Web Ministry class

I'm doing a course through the United Methodist Board of Global Ministry called "Web Ministry". It is interesting stuff! I hope to put my new knowledge to use in helping our church create more of a presence on the web. I have found some statements in the reading that I'm doing today that I'd like to keep track of, hence this blog post! :)

The title of this reading is "Defining Moments"

The word “communication” has its roots in “commune” or “common ground.”
Communication involves using tools to “push” information to people and/or “pull” people in by the information we share...With the Web, we are able to combine the “push” and “pull” of communication to achieve a dynamic experience for listeners and viewers...Our intent in communicating the gospel is to determine how the message we communicate should be focused for the people of our time...we are concerned with the question, “How can the gospel be communicated to make the message heard and seen, and then either rejected or accepted?”...The Christian gospel is a matter of decision … All that we who communicate the gospel can do is to make possible a genuine decision.”...But our objective should always be to present the gospel in ways so clear and self-evident that the recipient will have an Aha! experience and the good news will make perfect sense to his or her inner world...Because communication, and more specifically communication of the gospel, is a matter of participation, we who communicate the gospel must understand the others to whom we are communicating. We must find a common ground upon which to communicate...When we communicate the gospel, we seek to make vital connections that:

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Tell the church's story.
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Touch people's lives.
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Support one another along the spiritual journey.
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Reach out to those who are hurting, in need and suffering.
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Put faith into action.
Whether you are ready for it or not, the Internet is the new mission field and the place to engage people in meaningful relationships with one another and with God.

So there's today's interesting tidbits! :)