Bible colleges can use their expertise online

An option for indirect evangelism

As well as the strategic importance of adding web evangelism to college curricula (see Open Letter), one academic has proposed a way that colleges could have a direct evangelistic ministry online. She writes:

“What might be a good evangelistic online outreach: online courses (with or without college credit) on subjects like Near-East Archeology, Comparative Religions, Church History or Introduction to Philosophy offered to the general public, and written specifically for non-Christians. Many are interested in these subjects and it would provide a venue where Christians and non-Christians could start a conversation.”

This might be an area where students and faculty could work together, and indeed different colleges could also cooperate to produce different segments of such an ‘outsider-friendly’ resource. It could be very useful for high school students, secular college students, and anyone with an interest in these subjects. Please write to us if you are considering this, or know anyone who is doing it.

Other options

There are also many other ways in which a college might itself do web ministry. One option would be the creation of a community site. If this is set up with Content Management Systems, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system] a range of users can contribute without any technical knowledge. Blogs could also be used, on a vast range of subjects, including local or sporting issues. Very few Christian blogs are actually accessible to non-Christians, and there is a big need for this sort of relationship-building: view our guidelines for blogging as outreach.

Most students will have a Facebook (or other social networking) profile, and can build redemptive relationships through this medium: more.

Teaching IT to the socially disadvantaged is another significant form of ministry.

If you would like to discuss any of these questions with us, please write.