Toward a more complete cybermissions system
Last night, Cindy and I participated in Campus Crusade's first "Virtual Homegroup," a chat based on CCCI President Steve Douglass' small-group study, "Essentials of Spiritual Growth and Multiplication."
It was pretty exciting to see how God worked. All the participants were people who had come through our Ministry Response Center, so at one time or another, they had responded to one of our Gospel presentations online. Our study was on assurance of salvation, and we began with the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, his genuine repentance, Jesus' statement that salvation had come to him...it was great, because we had at least two in the group who didn't feel assured of their salvation before we began...yet, based on an in-depth study of repentance and receiving Jesus identified that they had done that.
Based on that, we could share the Bible's assurance of salvation, and it was very freeing to them. Another participant was able to testify of her spiritual growth in her church of 16 years--the same one in which she found Christ originally. That's going to be a key testimony to our need to connect to a local body of believers and not just depend upon the online world, radio or television for our spiritual community.
This is a gentle introduction to that community, because participants can ask any kind of question--and remain relatively anonymous. It's very freeing. Please pray for our group, which will meet Monday evenings at 9:30PM EST. You can keep up with our progress here.
It was pretty exciting to see how God worked. All the participants were people who had come through our Ministry Response Center, so at one time or another, they had responded to one of our Gospel presentations online. Our study was on assurance of salvation, and we began with the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, his genuine repentance, Jesus' statement that salvation had come to him...it was great, because we had at least two in the group who didn't feel assured of their salvation before we began...yet, based on an in-depth study of repentance and receiving Jesus identified that they had done that.
Based on that, we could share the Bible's assurance of salvation, and it was very freeing to them. Another participant was able to testify of her spiritual growth in her church of 16 years--the same one in which she found Christ originally. That's going to be a key testimony to our need to connect to a local body of believers and not just depend upon the online world, radio or television for our spiritual community.
This is a gentle introduction to that community, because participants can ask any kind of question--and remain relatively anonymous. It's very freeing. Please pray for our group, which will meet Monday evenings at 9:30PM EST. You can keep up with our progress here.
Comments
I was talking to my brother Dean about what we were trying to do with our sunday school class. He gave me a copy of your newsletter. I'm intrested in reading your entire website. We'd like to create an online community also. We have been using NiceNet as our home for posting discussion topics, dates, links, prayer requests and documents. I see now why Dean thought of you when I was describing our attempts.
We are moving slowly and response hasn't been great yet but I am convinced that this is how we are going to reach a networked world.
If you have any ideas that may help us, I'd love to hear them. I just wanted you to know that your newsletter was a real encouragement and blessing to me.
Sincerely,
Bruce Wright
bewright@libertyisd.net