I’ve been spending some time over the past few days redesigning a denominational website (actually for a two-state district of a denomination), and I’ve found myself wondering how such a denominational site could be used to spread the gospel rather than just highlight programs and departments.

A denomination by its nature, it seems to me, tends to compartmentalize itself into different programs and departments: we have the youth department, the children’s department, the women’s department, the men’s department, the missions department, etc. But unbelievers are largely uninterested in the ways we categorize our various activities.

Is a denominational website doomed to being simply a description of its programs and activities which are largely designed for the benefit of believers, or are there ways in which denominational websites can be used to reach unbelievers as well?

I was doing some filing today (which I generally dread!) and came across this article on the power of storytelling on the web. While the direct application is for e-commerce, I think some of the principles the article discusses are important for churches and ministries to remember when they are seeking to win the lost via digital means.

DJ Chuang, who writes ForMinistry’s eQuip blog was kind enough to mention Strategic Digital Outreach today, so I’d like to return the favor!

The eQuip blog regularly features practical tips, examples, news, and more about doing ministry online. What I especially like is the wide variety of links which DJ shares, often sites I haven’t heard of or have never visited.

Pay DJ a visit online or subscribe to the eQuip blog’s XML Feed to be sure not to miss any of the valuable information he provides.

I do a lot of work with pay-per-click campaigns in my day job and perhaps tend to look at PPC ads more than the average web surfer. I was searching for some photos of the recent tsunami this morning and noticed this pay-per-click advertisement from World Vision:

Help Tidal Wave Victims. 9.0 quake strikes Asia. Help relief aid efforts now. More than 11,000 people were killed and tens of thousands left homeless after a tsunami hit the coasts of six Asian countries. Donate.
http://www.worldvision.org

I thought this was a very compelling use of the medium from a recognized charitable organization (which probably plays a large part in why I (and others undoubtedly) find it so compelling).

While it may not relate directly to online evangelism, I do think it combines some elements which are important in PPC advertising: relevance (current events) and credibility (well-known organization).

It would be interesting to find out how many churches and ministries are using PPC advertising and what level of effectiveness they are seeing.

By the way, if you would like to donate, you can do so here.

I am very interested in storytelling as a method of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. I suppose that is true because I have sensed the power there is when people tell their own stories - of their life experiences, interests, etc., often intertwined with elements of their faith journey. Unlike our traditional evangelistic efforts (tracts, surveys, crusades, etc.), these tidbits of how their faith has impacted their experiences don’t seem forced or manipulative to me.

And so I was intrigued this morning by a quote I read on the Wanderer of the North blog from Anthony de Mello’s book One Minute Wisdom (I actually found this more complete quote at Patti’s Favorite Storytelling Quotes, but I started with Wanderer of the North):

The master gave his teaching in parables and stories, which his disciples listended to with pleasure - and occasional frustration, for they longed for something deeper. The master was unmoved. To all their objections he would say, You have yet to understand that the shortest distance between a human being and the Truth is a story.

Yahoo launched a beta version of a new video search engine yesterday.

John Battelle commented today on the potential importance of Yahoo’s foray into video distribution:

Yahoo is using its power as a major distribution player to feed what it hopes will be a major play in video distribution. It may not seem like a big deal now, but as the web increasingly becomes a native environment for video, it will may well prove to be one of the most forward looking things the company has done this year.

I think this has some potential application for web evangelism, and I’d like to offer some initial thoughts. 

Jon Trainer, pastor of New Hope Bible Church in Albany, Ohio, wrote in his blog recently about the influence their church website is having on their community:

Every visitor we have had in our church lately has either found us on the web, or visited the website before they visited the church.  This is an incredible ministry tool that acts as a natural magnet or filter (as the case may be) for our congregation.

I love what Pastor Trainer says about the website being a magnet for visitors. An effective church website will draw unbelievers to your community of believers. If your church website doesn’t do that, it’s not as effective as it could be. See our white paper on effective church websites for a thought-provoking discussion on what the purpose of a church website should be. To quote a famous person, “You may not agree with me, but at least you know where I stand!”

I’d be very interested in hearing from other churches who have experienced the same visitor interest in their websites. Feel free to leave a comment if that’s you!

On the way home from work yesterday, I was listening to a news item about a high school senior who had sent a letter to every student in his high school, presenting the simple message of the gospel to almost 3,000 of his classmates at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was fascinated by the story and reminded myself to visit the website that this high school senior had developed, A Letter To My Friends.

I actually forgot about the website until today. When I visited, I was thoroughly impressed, not only by the courage and boldness of the three friends who had sent the letter (the radio program I listened to either did not mention the other two students or I was not listening well!), but by the strategy which is reflected in their approach.

Here’s what I found at the website (and after reading a .pdf copy of the letter at that website):

1. The three students sent their letter to their nearly 3,000 classmates.
2. The letter, which can be read here, invites recipients to contact them directly - by phone, by email, or by instant messaging.
3. The letter goes on to say that if people don’t feel comfortable contacting them directly, they can still visit the website
4. Upon arriving at the website, it is clear that the site’s primary thrust is an invitation for site visitors to come and investigate Christian community (in the form of their youth group).
5. Even the website’s “How To Become A Christian” page invites those who want to make a decision for Christ to contact the three friends for help in making the decision.
6. The answers to various questions which appear on the “Got Questions?” page invite people to contact them for more help, offering Josh McDowell’s More Than A Carpenter and a Bible for free.

I am thoroughly impressed. The aspect of all this that causes my heart to leap is that they are using media (first their letter and then their website) to invite people to enter into personal relationships with them and then experience authentic Christian community by meeting their circle of Christian friends.

If you’ve read the articles I’ve posted here since recently launching this site, you know that I am a proponent of using modern-day technology to introduce unbelievers to authentic Christian community (John 17:21-23).

Eric Bast, Nick Wall, and Meredith Christopfel have given us all a great example of this strategy.

Wayne Hurlbert at Blog Business World posted an interesting article yesterday about gaining blog readership through writing articles which reflect your passion. Here’s a brief excerpt:

What really enhances the sweep and scope of most political blog writers is their passion. Whether writing posts in support, or diametrically opposed in every conceivable way, to various politicians and their political parties, what is displayed is genuine conviction....Business blogs, legal blogs, technical blogs, writers blogs, sports blogs, and personal blogs often display those important characteristics as well. By doing so, the blogs become must reads....The blogger who cares deeply about his or her subject matter, will also show passion for the topics, in their writing. The feelings flow out of the computer monitor, and affect the reader in countless ways.

I think that’s an important thing to keep in mind if you’re wanting to start a niche site which uses the bridge strategy to engage unbelievers in conversation. Choose a topic about which you are passionate, and you will find yourself writing more frequently and in a more engaging style. This can only serve to bring more people to your site as you get a reputation for having fresh, opinionated content.

I’m generally not one to talk about how the Lord spoke to me or told me to do this or that. I tend to believe that He speaks to us through the Scriptures, through giving us godly wisdom, etc. But there have been a few times in my Christian life when I can say that He gave me special insight into a question I was facing. He didn’t speak to me in an audible voice, but more often than not, he brought what seemed to be disparate circumstances or disparate thoughts together in my mind and heart in such a way that new insight was gained.

I say that because something like this happened to me a few days in regard to internet evangelism.

Rob Williams is blogging today about the wisdom of using particular interests unbelievers might have (guitars, baseball, gardening, etc.) to develop relationships with them and provide platforms for talking about Jesus. This is at the heart of a very effective strategy for web evangelism, developing websites dedicated to those interests, promoting them, and then engaging site visitors in conversations that lead to discussions about the gospel.