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| April 2007 |
IEC Newsletter
Stimulating and accelerating web evangelism within the worldwide Body of Christ
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Virginia Tech |
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Throughout the world, Christians are praying for the family and friends of the victims of the Virginia Tech killings that took place earlier this week.
The Christian community has responded to this tragedy in a variety of ways, including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) that has deployed its Rapid Response Team to the Virginia Tech campus.
The BGEA is asking that you forward the following information to anyone you know who has been impacted by the tragedy:
Dear Friend,
In the midst of this tragedy, do you need someone to sit and talk with? The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is on the Virginia Tech campus to offer comfort and a listening ear. Counselors and ministry volunteers specially trained in grief assistance are available to meet with you one-on-one, at your convenience.
Please call 1-888-902-2004 , 24 hours a day, and we'll help you connect face-to-face with one of our team members on campus as soon as possible. Your call is completely confidential.
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4, NIV). This is our hope and prayer for you during this difficult time.
May God bless you,
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
*Formed in the aftermath of 9/11, The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team exists to bring a ministry of presence and prayer and appropriately share God's love, comfort, and hope with those affected by a man- made or natural disaster. The Team has deployed more than 700 trained chaplains and ministry volunteers to the Gulf Coast region since August 2005 to assist with post-Katrina counseling and sent chaplains to the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota following a fatal high school shooting in 2005, among other crisis response efforts.
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Other ministries responding include:
- InterVarsity, a Ministry of Presence and blog
- Campus Crusade for Christ blog
- American Tract Society, print and e-tract
- International Bible Society/Send the Light, Scripture resources
- Gospel Communications, resources and thoughts from various ministries
- CBN.com, Craig von Buseck, Lessons for Our Children
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29 April - Internet Evangelism Day |
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| By Tony Whittaker, Web Evangelism Guide |
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With just a few days left until this year's Internet Evangelism focus day, Christian leaders are urging churches and other groups to discover the potential that the Web offers for sharing the Gospel.
"Internet Evangelism Day helps focus on effectively using the Worldwide Web. I encourage leaders of evangelical organizations, pastors and other church leaders to explore their options for using the Web to win people to Jesus Christ," comments Leith Anderson (President, National Association of Evangelicals, USA).
There's still time to add a web awareness focus to your activities on 29 April (or any other convenient time). Read how Paul at OurChurch.com is preparing for Internet Evangelism Day here: http://blog.ourchurch.com/2007/04/19/what-are-you-doing-for-internet-evangelism-day
Whether you want just a paragraph in your announcement sheet, or a 5-minute presentation during a service time, the Internet Evangelism Day website offers the free downloads you need: video clip testimonies, PowerPoint presentation, music, drama scripts, handouts and articles. Find out how God is using the "new media," and the different ways you might be a part of it: http://www.InternetEvangelismDay.com
Free downloads at the Internet Evangelism Day website include:
- Church Website Design Tool to help churches evaluate the effectiveness of their website
- Outreach Strategies, understanding and using the potential of the Internet to share Jesus Christ
- MP3 audio files/news releases
- Free articles
- IED banner for websites
- Internet Evangelism Day enewsletter
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Church of the Internet Clicks Into High Gear |
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| By Michael Ireland, Assist News |
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Online church St Pixels, an Internet church presence with a difference based in the United Kingdom, has entered a new phase with the launch of a new church environment and a ground-breaking service for BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship.
Although not yet in full 3D, St Pixels, a project supported by the Methodist Church, now has many features of the final version. Once inside the church, visitors can talk to each other, enter different rooms, take part in worship or Bible study and listen to a sermon illustrated by pictures.
"So far we've created a very high-quality chatroom," says Simon Jenkins, editor of Christian webzine Ship of Fools, and one of the St Pixels development team. "We can show images and play music, hymns and sound effects. Until now, St Pixels has been meeting on the equivalent of website bulletin boards, so going 'live' in this way is a huge step forward. And there's the 3D church to come, of course."
St Pixels has about 1,500 registered users. More than 600 different people enter the church's website each day. Most members describe themselves as Christian and some are already leaders in traditional churches. For others, St Pixels is the only point of contact with organized religion.
"People join for a variety of reasons," says Mark Howe, one of St Pixels' programmers. "We are accessible for those who cannot leave home due to infirmity or young children. It's also convenient for people whose working life does not fit with local church services -- or who live far from a physical church.
"Members take part in discussions, pray for each other and play games -- as well as worshipping together. Many travel considerable distances to meet 'in real life.'"
St Pixels is the successor of Church of Fools, launched as a three-month pilot project in 2004 by Ship of Fools.
"Christians are increasingly creating churches in many different forms, from traditional ways through to things as yet unimagined," said Rev Jonathan Kerry, Coordinating Secretary for Worship and Learning in the Methodist Church Connexional Team. "St. Pixels is one of these new ways of being church, allowing Christians to gather online to worship God, support each other and pray for the world. The Methodist Church is delighted to have been able to sponsor it, and we hope that it will continue to thrive as a place for Christians of all traditions to meet."
Assist News Story
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Mom Passionate about E-Vangelism |
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| Assemblies of God |
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While an evangelism trip to a foreign country may be impractical or impossible, technology is enabling Christians to reach even closed countries through the media, especially the Internet. Residents of restricted-access countries can study the Bible in their own language via the World Wide Web. Those without a computer at home may experience religious freedom at an Internet café.
Peggie Bohanon of Springfield, Missouri, knows that it's possible for Christians to share the gospel on the Internet once they establish rapport with non- believers. Bohanon has operated a "fun 'n' faith" Christian Web site (http://www.peggiesplace.com) for a decade in an effort to both encourage Christians and to witness to non- Christians.
Her site, with more than 500 original devotionals and thousands of Christian and family-friendly links, has received in excess of 13 million page views from 190 countries and has the plan of salvation in a multitude of languages.
People around the world, including Internet users from restricted countries, visit PeggiesPlace.com regularly, and she responds to emails with discretion and discernment.
Bohanon, a member of Springfield's Central Assembly of God says, "With a little creativity and ingenuity you can share the gospel with people around the world any time of the day or night."
Full Story
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Bible Road |
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Americans share their faith in some unusual ways and unusual places, so finds a new photographic essay called Bible Road: Signs of Faith in the American Landscape. This documentary project by Sam Fentress captures 25 years of religious expression in big cities, small towns and along highways, from a "Jesus is Real" sign at barbeque restaurant in Los Angles to an "Obey God or Burn" message in Harlem.
Bible Road Website
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Training Tentmakers Online |
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| WEA Missions Commission Agora, April 2007 |
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Working Your Way to the Nations (WYWTTN) is a 12 lesson distance learning course designed to help Christians prepare as tentmakers. Instruction is individualized and personal interaction and guidance is provided by an experienced cross-cultural worker.
Organizers say the end product of the course "is a custom-made pathway that should lead to serving God cross culturally in a tentmaking capacity."
There is a fee for the course.
Working Your Way To The Nations
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Internet & Culture News & Information |
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