Embracing the power of Church Online for the Great Commission | Alan George

As Christians, we are called to be people of faith, motion, action, purpose, and intent. We are always adapting our habits, practices, and disciplines based on our past and present constraints and opportunities. However, institutions can find themselves pushing back against change in an effort to preserve what it perceives to be in their best interest. Even though institutions are founded by people, they can often take on a life of their own, which can limit growth and hinder progress.

The pandemic in 2020 forced the modern church to reconcile with the reality that the constraints of time and space were limiting when it came to discipleship. While believers shifted the way they interacted with music, books, brands, and businesses, their orientation towards church remained focused on in-person participation in a specific geographic location at a predefined time. This created unintentional barriers to hearing the Gospel, becoming a disciple, and engaging in a meaningful and authentic community.

The ability to fulfill the Great Commission has never been more accessible than it is today. The ability to deliver a message of hope, guide people along their discipleship journey and transform lives, families, communities, and cultures is now possible at a scale previously deemed impossible. But much of the institution we call church is fretting over how we can get back to normal rather than adapt and adopt this new reality as a way to accelerate towards the ultimate and final mission—to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Digital Discipleship is not a channel, tactic, or marketing strategy. It is a coordinated effort to utilize every means possible to meet people where they are and provide them with the opportunity for a meaningful Gospel engagement that leads to total life transformation. The possibility of reaching the world faster and more effectively alone should inspire all believers to follow the path of Jesus and take every means possible to ensure the whole world will hear, know, and—perhaps—believe.

This is our moment. This is our time. It will not be easy, and we will never compromise the substance of the Gospel, the Communion of the Saints, nor the belief in the Supremacy of Scripture. Yet, we must never let our personal preferences project expectations on others. Our command was to make disciples and to teach them to obey everything Jesus said. (Matthew 28:19-20)