Potential

The Internet is the most powerful communication technology man has ever created. In all aspects of our lives -- business, leisure, education, etc. -- the Internet is impacting the way we do much of what we do. In addition, the Internet has connected the world together like no other technology. Unfortunately, the Church has been slower to capitalize on the power of Internet technology. This may be partly due to the conservative nature of churches, but we also know that Internet ministry is very new. Most churches are not educated on what Internet ministry can do. In addition, there are technical barriers that must be overcome.

The first technical barrier is just getting a basic church website. Fortunately, several organizations are addressing this barrier by providing low-cost easy-to-create websites. However, there is a second much larger barrier that must be overcome in order to fully realize the power of the Internet for ministry. The second technology barrier is creation of web applications that really empower church ministries by making them substantially more efficient, more effective, and able to impact more people. Unfortunately, this second barrier is much more difficult to overcome because of the increased sophistication of these web applications, which require considerable technical know how and a longer development time. The WEC is addressing both barriers, but the main focus is on the second barrier -- developing web applications that can empower church ministries.

Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio, USA is an example of a Web-Empowered Church that uses many web applications to empower church ministries. Some simply minimize the administrative details that take our time away from actually ministering to others. Others can connect people with other people in ways that would be impossible without the Internet. There are many possibilities. Here are some live examples of online ministry in action:

• Business Directory - directory of businesses in the church community
• Cell Group Form - help someone find a cell group
• Community Forums - online discussion and fellowship
• Community Prayer Exchange - post and pray for prayer requests
• Helping Hands - request assistance of all types
• Job Connection - post jobs or job offereings
• Light a Candle - post a prayer or a thought
• Map to the Church - interactive Google map
• Sermons, Bible Studies, and more - video, audio, PDFs, etc.
• Servant Role Catalog - help match people to serving opportunities
• Staff Directory - contact information for staff
• Transformation Journal - daily devotional, personal journal, and community

The process of web-empowering ministries is not encouraging a web-only church. It is using web technology solely to facilitate the mission of the Church in the same way that printing is used to share God's Word on paper. This movement is not about technology. This movement is about doing the ministry of Jesus Christ.

If we can innovatively apply Internet technologies to empower most of the ministries in a church, and then we can make those powerful features available to churches around the world, then we can truly web-empower the worldwide Christian Church.  The amplification of ministry impact resulting from web-empowering the Church has the potential to bring many more persons into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to help them grow as His disciples. This has limitless possibilities! This is what this movement is all about! We must web-empower the Church!