This post is part 7 in the series 20 Ways to Share Your Faith Online leading up to Internet Evangelism Day on April 25. We encourage you to tweet, share, blog & discuss these ideas in your church & circle of influence.
Part of the beauty of being in the body of Christ is discovering that we are made to pursue God together. The more relational and authentic we are online, the more God can work through us when we connect to people who are far from Him.
About 3 months ago Karen* contacted me via my Facebook profile. She asked me spiritual questions and shared the painful circumstances in which she’s currently living. I was most struck by Karen’s confession that she’d lost hope in the possibility of having a personal relationship with Jesus. I read her Facebook message several times and began praying. When asking God what I should write back, two simple words came to mind: “Disciple her”.
My enthusiasm grew over the following days as God brought to mind some ideas to disciple Karen. She and I went through a 25 day online Bible reading plan together. Every day we read passages together, and each morning I woke up to an e-mail from Karen full of questions and observations she’d made while reading the Bible.
A few weeks into our study, Karen sent me a Facebook message asking if we could talk on the telephone. I called her and had the incredible opportunity of leading her in prayer over the phone to surrender her life to Jesus! Shortly thereafter the 25-day reading plan came to an end but our relationship was still going strong.
Next Karen focused on finding a reputable Christian counselor in her city to walk her through some of the life issues she’s facing. Recently a member of her family passed away and she gathered with friends to grieve and share her hope in Christ. Currently, Karen and I are reading through The Love Dare as a means of becoming better wives to our husbands. We plan to meet face to face this summer.
* This woman’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
Dana is the LifeChurch.tv Church Online International Experience Specialist and co-founder of Blue Door Ministries. She is passionate about reaching people online who are far from God.