Sharing the Gospel in the online space

Kemi Bamgbose outlines the exciting ways young people are using the internet to touch the lives of their peers with the Gospel

As a comms person, there is nothing I love more than seeing the Gospel shared in innovative and creative ways online. I have always viewed the digital world as a mission field – ‘white [ripe] unto harvest’ (John 4:35) – with many people open and available to receive the Good News in a ‘language’ they understand.

Recent news of the ‘Quiet Revival’– highlighting the rising numbers of Gen Z coming to faith in the UK – demonstrated the power of online evangelism, with one mainstream media outlet placing a significant emphasis on the role of social media in contributing to Gen Z’s growing interest in church and the Bible.

From TikTok influencers sharing their experiences of going to church, to pastors sharing snippets of their sermons, and the creative ways in which churches encourage people to attend their services, there are many ways the Gospel is being presented online that is both authentic and appealing to those exploring faith.

But, beyond social media, how else are young people being reached online with the Gospel? Here are two examples of digital first ministries innovating in this space, evangelising Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Launched eight years ago, The Way UK is one of the UK’s leading digital youth ministries. Predominantly on Instagram (451k followers) and YouTube (131K subscribers), they are a collective of young adults from diverse cultural backgrounds, who engage in faith conversations in different ways.

From online Bible study sessions, to podcast interviews with influential Christian voices (creating space for intergenerational conversations), from sharing personal testimonies and reflections, to vox pops on the streets and producing short creative films (e.g. spoken word  or comedy sketches on topical issues)… they have really pioneered how to share the Gospel in a relevant and refreshing way for young adults, with wisdom, authenticity, joy and a dash of humour. Through their video content, which has been viewed millions of times, many people have come to faith in Jesus.

One of their most powerful pieces of content, in my opinion, is when they conduct vox pops on the streets, asking random strangers questions about faith, for example: “Do you believe in God?”, “Has anyone ever prayed for you?”  The responses are so varied and profound and it’s evident, in some of those instances, that individuals are being touched by God. A few of these street encounters have also led to people becoming Christians later. It’s in these instances when the Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:6–9 comes to life: the seed is planted but God, in His time, brings the increase.

Such is the fruit of their ministry, they are now exploring pathways to help young people who watch their content online to find churches which have strong young adults/youth ministries, so that they can be discipled.

Another innovative way young people are being reached with the Gospel online is through gaming, on platforms such as Roblox – the largest metaverse in the universe, incredibly popular with children and has around 85 million daily users. One of the latest virtual ‘churches’ (or ‘ministries’) to be launched in the space is Roblox Ministries 2.0, set up by BP The Official (real name Brandon Payton), a young 20-something Christian content creator. Payton had been experimenting with digital evangelism for a while, including a previous iteration of Roblox Ministries. In the first month alone, 100,000 players had joined Roblox Ministries 2.0.

Snippets of the services have gained hundreds of thousands of shares, and millions of views across social media platforms, but that isn’t what makes this important. Beyond the numbers, what is most significant is that the Word of God is being faithfully preached and taught; young people are sharing testimonies; and fervent united prayer is happening in this space. 

Also, the impact of the ministry at this early stage is impressive: from the depth of engagement to the positive reception on social media; to the young lives being transformed; people coming to faith; rededicating their lives to God and being baptised; and overcoming personal struggles. Of course, it is early days, but the early signs are incredibly encouraging.

In the UK, new ministries, such as Emmaus Gaming (www.emmaus.gg), are emerging and pioneering in this space too – with a focus on discipleship and evangelism of Gen Alpha. 

Whether it is creating a content-led digital-first ministry for young people by young people, helping them to seek Jesus in the everyday, or setting up a virtual realty ‘church’/ministry in the gaming world for young people with a similar goal, what both examples demonstrate is that creativity, courage, curiosity (experimentation), consistency, and, most of all, the Holy Spirit, can enable us to explore new ways of reaching people online with the love of God.

Why not try something new in your context?

KEMI BAMGBOSE

Project lead for global ecumenical prayer movement Thy Kingdom Come, and founder of Digital Revival Conversations

Follow on Instagram @kemi_bamgbose_ and @digitalrevival.conversations