The Digital

PathwayUPGTECH 2016

The Traditional Christian Pathway

• A friend invites you to church• You respond to an altar call• You go back to church and get followed up

and baptized.• You go to a Christian bookstore and buy a

Bible and Bible dictionary.• Then you attend a brick and mortar Bible

college and learn in a classroom• Then get on a plane and go out to the

mission field in the jungle.

The Digital Pathway• You search on Google and find a Christian

website, read the Gospel and accept Jesus as Lord.• You join a Christian Facebook page• You go to Google Play and download a

Bible app.• You read a bunch of Christian articles

online and debate others online.• You study online with a Christian college• You start your own blog and reach the

world.

The First Touch…• The first touch is nearly always a

digital touch: text, email, social media, phone call, tweet, church website etc.• 85% of people under 40 will

check out a church’s website before visiting.• The first search of a religious

seeker is on Google, Bing or Yahoo.

You Can Now…….1. Make a faith commitment to Christ online2. Make Christian friends on Facebook3. Read and study the Bible from a website4. Hear first-class preaching on YouTube5. Get worship music on Spotify or iTunes6. Send out prayer points on Twitter7. Find a Christian wife or husband on

ChristianMingle.com

And Even….1. Do any of numerous Internet-based bible college

courses or distance-education seminary courses2. Get a legal, valid ordination certificate online3. Write a book and get it published on Amazon4. Register as an online 501c3 Christian ministry 5. Recruit volunteers via ChristianVolunteering.Org6. Collect donations via Paypal7. Send the money to missionaries in Africa that

you met online and who sent you a video about what they do..

Without….• Going to a local church – ever• Being baptized• Taking communion• Belonging to a denomination• Teaching Sunday School or taking any

responsibility• Meeting with a pastor• Actually meeting another Christian face-to-

face

The Digital Pathway Works When….

• You are very isolated, elderly or disabled• You are being persecuted• You are in a Creative Access Nation• You cannot afford brick and mortar structures• You are highly literate and computer savvy• You feel that you do not belong in Church• The Church in your area is apostate / in error

The Only Open Door…• In North Africa and the Middle East the

digital pathway may be the ONLY pathway to Christ.• You cannot ask believers to publicly

“walk the sawdust trail”.• Social media and satellite TV are the

main means that Muslims turn to Christ in many counties.• We need to keep this door open!

Where Do They Study?

• In most parts of the developing world there are very few good bible colleges• However Christians can read ebooks and

articles, study courses, watch videos and listen to MP3 files on their tablets, computers and smartphones.• They can access the best teaching

around the world this way.• It is quite inexpensive to deliver

Big Ideas• The digital pathway may soon become

the majority pathway in the Majority World.• It will soon deliver the vast bulk of

grassroots theological education.• Already people converted online are

being channeled into bible study groups and churches.• Church-planting now begins with a

digital touch!

Contact• 21615 Berendo Ave. Ste 400

Torrance CA, 90502• +1-310-844-6948• johned@Cybermissions.org• www.Cybermissions.org