Jim Westlake sits in his Timberline Avenue apartment Saturday afternoon contemplating the meaning of life. Curious, he pulls up Google on his laptop and searches for answers to some of life’s biggest questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Am I alone? Does God have a plan for me? Does God exist? If God loves me, why doesn’t it feel like it? Who is Jesus? Do I really need Him?
These are great questions, Jim, and there are millions of people just like you searching for answers — on the Web.
For many, the Web has completely replaced older forms of media. In some extreme cases, the Internet has all but severed ties between people, relationships from which answers to such questions would arise. However, many people take their deepest doubts, fears, and concerns to the anonymity of the Internet for answers.
“There’s a huge disconnect in our culture today,” says Christian Living Today’s editor-in-chief Michael Greenwood. “The computer and all the easy access to information have caused folks to reserve their deepest questions about God and spirituality for the Internet. They’re getting God knows what information out there when they should be people from local churches out there getting the message of God’s love for them into their hands,” he explains.
Local churches have a responsibility to meet people where they are. The field doesn’t come to the farmer, and people aren’t going to wander into churches en masse. It is the body’s responsibility to go out into the world to preach the gospel message. And if the world’s online, then churches should be online, too.
Chris Conant, founder of Epiphany Systems, has not only identified this need, but is actively pursuing change. “We see a great need for churches to connect with their communities online to meet their needs in a medium that is comfortable for the new social-tech generation,” explains Chris.
Epiphany Systems offers church websites at a fraction of the cost of most commercial options, but without sacrificing functionality. “We’ve brought the best of Web 2.0 to churches and ministries. We call them church 2.0 websites.”
Greenwood agrees. “Chris and his team have a great solution to some of the challenges we’ve observed. Their church content management system enables churches to connect with the people searching for answers online.”
There is great hope within the community of dedicated church outreach folks. With organizations such as Christian Living Today and Epiphany Systems, the message of God’s love can reach the increasingly vast mission field we know as the Internet.