Digital Evangelism
Hybrid Evangelism Prototype Project Proposal
A Hybrid Model for Outreach Combining In-Person and Online Components
with Prayer Ads and Online Pastoral Care.
Introduction:
As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, churches worldwide have been relying more on digital platforms to engage with people. The CCC Digital Evangelism Department plans to develop a hybrid evangelism model that combines in-person and online outreach to create a comprehensive strategy for reaching out to the community. This proposal intends to create a well-rounded digital evangelism model involving online pastoral care, prayer ads, community engagement, Bible study, and public evangelism meetings with the collaboration of the Digital Evangelism Initiative Team(General Conference) and Adventist Information Ministry(North American Division).
Project Outline:
The proposed project will consist of the following components:
- Prayer Advertisements: Six months before a public evangelism meeting commences, the GC will launch a series of Facebook and Instagram advertisements through their official social media accounts. These ads will encourage individuals residing within 40 minutes of the church to share their prayer requests.
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Prayer Meeting: The local church will arrange prayer meetings to accommodate prayer requests from the prayer advertisements. All prayer requests will be redacted with personal details and generalized information to ensure privacy.
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Online Pastoral Care: Online Pastoral Care Team(PCT) of Adventist Information Ministry(AIM) and CCC Local Churches will promptly respond to each prayer request and maintain weekly contact, fostering a meaningful pastoral relationship and offering genuine pastoral care.
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Community Engagements: The PCT will invite everyone who has submitted a prayer request to participate in community-focused projects, such as volunteering at a local food bank or donating non-perishable items to a shelter. These activities will help build relationships as a community.
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Online Spiritual Mentorship Group: The church will create online Bible study groups that will meet over a three-month period, combining church members and community members in each group. The goal of these groups will be to provide a safe space for people to learn about the Bible and to ask questions in a supportive environment.
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Public Evangelism Meetings: This project will culminate in a series of public evangelism meetings. The theme of these meetings will be Bible prophecy, and everyone who has participated in the previous stages of the project will be invited to attend. The project will conclude with baptisms.
Project Overview with Timeline :
Responsibilities of the local church include:
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Facilitating engaging weekly prayer gatherings.
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Participating in Online Spiritual Mentorship Groups and receiving training to lead future groups.
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Maintaining a list of service opportunities and assigning a contact person for each.
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Coordinating the distribution and promotion of public evangelism meeting invitations.
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Building and maintaining relationships with individuals who respond to the outreach campaign.
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The prototype will have no cost implications for the local church beyond its regular operation.
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Conclusion:
This proposal offers a comprehensive model for digital evangelism that combines in-person and online outreach to create a robust and adaptable strategy for reaching new and existing members of the church community. By focusing on building relationships, providing online pastoral care with prayer, and creating opportunities for community engagement, this model can help churches connect with people in new and meaningful ways. With ongoing refinement and adaptation, this model can be an effective tool for digital evangelism across geographic locations and cultural contexts.
Hybrid Evangelism Prototype Project Application
A Hybrid Model for Outreach Combining In-Person and Online Components
with Prayer Ads and Online Pastoral Care.
The aim of this project is to institute a new local prayer advertising campaign that offers online pastoral care for individuals to encourage their engagement with local churches through prayer meetings, Bible studies, community involvement, and public evangelism meetings. The Hybrid Evangelism Prototype involves a partnership between the Digital Evangelism Initiative(DEI) Team of the General Conference, the Adventist Information Ministry of the North American Division, and local churches in the Central California Conference.