The Digital Age is Upon Us

The Digital Age is upon us. In the span of less than three decades, we have redefined the way humans communicate, entertain, inform, research, create, and connect – and what we know now is only a hint of what is to come. But the greatest concern of the church is not a technological imperative, but a Gospel imperative.

By now, just about every church, corporation, business, school or organization has a presence on the Internet. If not, realize that you just do not exist, so far as untold millions of people are concerned.

Make certain that visitors can find you and your organization. If search engines do not know you exist, only those who already know your Internet address can find you. That is not a growth strategy.

[We] should be taking advantage of blogs, social media, and every available platform for communicating our message. We should be exercising stewardship in new opportunities to learn, teach, and study online, recognizing that no generation before us had such rich opportunities.

But our imperative to fulfill Christian leadership in the digital world is not technological. We should not use this technology simply because it is there. Our driving motivation must be a Gospel imperative – to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the full wealth of Christian conviction, and the comprehensive reach of the Christian worldview set before a sinful world. In other words, the Christian imperative in the digital domain comes down to this – sharing the light in a world of darkness. –Al Mohler

As Al Mohler points out above, our presence on the internet is critical. So what can each of us at our respective churches do? Here are some suggestions:

1. Start a Facebook page and Google+ page.

2. Go to your Facebook page and “like” it if you have not already. Then scroll down and click to invite your friends.

3. Add the page on Google+ as a friend and share.

4. Go to your Pastor’s blog (he should have one), “like” it and share it on FB and Google+. 

5. Share the link to your web page with your internet contacts and/or have your webmaster add a Facebook "like" button.

Increasing your “likes” and sharing the pages will bring you higher in the search engines such as Google and therefore you’ll be easier to find for those looking for a church in your area. Moreover, this will allow you to share what’s happening at your church and share the gospel with a larger audience.

Having stated the above I'm going on an extended hiatus to work on my church's website and our Pastor's blog. I don't know when I'll be back if ever. Traffic here has not always been the greatest but I do thank those of you who have stopped by to have a read. I hope it has been helpful and encouraging.