The up-side to the internet is the possible world-wide exposure that it can bring to what you are posting or teaching about. In my case, folks have showed up and read some of my stuff over the last several years from over 160 different countries on every continent. Without leaving my family room, I have been able to touch people in some way all around the world.

Now for the possible down-side. Because anything on the Internet is available for anyone to read–a blog, website, and even an email may be available to folks and governments that may use all that stuff against you and those you write about.

A couple of years ago, a pastor that I had developed a blogging relationship with emailed me a request to erase his name from every place that it showed up on my blog. He was shutting down his own blog and was trying to eliminate his Internet presence. He had a popular blog and was active in making comments on many other sites so I would imagine that the task was nearly impossible.

He explained to me that he was going to supervise a mission in a Muslim country and for the protection of himself, his family, and his associates his Internet presence needed to be scrubbed. At the time, I thought that he was being slightly paranoid but since then have run across dozens of situations that have proven him to be right on.

Here’s a link to the story of a Christian missionary couple in Gambia who were recently sentenced to 1 year of hard labor in prison because of a comment made in an e-mail sent to their prayer supporters.

In Saudi Arabia, a man recently blogged about his conversion to Christianity, was arrested and is now facing possible death.

Just this week I received a request for prayer and intercession from members of a missionary team our church sent out and at the top of the e-mail were these words in bold red letters:

SENSITIVE MATERIAL!!!

PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS EMAIL OR POST IT ON ANY WEBPAGE, BLOG, FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, ETC.  THANKS!

That is just several instances in the last month that I have run across. The point is, all of us should be aware of the fact that our posts and comments could well be read by folks and governments who do not share our faith and might even use it against us if they had an opportunity.

In my own case, there are several countries that I should probably think twice about ever visiting because of some of the comments that I have made over the years on my blogs. It’s a big world out there but the Internet has made it much smaller for better and sometimes for worse.           *Top 

According to a MinistryToday article:

“On Feb. 1 youth groups around the world will be going on a two-week missions trip—from the comfort of their homes.”

A new ministry called ‘Online Missions Trip’ is encouraging young people to evangelize via social networking Web sites like Facebook, MySpace, and World of Warcraft. Tim Schmoyer, pastor of student ministries at Evangelical Covenant Church of Alexandria in Alexandria, Minn. talks about the new online missions ministry for youth:

“Missions doesn’t have to be limited to a summer trip where you raise lots of money and go somewhere for two weeks and then come home, Missions is an everyday thing, and with the power of the Internet it’s never been as easy as it is today to go across the world and talk to someone for free.”

“I want these kids to grow up being comfortable having those spiritual conversations with their friends … not just expecting that it’s the church’s job.”

The students who signed up for the online missions will be learning techniques for sharing Christ with their friends from the ministry’s Web site evangelism-training material for youth.  Also, there are books and videos available to teach the students how to witness to folks from various religious backgrounds. The Web site also provides a discipleship process for the students who accept Christ through the outreach.

Tim Schmoyer said that he is hoping that the missions trip will not end on Feb. 14, but that it will inspire youth to make evangelism part of their everyday lives:

“Hopefully their mindsets will start to shift, that they would develop lifestyles that are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading as they engage with unbelievers throughout the rest of their lives.”

This really could be a natural extension for youth ministry, most young people are already on the Internet participating in social networking sites.  Internet evangelism could easily become part of every churches youth ministry program.            *Top