The Internet As an Effective Tool for Spreading the Gospel

I have been seeing more and more people debating the virtues of the internet as a means of spreading the Gospel of Christ. So much so, that I decided to go ahead and breach the subject here. There are several ways to argue that people can be saved on the internet and that it is an effective tool for spreading the gospel. I haven't heard any arguments against. What do you think?

This is where I stand - I truly believe in my heart that the internet is an effective tool for reaching the minds and hearts of humankind. Satan uses it very effectively in a variety of ways, including spreading pornographic filth and creating the opportunity for the affairs that destroy families. Why shouldn't this valuable resource be reclaimed by God's people? 

Just some of the arguments in favor of the internet as a tool in spreading the gospel are:

1. Where two or more are gathered... Although the internet is not a physical place, but a series of servers that are interconnected, we still treat "cyberspace" as a psychological/mental space. It can be inhabited by our minds and hearts. Therefore, it is decidedly a "where". Since two or more people can be gathered there in His Name, He promises that He will be there. God is omnipresent and omnipotent, after all.

2. If God can use written language on paper (such as Paul's letters) to win souls, why not digital rhetoric? As a matter of fact, digital rhetoric can reach far more people instantly. It is a means of sharing God's love globally.

3. Many of the people who are seeking answers to life's hardest questions don't know where to look for those answers. Even if they did know that their answers could be found inside a church building, the thought of walking into one and not knowing what to expect can be very intimidating. What's more, many people suffer from debilitating social anxieties and may reach out online much more readily because they feel safer being an unknown person behind a computer screen.

4. Many people may work during normal church hours and would not be able to attend even if they were so inclined. These people can access the internet on their own schedule. This opens doors for them to receive the Gospel.


Most of all, the institution of the church has a primary goal of equipping believers. Certainly, the unsaved are there...and they absolutely can (and should) be saved during a worship service. However, the primary mission of the local church is to prepare the body of Christ to go out into a world that is ready for harvest. We are the Lord's laborers and we can't harvest unless we go out into the vineyard. We need to meet people where they are, and judging by the user bases of social media sites, they are online.

Every Christian has been assigned a field to havest. If you don't know where yours is, I encourage you to pray and seek guidance from the Lord. Perhaps you are already working in the field He has chosen for you and you didn't even know it. Perhaps your field is online...

Blessings,
-P