As I was thinking about what to write for this first post, I was looking for inspiration given by Prof Sweet and I realized that the area of digital ministry could be interesting to explore. But, first things first, what even is Digital Ministry? I know that personally, I don’t even truly know what that means…. so here we go!
As you can probably figure out, Digital Ministry is how we can utilize technology to minister to others in a variety of different shapes and sizes. We know, as college students, how much we depend on our phones and computers for everything, from communication to classes. It makes sense then that we also have to figure out how we can minister to others and each other using this technology to which we are so connected. As I was reading through several articles that I found about digital ministry, I was struck by the various channels available through which to minister. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc. All of these provide different forms and opportunities for ministry depending on who you are looking to reach? A bible verse or relevant quote on a Instagram post will speak to people differently than sermon video on Youtube or a video on the origins of the early church.
Ultimately though, as Tony Watkins from Lausanne Media Engagement Network discussed, and what I would consider best, the way to minister digitally is to go about our lives, sharing how Christ is working in our lives and demonstrating in action how we live our lives as Christians. Social media offers an easy platform to do this. I would argue that Digital Ministry, especially through popular social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, is the future of how the church will reach the unchurched, especially those in our age bracket and other young millennials. This may seem obvious to us, but not all churches and organizations have truly realized this. An interesting question to explore further would be how we can help these churches and organizations build strong digital presences that speak to nonbelievers and draw them closer. Digital Ministry offers a unique but much needed opportunity to minister to others utilizing the vital technology in use today. Anyway, that’s just about all I have but I hope that was helpful to shed a little light on what Digital Ministry is and the important role that it can play. If you are interested in reading and learning more, check out some of the links I have posted below. I’m thinking about doing a mini series on Digital Ministry so I’ll be exploring current big influencers in the Digital Ministry sphere. Until then!
Lausanne Media Engagement Network: http://engagingmedia.info/introducing-digital-ministry-and-mission/
LenWilson: http://lenwilson.us/what-digital-ministry-means/
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