Web as Ministry: Discipleship If Evangelism is the core mission of the church, discipleship is its necessary corollary. When Jesus gave us the great commission in the waning chapters of Matthew's Gospel, he instructed us to go and baptize; but more than that he taught us to bring his kingdom teaching to all the world and, this is important, included a mandate to obey. One of my professors, Dr Robert Mullholland, is fond of saying that dicipleship is "being transformed into the likeness of Christ for the sake of others.(1)The question for us is, how can the Web help us accomplish this mission. As you know, we take the position that nothing can replace the local church in the work of the kingdom, thus we reject the idea that an authentic discipling environment can be created apart from the face-to-face interaction of humans. However, that does not mean that significant elements of the work of discipleship cannot be enabled and enhanced by the use of Internet technologies. In fact we believe that the revolution coming in the following years, will bring an increasing use of Internet technologies to teach, train, and equip the saints for the work of ministry. No longer will Web sites simply be marketing tools, virtual newsletters, or calendars; rather they will become an integral part of the work of making disciples. Many churches and church institutions are beginning to use Internet technologies in this way. From a local church that provides additional resources tied to the Sunday morning sermon to a seminary that has a virtual campus, these examples will provide you with a glimpse into the future of discipleship on the Internet. St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Plano Texas: One of the most fascinating uses of Web technology to enhance discipleship comes from St Andrew UMC in Plano Texas. Their Web site www.standrewumc.org provides a host of resources for discipleship, but it is their sermon companion site that is unique. This site allows congregants to go much deeper with any give Sunday sermon. The resource provides additional commentary, small-group leader resources, and more elements that are tied directly to the teaching on Sunday morning. Check it out at http://www.standrewccl.org/backgroundstudies.htm You can listen to the sermons as well. Asbury Theological Seminary: One of the most significant advances in the field of theological education is the advent of Internet-enabled distance learning. Asbury Theological Seminary has taken the lead in this regard among seminaries educating United Methodists for the ordained ministry. Students can complete fully 2/3 of a master of divinity degree without leaving their current location. Often due to family, ministry, or financial commitments, relocating for seminary can be prohibitive. The EXL program at Asbury allows the seminary to come to them. Check out Asbury’s virtual campus.
| 
