How to Witness in the 21st Century
Local churches and ministries are harnessing the power of technology to connect with both members and guests in this age of the Internet. True Mother has expressed on numerous occasions her commitment to growing the membership of the church and her support for outreach efforts. While traditional methods of witnessing have never ceased, there has been a push in recent years to adapt outreach efforts to the digital age. In the United States and many other countries around the world, the Internet is where the people are, and a presence in cyberspace has become just as important as brick and mortar meeting places.
The Manchester Family Church in New Hampshire has found a way to integrate its Sunday Service and local community activities with an Internet ministry called Faith Fusion. The church says, “We were inspired by True Mother’s vision to reach people through the Internet. Our website helps us with local outreach, in addition to supporting our ability to witness globally.”
The Faith Fusion website hosts a blog to which youth and elder members contribute their stories of discovery, adventure and application of Divine Principle in everyday life. The weekly sermons are also posted, giving guests and community members a way to connect during the week. The Faith Fusion Facebook page also allows for further connection and interaction.
Utilizing technology even further, the Faith Fusion team created an app called WIZE as a way to support young people in the spiritual practice of Hoon Dok Hwe. The app includes “Daily Quotes” from True Parents; “World Quote,” which features wisdom from other faith traditions; and “Your Quote,” a feature that lets the user upload their own favorite quotes and share them with others. The app has been popular with members and guests alike. It is currently available in the Google Play Store, and can be downloaded onto most phones or tablets from http://fanapp.mobi/wize. The team is in development to make the app compatible with iTunes and iPhone in the future.
Not all of the outreach has been online. Rather, Pastor Heather Thalheimer sees it as a tool to support the witnessing efforts happening on the ground, including weekly gatherings and seminars. Though the community is small, with about 13 families, it continues to grow because of this investment in outreach.
This transmedia approach to outreach is one that gives a fresh new outlook to what is possible. Many other local churches and ministries are starting to build their online presence through personal websites, Facebook and Twitter. National Headquarters, too, has its own version of cyber-ministry, with the site dplife.info. The creators hope that the site can build a dynamic online community that is inspiring to new guests as well as established members. They invite local communities to use the dplife website as a resource for their witnessing and outreach efforts, especially communities that may not be able to create their own online platform.
Outreach is all about connection, and in the digital age, a lot of that connection is happening online. Staying relevant is a combination of adapting to the times while staying true to the timeless message. So far, we have tapped only a small well of the possibilities available in the expanse of cyberspace. We look forward to seeing how the Manchester community grows and develops, and how other churches are able to integrate similar aspects, or create new and exciting ideas of their own.
Is your community “connected”? Tell us about how your own church or ministry is making breakthroughs online!