One of my friend from the seminary asked this question in his Facebook timeline. Are you a digital disciple, media missionary or just a friendly little church? I was really inspired by that. In our society unlike any other time in history we have another component of our personality added to us other than spiritual, emotional and physical but virtual personality. People communicate daily without ever having to speak face to face and has the capacity to interact with each other in a matter of seconds. We are, simultaneously, a people of connection and isolation. As Christians and as missionaries of God’s Word, how do we view our faith and personal ministry in this post modern digital culture? I am sure every one will agree that the Internet has added a new dimension to our lives. The reality is that God continues to move through every facet of our existence, and that makes us new kinds of followers. We are digital disciples. Digital Discipleship is a new kind of pastor's sermon or ministry to a new kind of flock. Go ahead and tweet your friends. Go alive and reach a different kind of audience other wise you will not reach. Now like never before we have the capacity to be alive in their own space, a church that transcends space, culture and language and interpersonal boundaries.
I have observed one post recently found in my seminary which says there are 50 things you can do with a master of divinity degree. The list start with senior pastor, christian education pastor, worship pastor, youth pastor, associate pastor, spiritual director, mission director, missionary director, non-profit (501 c3), police Chaplain, fire chaplain, church planter, military chaplain, visual/graphic artist, clinical pastor, social worker, executive pastor, prison chaplain, corporate chaplain, sports chaplain, hospice chaplain, hospital chaplain, author, counselor, motivational speaker, media ministry, college or university chaplain, dean of chapel, family life ministry, crisis counselor, clinical pastoral education supervisors, Life coach,bereavement counselor, minister of health and wellness, denominational consultant, reporter/editor family life minister, camp/retreat centers directors, student recruiter, conference administer, parish resident scholar, seminary staff, grade school religion teacher, ecumenical ministry director, interim pastor, dean of student, executive pastor, director of urban ministries, director of pastoral care. This list really opened my mind. One of those profession is called media ministry or media missionary.
There are many skills needed to be a media missionary such as operating a video camera, editing video and creating graphics, live production, develop a bible based principles for spreading the gospel through media, pre-production work such as script writing and set design, producing high quality on a small budget, spiritual uplifting atmosphere, web-based encoding and content delivery, initiation to graphic design for web, video and print, work with green screen and virtual sets and so on and so forth.
There are many skills needed to be a media missionary such as operating a video camera, editing video and creating graphics, live production, develop a bible based principles for spreading the gospel through media, pre-production work such as script writing and set design, producing high quality on a small budget, spiritual uplifting atmosphere, web-based encoding and content delivery, initiation to graphic design for web, video and print, work with green screen and virtual sets and so on and so forth.
As part of my CPE training in a retirement community, I had an opportunity to talk to a 98 year old beautiful mother who said we lived in a “horse and buggy days.” I asked her what that means, then she explained to me how she use to go to her church using not the car but horse and buggy. People tie the horse under the trees until finished with the church. A horse and buggy (in American English) or horse and carriage refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Every one knows each other in the village and it was an exclusive community of like minded believers called the church. This is not a scenario in todays globalized society. The privilege of being a ‘simple little church’ is not possible. The transformation is possible like never before from a simple little church to a global church. The body of Christ is unified like never before in the social media and with the technological advancement.
In today's post-christian world in the western world, the call to come and follow me includes our digital personality. Each one of us are called to be a digital disciple, a media missionary and a friendly little global church. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ through honoring him in your soul, spirit, body and in your digital world.
Binu Peniel (C) 2016
Binu Peniel (C) 2016
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