It’s time for a latest thing in global Christian missions

The Great Commission is what motivates Kingdom believers. We’re called to enter the world and share Jesus’ life, giving people the chance to have their very own lives modified and day by day purpose clarified.

When Jesus gave His command to His disciples to “…go and make disciples of all nations…”, (Matthew 28 16-20 NIV), the one way then to succeed in people was to physically go into latest areas and find places they congregated. This digital era by which we live presents different opportunities to succeed in people globally, and plenty of would argue faster than ever before.

Last month, The Lausanne Movement released their global ‘The State of the Great Commission’ 2024 report. As I sat and listened to a presentation from Matthew Neirmann concerning the static historical and projected global size of Christianity over 150 years, the underwhelming reality of the flat line on the graph encouraged me to think, ‘It is time for a latest thing.’ What catalysts can we use, and by which ways can we use them to pursue the mission of God’s kingdom so all can know Jesus?

But what does it appear like to inform Jesus’ story in the trendy world?

According to recent Statista data, the estimated variety of web users worldwide was 5.4 billion, this represents 67 per cent of the worldwide population. According to the Global Web Index, the common time spent online day by day is 6.5 hours.

The web has made the world feel smaller in some ways. Digital or online evangelism is entering public spaces and sharing concerning the life, love and example of Jesus in an entire latest way. There remains to be a major have to physically go and share the message of Jesus with those that have not heard, but in some cases where access is difficult, we must harness our technological landscape.

We have to awaken a bigger pool of the worldwide body of Christ and equip them to embrace modern approaches to evangelism while remaining faithful to the timeless message of Jesus. Here are some ways we disciples can effectively share Jesus’ story in a digital age.

1. Utilize social media: By creating engaging content, sharing personal testimonies, and participating in online discussions, disciples of Jesus can reach those that may not otherwise encounter His message.
2. Create multimedia content: Consider leveraging multimedia formats corresponding to video, podcasts, and infographics to share the love of Jesus in dynamic ways. Visual content can provide opportunities for higher engagement and possibly a deeper understanding of bible teachings.
3. Engage with online communities: Joining online communities, forums, and discussion groups related to faith provides unique opportunities to attach with individuals. Sharing resources, offering support, and interesting in conversation is powerful.
4. Develop a customized approach: Recognize that different people have unique backgrounds, experiences, and questions on faith. Your approach ought to be tailored to deal with their specific concerns and wishes.
5. Provide authentic testimonies: Authenticity is vital to effective digital evangelism. In a world of pretend news, ensure what you’re sharing is trustworthy. Share personal testimonies or authentic stories that resonate with audiences and might help them explore a faith journey.
6. Offer resources and support: Provide digital resources corresponding to Bible study guides, devotional material, and online prayer groups. Offering practical support and guidance might help people deepen, be introduced to, or navigate their relationship with God.
7. Embrace emerging technologies: Stay abreast of emerging technologies corresponding to virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, and explore how these tools might be used as vehicles to inform stories and captivate audiences within the Gospel message.

Sharing the life and love of Jesus in a digital world requires a spirit of creativity, authenticity, and adaptableness. If we do that, we are able to extend the reach of our collective voices as we share the love of Jesus with the world.

In the words of John Piper, “Don’t wait for a sense or love to be able to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you understand that this stranger is created by Him… so take those first steps in evangelism because you like God. It is just not primarily out of compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it’s to begin with, love for God. In other words, it isn’t an issue of ‘if’ we’re called. We’ve already said yes. The only query is ‘how‘ to do it within the context of today.”

If we feature the Great Commission out with faithfulness to our God, we pray that it’s going to lead others to return to know the transformative power of Christ in an increasingly interconnected world.

Jesus Film Project has several resources available to provide help to share the life-changing story of Jesus with the world around you. Go to www.jesusfilm.org for more information

Geoff Peters is Global Marketing Director of the film JESUS.