On February 15, CCCOWE hosted an online event to unveil a global survey on Chinese mission and discipleship. The survey,1 conducted between May and August 2023, revealed that discipleship within the church primarily focuses on nurturing internal relationships and spiritual growth, alongside encouraging “localized gospel ministry” and “community service.” However, involvement in “overseas missions” and “local cross-cultural missions” was less pronounced, with only about 10% of churches actively pursuing mission-oriented discipleship. Pastoral leaders identified the main obstacles to mission engagement as a “lack of passion for missions among believers” and “a shortage of talent,” as well as “a lack of consensus among leaders,” “unclear strategies and policies,” and “an absence of challenges for believers.”
This revelation presents an awkward situation, with a seemingly endless cycle of mutual blame and deflection of responsibility. On one hand, believers exhibit a lack of enthusiasm for missions; on the other, leaders seem to inadequately challenge them. Still, there are significant reasons behind this. Relatively few individuals are called to long-term missionary work, and those who engage in short-term missions or mission visits for firsthand experience are a minority. The inescapable reality is that most believers are constrained to roles of support and prayer.
From my perspective, this inevitable sense is largely due to a constrained mindset, resulting in a custom of delegating mission work. A tangible cause is the lack of suitable fields for active involvement. This underscores the importance of new media missions.
I have recently distilled twelve years of focusing on new media missions into twelve brief video courses.2 Each video, designed to be under three minutes, is ideal for small group discussion.3 If I were to encapsulate the essence of new media missions succinctly, it would be that new media empowers and necessitates missions for all.
Through new media, we engage with people near and distant, gaining insights into the world and providing a glimpse into our own. Our social networks serve as a conduit for others to understand our lives, our faith, and the transformative impact of our beliefs. New media offers the most accessible, effective, and personal means for interaction and connection. Our virtual community becomes our broadest mission field, accessible to all for engagement.
When it comes to new media missions, we often simplistically think it’s just about sharing Scriptures in our social networks or reposting articles. While these are important, they represent merely the initial step. In the grand scheme of missions, the required attitude and equipping in each era, for every missionary, and in every domain remain consistent—they involve language learning and becoming familiar with cultures.
Many Christians today might dismiss the fragmented and superficial aspects of internet culture and new media, lamenting the time it consumes or the chaos it breeds. Yet is this attitude reflective of an undervalued commitment to new media missions? Does the disarray on these platforms stem from a lack of thorough cultivation, establishing roots, and the patient nurturing of growth? Or is it a misconception that mission work is only authentic in distant lands like Africa or the Middle East, or that it requires a unique calling?
Mission is the calling of every Christian. Embracing Christianity means accepting this calling and its responsibilities. Now, new media presents the best platform for living out our faith. Even if we retain traditional views of missions, the experience of new media missions can become our prime training ground, fostering disciples aware of and committed to their missionary calling.
For a church to embody a mission-centric identity, it is not enough to just send out missionaries. Since mission work is definitive of the church’s purpose, it must aim to become an institution where every member is an active missionary. New media missions offers an accessible, straightforward, and effective strategy to challenge believers, awakening our innate zeal for missionary work.
Editor’s note: This article was originally written in China and was translated by the ChinaSource Team.
Endnotes
- 《2023年全球華人宣教與門訓調研報告》, CCOWE, accessed February 27, 2024, https://www.cccowe.org/survey.
- 《新媒體宣教Espresso》, 樂道 Channel Re, February 5, 2024, video, 2:54, https://youtu.be/1Xz4Fc5cEt4?si=bHmfPOjGw0-pVLi3.
- 《新媒体Espresso课程视频及讲义》, JToday, accessed February 27, 2024, http://www.jtoday.org/2024/02/espresso/.
Image credit: 《新媒体宣教Espresso 课程介绍》, 樂道 Channel Re, YouTube.
Jerry An
Pastor Jerry An has worked in media ministry since 2001, and now serves as the Chinese Team Leader at ReFrame Ministries (formerly Back to God Ministries International). Under his vision and leadership, the Chinese language ministry of ReFrame has become a pioneer, think tank, and partner in new media ministry. Pastor …View Full Bio
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