchurched people around us! How will we get the message of Jesus Christ to them?
We have been given a medium through which we can go to where the unchurched masses live - right into their homes. Our church web sites can be viewed by people in the privacy of their dens, living rooms, or even their bedrooms. People in our own communities, in the next state, and even in other countries around the world can visit our web sites! And all of this is possible at minimal cost. But what message are people receiving if they should happen upon your church's web site?
A Global Outreach Ministry!
Are they receiving the "message" of the love of Jesus Christ or are they getting a beautiful advertisement for a building and times of services? Please don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with using the internet to advertize a church. But how would you answer the question "Now that I've been to your web site, and know the times of your services and the location of your building, why should I come back to your web site a second time?"
In the business world the three most important things are said to be: location, location, location. People who "surf the net" want information; some are searching for answers to life's most difficult questions. So on the internet I believe the three most important things are: content, content, content! Even within a church's community many who visit a church web site may never come to the church building, but might read or listen to what is taught on the web site. Then consider for a moment that people all over the world have instant access to your web site as soon as it is uploaded. It is doubtful that someone living in New Zealand would visit a church in Iowa or Berlin because they saw the times of services and location of your building on a web site; but they might be interested in what you have to "say" if you had it published on your web site.
Many people who surf the net are also wanting to interact with someone and the internet may be the only way they can. Chat rooms are always crowded with people exchanging ideas; often from different parts of the planet at the same time! Is the most important message in the world being withheld from them?
If you are interested in ministering to the military and are not publishing your sermons or articles, in a visually attractive format, on a web site, you are missing an opportunity to minister to people searching for the truth all over the world! People will interact with you through your articles' content.
In today's military almost every serviceman or woman has access to email. Many surf the web regularly. One way to reach the military in your community is to have a page or section of your web site specifically dedicated to them. You can include articles written with their specific needs in mind.
Reach the military on your web site
As you enter this ministry arena you might find a whole new internet congregation developing; a 'virtual' congregation of people who look to you for their spiritual nurture. They will be people you may never meet on this side of eternity, but who are nevertheless real and valuable to God! As this internet congregation develops you might connect them to other web sites to help them with issues they are facing if you are unable to help them. The ministry possibilities are almost endless!
This is a vital outreach medium waiting to be utilized to its fullest extent. One thing is for sure, if we don't use this avenue to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ there are those groups who are definitely willing to use it to spread the worst that mankind has to offer!
How will you answer the question of those who ask: "Why should I come back to your web site a second time?"
